How We Came by the Bible, part 4

What is Illumination?

Illumination = to make light or to enlighten

Spiritually speaking, it is the “the work of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of spiritual Christians enabling them to understand the Bible.

John 14:17 KJV 1900

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:26 KJV 1900

26 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 16:12–14 KJV 1900

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

1 Corinthians 2:14–3:4 KJV 1900

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

1 Corinthians leads us to our next thought...

Illumination and the unsaved person

He is spiritually dead

John 8:24 “24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

Ephesians 2:1 “1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

Ephesians 2:12 “12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”

He is blinded by the devil

2 Cor. 4:3 “3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:”

2 Cor. 4:4 “4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

He is captive and controlled by the devil

Ephesians 2:2 “2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

2 Tim. 2:26 “26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

He is unable to understand the gospel - 1 Cor. 1:18 “18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Thank God He does not leave the unsaved hoepless!

What the Holy Spirit will do for the Unsaved

He will convict them of sin, righteousness, and judgment when they hear the Word of God - John 16:7-11 “7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”

He will show an individual who the Lord Jesus is, what He has done for them, and what they need to do - John 16:14-15 “14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

What an Unsaved Persona can do

A person can disregard the ministry of the Holy Spirit and exercise his will not to be saved

Matthew 23:37 “37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

John 5:40 “40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

A person can resist the ministry of the Holy Spirit and reject the Lord as Savior - Acts 7:51 “51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”

A person can strive with the Holy Spirit and let the devil take God’s Word out of his heart

Genesis 6:3 “3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”

Luke 8:12 “12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”

This is how illumination relates to the unsaved, but...

How does Illumination Related to the Carnal Christian?

He is a babe or immature in the things of Christ - Hebrews 5:13 “13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.”

He follows the things of the flesh rather than the things of the Spirit - Galatians 5:16-21 “16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

He is grieving the Holy Spirit because of sin

(Ephesians 4:30 “30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” )

And therefore is unable to understand the deeper things of God

1 Cor. 3:2 “2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”

Ephesians 1:17 “17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:”

What a shame there are so many carnal, fleshly Christians in our churches. Those who are saved, but are ignorant of what the Word of God teaches! Thankfully, however, there are mature, spiritually minded Christians as well and here is...

How Illumination Relates to the Spiritual Christian

He is saved by controlled by the Holy Spirit Ephesians 5:18 “18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”

He can discern the deeper truths of God’s Word and thereby grow spiritually

1 Cor. 2:15 “15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”

1 Cor. 2:9-10 “9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

He can witness to and win others to the Lord - Acts 4:31-32 “31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”

The Holy Spirit can guide him - John 16:13 “13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

He can teach him and use him in a great capacity - Acts 13:2 “2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”

He can give him a peace and joy in the Lord’s service, which is able to sustain him in every circumstance

1 Peter 1:8 “8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”

Philippians 1:12-18 “12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; 13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; 14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: 17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. 18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”

Lastly we ask...

What is Required for the Spirit’s Ministry of Illumination in our lives?

You must have a desire to know and to learn more of the things of God

John 7:17 “17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”

1 Peter 2:2 “2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

You must be willing to live a spirit-controlled life

Galatians 5:16 “16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Ephesians 5:18 “18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”