Our present bible study at Fremont Bible Study Group is on the Gospel of John. I remember when my husband and I traveled to Greece in 1995. We went on a cruise of the Greek isles including the island of Patmos and we visited the cave where the Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation. Just even thinking about it now gives me major goose bumps. Unfortunately I didn't feel it back then because I was not yet in the Word and was not “in tune” with the Holy Spirit. I remember all I could think of at that time was getting out of that cave so I can go shopping. So sad. But I do recall my husband feeling in awe at that moment and I thought he was weird. Sad, but it is now a wonderful testimony and affirmation to me of 1st Corinthians 2:14, which says, "the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
I missed the deep joy then, but thank God for His grace, I have it now!!! Praise the Lord!!! I now have the kind of deep joy that surpasses understanding. The kind of deep joy that I pray for everyone. The kind of deep joy that can only come from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
God continues to reveal so many things to me during our bible study and I get so overwhelmed. I can't even imagine how the Apostle John must have felt during that time in the cave when he was writing the book of Revelation. I, too, desire to write what God is somehow impressing upon me through the study of His Word. But it is so overwhelming that I feel like I will be mumbling and I'm afraid no one will understand what I'm trying to say. But wait! I cannot say no one will understand because 1st Corinthians 2:14 says only the people without the Spirit will not understand. Kind of like what the Apostle John said in John 1:5- "The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."
So I'll give it a shot. Here goes. I learned that God reveals just the right amount of information to just the right person(s) at just the right time. In His own perfect time.
Even the book of Revelation, or the whole Bible for that matter, is still not fully understood to this day. The Apostle John wrote what was impressed upon him by the Holy Spirit. Maybe he even had some of the same fears I'm having now. Fears that people might not understand and that they may even think he's foolish. But discernment and revelation was neither up to him nor anyone of us. It is only God who can and will reveal just the right amount of information to just the right person(s) at just the right time....the most opportune time.
Just like when He gave the law to Moses. Even the law was only half of the puzzle then. The fulfillment of the law, Jesus, came later. Hence, v. 17: "For the law was given to Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
This verse also reaffirms to me the awesome character of God. The law that was given to Moses displays not only the holiness of God but also His goodness and sovereignty. The law also demonstrates the unrighteousness of mankind. None of us can live up to the law. The magnitude of the law shows us how holy our God is, and how sinful we are. If there is no sin, then there's no need for law; and vice versa. And here's where we see God's sovereignty and goodness. He knows that we cannot live up to the law and that the unholy cannot come to the Holy. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. This clearly shows His goodness. While we were still sinners, He sent His only Son. The Word became flesh. Hence, the purpose of the Book of John: To proclaim Jesus' true identity and make Him known so that all may come to repentance.
v.12: Yet to
ALL who RECEIVED HIM, to those who BELIEVED in His name, He gave the
right to BECOME children of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment