December 8
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REVELATION: AFTERMATH OF OBEDIENCE
11 For I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is not of human invention. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my [countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15 But when He who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. – Galatians 1:11-17
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In this letter of Paul to the Galatians, he is emphasizing to them that the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ is not something he made up or is coming from a human. In verse 12, he tells them that it was something that was a revelation, not something he was given by another man or taught it. A revelation is divine, it is not something humans can do. Our ability to change ourselves is limited, but a revelation can transform us into a new creation. In verse 14, Paul witnesses to the Galatians and gives again his testimony to build this case of revelation. He used to persecute the believers because he followed his ancestors in continuing their tradition. But when God chose him and revealed His Son to him, he obeyed the Spirit’s revelation to him and he was transformed to the new person that God has turned him around from a persecutor to an apostle. In verse 16, he mentions that he didn’t train from other apostles ahead of him, instead he obeyed the instruction to go away.
Before I was born again almost nine years ago, I habitually served my own interests. It was always about me. When I began studying God’s word, I started to see that I was a sinner and an idolater. That was the conviction that came as the words of the bible popped out of its pages and dealt with my sins. As soon as I gave up trying to understand it and instead, obeyed faithfully the truths that was replacing the lies I listened to for over 5 decades, revelations from the Holy Spirit came flowing out of my mind and heart. I was never the same. Sadly, many Christians were hijacked by religion, tradition and cultural paradigms that stunt their maturity and hinder them to live the new life in Christ. They are unable to renew their minds because of disobedience.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think obedience is the key to get revelation from the Holy Spirit?