S73P2 – A simple Gospel: must be revealed
Gal. 1:11-12
For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Like most kids, there was a stark difference between the things I heard and the things I learned. Rules in the house often went in one ear and out the other. It was not necessarily a case of my not paying attention or remembering, but it was more a case of the purpose or value of the rule not sinking in. It was as if my parents were simply saying a bunch of words that had no real meaning to me. I was a child who sought to understand things before I would accept them. It was not enough for me to know what I was to do; I needed to know the purpose behind the instruction. It would be up to the person giving me that instruction to fill in the gaps so that those words would come to life and have meaning.
Anyone can read through the Gospel message and simply see a bunch of words on a page. Anyone can hear that message preached and get a basic sense of what is being said. However, that message will not mean anything unless the truth of it is revealed by the Spirit. That is the moment of encounter when a mere story becomes something much more real. We do not win over converts by simply repeating the Gospel over and over until they get it. It is not as if spending a certain amount of time reviewing scripture guarantees that the truth will sink in. People are a vehicle for the good news, but we cannot provide the revelation necessary to accept that message as truth. It is through the Spirit of God that the message is revealed and takes root.
Paul had a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ which led to his transformation. His sight was literally restored as it also was spiritually corrected. For him, his revelation from Jesus Christ was actually tangible. He did not waste any time in proclaiming the simple message he had, which was that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He knew this not from words he had read or messages he had heard preached. He came to understand the truth of Jesus through revelation, and that is the same way we come to understand the truth. When we share our faith with others, let that be our priority in prayer, that the Gospel message would be revealed to them beyond our words. Father, we ask that You prepare the hearts we try to reach so that those who hear the good news would have a revelation of your truth.