April 8, 2022 | Enlightenment
Fifty days after Easter, the church celebrates the Christian holiday of Pentecost taken from the Greek word pronounced (Pentēkostē). It corresponds to the Jewish festival of Shavuot. Its also called the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of 50 Days.
It was during this time, shortly after Christ rose from the dead and later ascended into heaven, that the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples enlightening them with the truth so that they might take this knowledge and enlighten the world.
Christ prophesied to them of this in the Gospel of John when He said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:12-15).
The Holy Spirit continues to work in all who place their hope and faith in Christ. He enlightens the willing so that they might spread the knowledge of salvation to all mankind. It is the calling of all believers to take the knowledge instilled within them to save lost souls.
Psalm 119:105 declares the well-known words, “Your Word, is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Enlightenment comes by way of God’s Word and Spirit working within the faithful, the knowledge they will need to continue their faith journey in this life and to prepare them for the next. God’s Word gives those who call on His name, special insight and guidance needed to groom their faith and fulfill their callings. The Spirit, in turn, works that knowledge into our hearts.
To receive this, one must fear the Lord. This is a fear born of respect not of persecution. It is a fear born of the knowledge of the awesomeness of God. Proverbs 9:10-11 explains, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it” (Proverbs 9:10-12).
God deeply desires to provide enlightenment to all who come to Him because He knows with enlightenment comes hope, “Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).
This hope then produces a steadfast faith that prepares one to serve as one born of Christ. Just as an addict cannot begin the process to sobriety until they admit they are an addict, neither can man, who is addicted to sin, be able to become sinless until He understands the depths of His depravity through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. One who accepts this truth in faith can expect to receive all that is needed to heal themselves of the wounds their sins have given them.
Psalm 119:130 says, “The unfolding of Your Words gives light, it imparts understanding to the simple.” None of us, on our own, are able to fully understand the will of God. Only by His Word and Spirit can we decipher the depths of understanding needed to follow His calling. We are the simple, yet God has the ability to enlighten us in the complexities of His nature and the processes of His heart.
Though we were at one time useless and inadequate, we, through the enlightenment of Word and Spirit have become God’s hands and feet to the world. Though we struggle to exercise our faith, He continues to work through the willing to make a kingdom difference.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Today is the day you must decide whether you will fear the Lord or act the fool. It is the choice that every person must make whether to open their minds to God or to open themselves up to destruction. “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27). From whom will you find your enlightenment? Please pray with me:
Heavenly Father, thank you for instilling within us through Word and Spirit the knowledge of You. Work within us to use that knowledge for good. Amen.
