1 John 4:13, “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
No man can truly say that Jesus is the Son of God except by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God. Our finite, carnal mind cannot comprehend this gift of God to our lost and dying world. It takes the illumination of the Holy Spirit to open our consciousness to the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the redemption and salvation of our souls. God must take yet a greater role in our salvation by opening our heart in Divine Revelation to the magnitude of His gift of salvation. 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
And that is only the beginning! God must continue to lead us by Divine Revelation to where He is going or we will get lost along the way. Therefore, we must recognize the element of Divine Revelation in our personal relationship with God. We will experience competing doctrines and theories in our quest to fulfill God’s purpose through the Word. It is only through Divine Revelation that we can know the His TRUTH. The Holy Spirit will assist us in receiving the TRUTH if we will open our minds and hearts to Him.
Revelation is a personal experience. A revelation may impact one person, a great number of people or generations of people. For instance, when the angel of the Lord announced the birth of the Messiah to lowly shepherds in Luke 2, they were alone in a rural area and the message was for them. Luke 2:8, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” The angel of the Lord spoke directly to these few shepherds alone in the countryside. His message was a message to them first and then meant to be shared with the world.
First, the revelation was a personal experience. These shepherds had a visual and an emotional experience. “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid,” Luke 2:9. Not only was it a personal experience but also an emotional experience. They were afraid for the magnitude of the glory of God they were experiencing.
As with most revelations from God, this experience was accompanied by awe and reverence. In most instances when God reveals Himself to us, we respond in utter disbelief that it could be happening. This scene causes my heart to proclaim, “WOW, WOW, WOW.” No doubt they were paralyzed with fear. But God always comforts and reassures when we recognize Him and respond properly. So, what is the proper way to respond to the presence and revelation of God? We must respond with holy reverence and submission. (continued)
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