Illumination: Becoming Like Christ
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When God turns the light on
The process of change in our lives is dependent upon the Word of God.
We find ourselves in a dangerous place when we trust in the Bible alone.
I know that sounds counter to Sola Scriptura
Let me explain
We must do more than just read the Bible.
Reading the Bible alone does not bring about change.
The Holy Spirit must personally show us truths and realities of God to us as we read, study and meditate on the Scriptures.
In theological terms we must depend on the Holy Spirit’s work of illumination
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
They replied in Matthew 16:14
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
So Jesus asks them in Matthew 16:15
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Peter gives the divine response of Matthew 16:16
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Have you ever notices the second half of Jesus response to Peters answer?
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee....
But my Father which is in heaven!!
Jesus more or less said “Peter, you have experienced something that is not common to all men. You cannot learn what you have learned by natural means. My Father Himself showed you this truth. He opened your eyes and you were illuminated.
Remember:!!!!!Reading the Bible alone does not bring about change.
The Holy Spirit must personally show us truths and realities of God to us as we read, study and meditate on the Scriptures.
Like a sun tan
The more time you spend in the sun the more tan you will be.
The more direct and direct the sunlight the faster you tan
We went up to Superior on vacation and I came back with a tan…on my arms LOL
What happens if I go back to a schedule of seclusion indoors and staying clear of the sun....lose the tan
We deal with that every winter in WI
It is somewhat similar with our exposure to the Lord and His word.
The more often and more directly we are exposed to it the more the HS can use it in our lives and the more our lives will show the affects of being in His Word.
I understand that this is one of my soapboxes and that it comes up often...
But there is a reason…change in our lives comes by the Word of God
By direct exposure to it
Reading
Studying
Meditating
Memorizing
We need to be exposed in order to give the HS something to work with.
Like John says in John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
We need to behold Him
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
There is so much here but it boils down to the truth that we need to spend time in the mirror of God’s Word if we want to change.