March 24, 2011 (illumination)

illumination

“Only the Holy Spirit can show us spiritual truth.
Anyone can hear the facts,
study other people’s teaching,
and gain something
of an intellectual understanding
about the meaning of Scripture.
But apart from the Holy Spirit,
the Bible will utterly fail to penetrate
and transform the human heart.
With the Spirit of God comes illumination –
true understanding of what has been written.
Every believer has the Holy Spirit,
the One who inspired the writers of Scripture,
and without His illuminating ministry to us,
the truth of Scripture could not
penetrate our hearts and minds…
However, the Holy Spirit’s illuminating ministry
cannot replace conscientious study.
They work together.
We should keep in mind that God Himself
requires that we be diligent (2 Tim. 2:15).
As we explore Scripture carefully and thoroughly,
the Holy Spirit uses whatever tools we acquire,
whatever godly wisdom we expose ourselves to,
as the means to illuminate our hearts.”
- John MacArthur