Tuesday, 26th November, 2024
By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me…” (Galatians 1:15-16 KJV).
There’re those who attempt to understand God through their intellect as though God could be studied in a laboratory. However, knowing God is not something that can be achieved through mental effort or intellectual exercise. Even Paul the apostle, a highly educated man, realized that his learning was insufficient when it came to knowing Jesus Christ. He needed revelation.
You can only know God by the revelation of the Spirit. There’s a level of humility required to reach that point. You must come to the realization that no amount of intellectual prowess could help you here; you need God's revelation. And when you humble yourself, God will reveal Himself to you as He did with Paul.
Paul was an erudite scholar; read Philippians 3 where he declared his resume and made some very thought-provoking statements. He said, “Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, I was blameless”; he knew it all (Philippians 3:6). Then he says in verses 8-10, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: …that I may win Christ, and be found in him…That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection…" (Philippians 3:8-10).
Then in Galatians 1:15-16, he said, "But when it pleased God...to reveal his Son in me." It was by revelation that Paul eventually came to know Jesus Christ. No wonder he prayed a beautiful prayer of the Spirit for the Christians in Ephesus that God would grant them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17-18).
He understood that you couldn’t “experiment” or hypothesize to know God or discover Him through history alone. Without revelation, no one could truly know God, and that’s why we pray for those who don’t know Him, that their eyes be opened to the truth of the Gospel and that the veil of darkness in their hearts be removed by the Spirit to receive divine revelation and experience the fullness of God’s love and salvation. Amen.
PRAYER/CONFESSION
"Dear Father, I pray for those yet to know you that you will reveal yourself to them by your Spirit, removing every veil of darkness and barrier of ignorance and pride from their hearts. I pray that their minds be enlightened to know and experience the fullness of your love and salvation, and comprehend the truth of the Gospel. By your grace, many will come to the full knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ today, in Jesus’ Name. Amen."
FURTHER STUDY
1 Corinthians 2:9-12; Ephesians 1:15-18; Matthew 16:13-17
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
1 Peter 5; Ezekiel 35-36
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Revelation 2:1-12; Hosea 5-6
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