August 10, 2018 THE EYES OF OUR HEART
Ephesians 1:17-19 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
It seems we are geared to live according to our mind and to logic, neglecting the more important aspect of spiritual understanding, wisdom and revelation. It is impossible to live the Christian life just on our mental understanding; we must receive revelation from God concerning who He is and His plans and purposes for us. In fact, 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us that the natural man (one who does not know God) cannot understand the scriptures. Since the very beginning, God has been revealing Himself in various ways, but the most powerful and most dramatic way He has revealed Himself is through His Son Jesus Christ. All that Jesus said and did reflected His Father; through Jesus, we come to know God. The New Testament is based on the life and teachings of Jesus and the writing of the New Testament was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to each believer, and the primary role of the Holy Spirit is to give us understanding and revelation as we read God’s word. Even though believers have the Holy Spirit living in them, many still depend on and rely on their mental appraisal of the scriptures. One reason for this is that many have for a long time been exposed to and have heard teachings that are not in keeping with the gospel that Jesus proclaimed. Man, even believers, have been guilty of interpreting the scriptures according to their own preferences and own prejudices. The gospel that Jesus proclaimed is clear, it’s not up for debate, and there are no contradictions in the scriptures. Peter Parris has said that “There are contradictions in the scriptures, but only in our mind.” The riches that are in God and in Christ are unsearchable, they are beyond our natural ability to understand or comprehend. If we think we fully know God and His greatness, then we do not know Him. If we are to experience the life God has for, if we are to be transformed, it is essential that God gives us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, and that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened that we might know the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus. The Christian life is not about ‘trying harder’ or being ‘more dedicated’ or being ‘more disciplined’ etc. Only when we seek Him first and as He gives us revelation about who we are in Him and about who He is in us, will we experience the awesome life He has for us. The good news is that if we seek Him first, He will continue to reveal Himself to us in new and powerful ways throughout our lifetime. There is always more to know about Him. Let us take this prayer that Paul prayed personally, that the eyes of our heart be enlightened. God reveals Himself to those who desire to know Him.
Ephesians 4:24 “and put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Blessings,
Buddy
[email protected]
Ephesians 1:17-19 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
It seems we are geared to live according to our mind and to logic, neglecting the more important aspect of spiritual understanding, wisdom and revelation. It is impossible to live the Christian life just on our mental understanding; we must receive revelation from God concerning who He is and His plans and purposes for us. In fact, 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us that the natural man (one who does not know God) cannot understand the scriptures. Since the very beginning, God has been revealing Himself in various ways, but the most powerful and most dramatic way He has revealed Himself is through His Son Jesus Christ. All that Jesus said and did reflected His Father; through Jesus, we come to know God. The New Testament is based on the life and teachings of Jesus and the writing of the New Testament was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to each believer, and the primary role of the Holy Spirit is to give us understanding and revelation as we read God’s word. Even though believers have the Holy Spirit living in them, many still depend on and rely on their mental appraisal of the scriptures. One reason for this is that many have for a long time been exposed to and have heard teachings that are not in keeping with the gospel that Jesus proclaimed. Man, even believers, have been guilty of interpreting the scriptures according to their own preferences and own prejudices. The gospel that Jesus proclaimed is clear, it’s not up for debate, and there are no contradictions in the scriptures. Peter Parris has said that “There are contradictions in the scriptures, but only in our mind.” The riches that are in God and in Christ are unsearchable, they are beyond our natural ability to understand or comprehend. If we think we fully know God and His greatness, then we do not know Him. If we are to experience the life God has for, if we are to be transformed, it is essential that God gives us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, and that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened that we might know the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus. The Christian life is not about ‘trying harder’ or being ‘more dedicated’ or being ‘more disciplined’ etc. Only when we seek Him first and as He gives us revelation about who we are in Him and about who He is in us, will we experience the awesome life He has for us. The good news is that if we seek Him first, He will continue to reveal Himself to us in new and powerful ways throughout our lifetime. There is always more to know about Him. Let us take this prayer that Paul prayed personally, that the eyes of our heart be enlightened. God reveals Himself to those who desire to know Him.
Ephesians 4:24 “and put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Blessings,
Buddy
[email protected]
RSS Feed