REVELATION

"To reveal His Son in me." -Galatians 1:16 [KJV]

From hence begins spiritual life: a life from God, in God, with God, and to God. By the gospel the Son of God is revealed to us. By the Spirit, He is revealed in us. External revelation by the word, and internal by the Spirit, are both necessary to salvation. Though St. Paul was separated from his mother’s womb, to be called by the grace of God, yet he had not this inward revelation of Jesus Christ to his heart, till he heard the external word of Christ with his ear, saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:4.) Hence learn to prize, both the outward testimony of the word and the inward testimony of the Spirit. 

Consider, (1st.) to reveal, signifies to discover, or make clear to a person, what he did not know before. So, (Philippians 3:15) “If in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal this unto you.” So the gospel is a revelation of Jesus Christ, without which we could never have known, nor understood, that our sins are atoned by the blood, our persons justified by the righteousness, and our souls everlastingly redeemed and saved by the work of Christ. Is this knowledge, by this revelation, all that is necessary to salvation? No. Persons may attain a notion of these things in the head, and understand somewhat of them, and yet the heart be without precious faith in, and peculiar approbation of Christ, destitute of the love of Christ, and of any saving hope in Him. 

But, (2d.) this is the chief glory of our souls, the revealing Christ in us. O for the reviving comfort of this, while we consider it. To reveal Christ in us, is to make such a clear discovery of the matchless charms and inestimable glory of His person to our souls, which we never saw before: so that our hearts are enamoured with Him; we choose Him, love Him, delight in Him, and cleave to Him in all His offices and characters. For by the eye of our soul, “we behold His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” to us miserable sinners. 

Hence, He is the ONE beloved of our souls. Without this revelation of Jesus Christ in us, alas! what is all external profession? No more than mere task, dry formality, and heavy drudgery. O my soul! O my dear friends! be not content to live without a constant revelation of Christ to your souls. This makes the conscience peaceful, the heart happy, and the soul joyful. 

This inspires love, subdues lust, captivates the affections, makes the whole man happy in God, and creates heaven in the soul. If Christ is within, in the heart, all will be right and well without in the life. If you believe in Christ, as revealed in the word, this blessed promise is for you. Pray for its daily fulfilment, “I will manifest Myself unto him.” -John 14:21

 

“Light of those, whose dreary dwelling 

Borders on the shades of death, 

Come, and Thy dear self revealing, 

Dissipate the clouds beneath.”

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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