Revelation
May 27, 2008
by Michael Schwartz
We all have heard very many Christian ideas that have been repeated
over and over. Yet, we don't really believe them, even though we all
know that we should live by them. Knowing isn't enough. God needs to
give you the revelation before it becomes effectual on your life.
Here are some common Christian ideas: Christianity is a
relationship, not a religion. Giving God the glory in everything
you do. Putting God first in your life. Being thankful in all
things. Seeking God before making decisions. Loving God and living
for Him.
None of the above ideas are wrong in any way; they are, in fact,
quite good. However, they have become clichés that we Christians
talk about just because we're told that they're true.
What if I were to ask you "what do you mean 'it's a relationship,
not a religion?'" Or, "what does it mean to give God the glory in
what we do?" How would you answer? Would you even be able to answer
at all?
This is the problem that these clichés have created. We say all the
right things to make ourselves seem like Christians, but we don't
even really understand them. We think that we have it all figured
out simply because we know the right Christian ideas.
You can't go through life putting "Christianity is a relationship,
not a religion" in your Religious Views and "spending time with God"
in your Interests and expect everything to be fine. It's not, and as
long as you spend the rest of your spiritual life living by clichés,
it won't be.
Galatians 1:11-12 NKJV
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was
preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received
it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation
of Jesus Christ.
Revelation can be described as "owning" knowledge. Anyone can tell
you what their pastor said about something. Anyone can quote Dr.
So-and-So, the famous theologian. But revelation is when what you
know about an idea comes from God, not from a man.
One example is the ever-common phrase "Christianity is a
relationship, not a religion." Just because you believe that phrase
to be true doesn't mean that it's real to you--that you've
experienced it for yourself.
Another example is the love of God. Every Christian knows about how
much God loves us and how He died for our sins. I used to tell
myself, "so what if God loves me and died for me? He loves and died
for everybody. What makes me so special?" One day, I finally
realized how great His love was. When God finally showed me that He
died that horrific death, and He would do it all over again, just
for me... I sat down and cried.
God's revelation is infinitely more powerful than man's knowledge.
It doesn't matter how many times you hear a sermon on a subject or
how much Scripture you know about something, it won't make much of
a difference in your life until God reveals it to you and you do
something about that revelation.
Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV
...man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.
Christians today think that they grow spiritually by listening to
sermons or hearing about others' revelations. But it doesn't work
that way. Growing requires spending time with God and getting to
know Him.
Knowledge--the bread mentioned in Deuteronomy--can be gained by
studying the Bible and listening to what others have to say about
Christ and His work. Revelation, however, can only come through God
Himself revealing it to you as you seek Him.
It is not enough to follow all the Christian ideas and listen to
sermons. These will not do you any good if you do not have any
divine revelation from God. Simply believing in these Christian
clichés and expecting yourself to be fine is like thinking you're
losing weight simply because you own a treadmill.
How can you have a relationship with God? How do you give God the
glory in everything you do? How do you put God first in your life?
How is it possible to be thankful in all things? Why should I seek
God before making decisions? How do I love God and live for Him?
And if I am doing all of those things, how would I know it?
You can't answer these questions. Your friends can't answer them.
Your parents and pastor can't answer them either. Only God can. So
instead of seeking knowledge from man, instead seek revelation from
God.
Amen.
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E-mail me: vektor@xpertstudios.net
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