All Begins in Revelation

When We Behold Christ We Become Like Him

Our revelation must not grow dim. What we see is what we become, and what we become governs what we do and what we say. We are being changed into His image, and God's work can only be done God's way if we are going to see God's results. You may try for a while on your own to produce what God wants, but when you come to the end of your efforts and strength, you will see that it takes divine revelation from God to move you on to take another step in faith.

None of us can move in faith without a revelation. I am sure we know this in theory, and in most cases we know the practical outworking of God's purpose in a measure. We must, if we have a new life in Christ. But to move in the revelation takes spiritual strength, an active faith--the lack of which causes many to become slothful in their walk. They begin to slow up in their obedience to what the Lord is showing them; thus the vision dims. Many look upon the revelation as something that only the ministers need. God does not have it reserved for one or two; the revelation is for all of God's people! The Lord knows how to feed each one of us through the revelation. We all need the fullness of revelation!

It is the working of God that will hold you on course; nothing short of the revelation will do it. You can talk about it, but that is not enough. We need the life which comes from the Word made alive to us by the Spirit. Our words can be life to others only when we abide in Christ and our words proceed from the revelation. Our lives can feed others only as we rest in the Lord. When I say "rest in the Lord," I mean that we have ceased from our labors and started to allow the Lord to work in and through us, which is all a part of seeing the revelation.

Romans 8:4, "In order that the just requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." This brings our walk in the revelation to a place in which we must have the anointing of the Spirit, which is a place of real strength. It may look like weakness to the natural world, but it is strength in the spiritual realm. It is in knowing who we are in Christ, and in making a confession of this by our lives, that we are in Him.

Romans 10:3, "But speaking about the Jews being ignorant about the righteousness that comes from God, seeking to establish their own..." They did not submit to God's revelation of Himself and all that He is, and thus missed God's working for them. They did not have spiritual eyes to see God's provision.

The greatest need that we have is that our eyes may be opened spiritually. This will have an effect on the words that we speak, the path that we walk, and the influence that our lives have on others. The revelation of God, breaking into our conscience is the only thing that can work the character of Jesus in us. It is only as we look to Him in faith that we can draw strength that will allow us to walk out the reality of His life.

Romans 8:5, "For those that live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those that live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." The Christian walks in a different realm from the world. It is not just "going to church on Sunday." The Christian walks in the Spirit. The Christian has a new life; thus he starts from a different standpoint. It is not from the basis that we are "only sinners saved by grace." The Christian starts from the creation of a new life. He is in Christ. This is a place of faith, and if there are areas in his life that the Lord wants to change, He is able to speak to him if he is spiritually alive unto Him.

Too often we are only partaking in our minds. We are not alive to what God really wants to do in us and through us. We need to become alive in every area. Our lives need to be quickened by His Spirit, and we need to abide in that anointing that He has given. The book of I John tells us to abide in that anointing which we have received--abide in it, and live out of our union with Him. Then our lives will be a sweet-smelling savor to those around us, and most of all to God.

Next: Truth Revealed By the Spirit Demands a Response