Growing in Revelation

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26

It is so important that we approach scripture as children, expecting the Holy Spirit to open our minds to Truth. As “churched” believers, (I so dislike that term, it sounds like something that is pickled), we are in danger of approaching the word as if we fully understand it. This attitude shuts off revelation, dulling our spiritual vision and curbing our knowledge of God. We are called to be spiritually quickened, not to pickle in the stagnant pools of familiar church doctrine.

This is not to say that church doctrine is a not good and helpful. No, the problem comes when doctrine becomes a wall that shuts us out from Spirit led revelation. But when viewed as a door, doctrine can serve as an invitation, beckoning the hungry heart to come in and explore. It is interesting to note that Jesus saved his strongest rebuke for those religious people who claimed to “see”. He pronounced that they would be made blind because they assumed that they already possessed absolute knowledge of God. Jesus did not have to make them blind because they were already blinded by pride. In contrast, to those who did not claim to have all of the answers, Jesus promised to give wisdom and revelation. After Jesus’s resurrection, his disciples walked along with him but were unable to recognize him. The word says the Jesus had to “open their understanding”, so that they could recognize him.

In the same way, when we read the word, we must depend upon the Holy Spirit to oen our understanding. Have you ever had something precious that you wanted to share with a close friend or loved one? We seem to have a need to share the things that mean the most to us. I have often wondered if the Holy Spirit feels this same kind of excitement when one of his children comes to Him with a sense of expectation and receptivity. He is granted permission to open our understanding, and He longs to do so. When we lose this expectant attitude, we lose revelation. Without it we are simply amassing intellectual, religious gibberish that is void of life and power. We go from “faith to faith, and glory to glory”, as our roots go deep into the knowledge and love of God in Christ Jesus, until we reach full maturity. (Ephesians 1,3,4; Colossians 3). So let’s delve into the scripture with an open mind and a believing heart, expecting the Holy Spirit to share the knowledge of the riches of His glory “lavished upon us in Christ Jesus".

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened: thay ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe..." Ephesians 3:18,19