Galatians 1:11-16
“For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,”
As we continue to look unto Jesus, the author and completion of our faith, let us look again at our need to eat of the Lamb.
In talking with people about the eating of the Lamb I often hear questions such as “How do we eat?” I wish to talk some about this but try to also say that it must never simply become about doing or formulas or particular works. Communion with the Lord in an undistracted way is a vital component of our relationship, but I believe we can all agree that we can commune and yet the Lamb never appear in our comprehension. The same can be said about reading the scriptures, which I love and believe are a great gift of the Lord to us, but we can read and, without the Holy Spirit, the Lamb will not be beheld or known. So there is this demand for an inward revealing, or revelation, from the Spirit of Christ to our inward man. I’m not and neither are the scriptures referring only to outward revealing of the Lord, though I appreciate these communications of and from the Lord. The demand is for the Spirit to Spirit type revealing where the Lord truly makes Himself known to the believer. It was this type of inward revelation that separated Paul from his first birth identity. In Galatians 1:11-16 Paul explains His journey out of his former manner of life in Judaism and even his Adamic birth by the Son being revealed in Him! Yes, Christ revealed inwardly was his exodus out of all that was former. We will speak more about this exodus in the coming weeks, but my point is the absolute need for inward revelation. We tend to look to ways of doing or ways of getting somewhere, but God alone can reveal Himself to any or all of His creation. No one can comprehend Him outside of revelation, and inward revelation is what brings inward transformation, which is an exodus out of Adam’s life into Christ our life.
Let me remind us that in his former life, Paul or Saul knew the scriptures very well, perhaps better than us. Paul also prayed but there was NO revelation of Christ from those Old Testament scriptures, and he was a persecutor of Christ and His body. I bring this into view to caution us as to how to see instead of simply beholding the Lord. Again communion (prayer) scripture reading, worship, fasting, all of these are true components of life in Christ but only if we know Him, otherwise they could become only religious exercise.
When I commune with the Lord, I am asking for inward revelation of the Lamb. When I read the scriptures, I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ the Lamb. When I worship, I ask to join the heavenly host in praise and worship of the eternal Lamb.
Now, let me encourage you that Christ is pleased to reveal Himself in us. He will never resist us in this desire unless we are arrogant and insincere. It pleases Him to reveal Himself as Paul states in Galatians 1:15-16. We shouldn’t beg or worry, but trust and ask.
Now, watch as the Lord undertakes through the scriptures and prayer and worship to make Himself known. Let me also add one final note and that is the Lord’s Supper which is again the eating of the Lamb. I encourage you individually, and particularly as families, to eat and drink of it often. If we ask, the Holy Spirit can and will use this remembering act to reveal the Lamb. So at home I encourage you to celebrate Christ our Passover as Paul speaks very, very often.
Bless you,
Terry