SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND REVELATION

A prayer of Paul to the Ephesians: Ephesians. 1:15 - 23 (New Living Testament)

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, [16] I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, [17] asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. [18] I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people.

[19] I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power [20] that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. [21] Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. [22] And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. [23] And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.

Paul’s prayer reflects the great love of God for his people. Paul prays that the Spirit might work in God’s people in a greater measure and that believers may receive more wisdom, revelation, and knowledge concerning God’s purpose for His people is that they experience a more abundant life through the power of the Holy Ghost.

John 10:10. The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” No one can experience the fullness and abundance of life apart from Jesus Christ and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

In John 7:38 we read “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters.

SPIRITUAL BLESSING involves any blessing administered in the realm of the spiritual life; specifically the blessing of the Spirit in introducing the believer into "the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephes. 1:3); a term expressing the fullness of blessing in God's gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Revelation means to manifest; to reveal; to unveil; to uncover; to open. In its practical application, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal the knowledge of God to Christians. In fact, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of all truth to the Christian (John 14:26; John 16:12-15). This is clearly seen in 1 Cor. 1:9-16 where the wisdom of the world is contrasted with the wisdom of God. A spiritual Christian sees (through the Spirit revealing to him) the meaning behind world events as well as day-to-day experiences. He understands who and what is behind the events of history and human experience. Therefore, he gains a growing knowledge of God day-by-day

Revelation means an uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. God has been pleased in various ways and at different times (Hebrews 1:1) to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing.

Revelation is the supernatural communication of truth to the mind. There is the revelation which God continuously makes to all men: by it His power and divinity are made known. And there is the revelation which He makes exclusively to His chosen people: through it His saving grace is made known. For example we find in Psalm 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God .... their line is gone out through all the earth" (Psalm 19:1, 4); "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul" (Psalm 19:7).

KNOWLEDGE means to know God better. It is practical intelligence; practical knowledge and practical insight.
Knowledge means knowing what to do in every situation and doing it; it is practical, day-to-day knowledge that sees situations and knows how to handle them. It is seeing the trials and temptations of life and knowing what to do with them and doing it.

Remember the charge: we must add knowledge of God to our faith (2 Peter 1:5). Knowledge insists that we do not neglect the meditation and study of God’s Word and revealed will. That is where we learned all we can about how God wants men to live, and how to apply our lives to living that way.

Spiritual growth is a mystery that is beyond rational analysis or human technique. Growth includes germination, development, transitions, fruition and multiplication. In his public teaching Jesus used the seed metaphor for the life of the kingdom sown into the soil of people’s hearts (Matthew 13:4) and for the sowing of the children of the kingdom into the world (Matthew 13:38). Peter uses seed to express the awesome and inevitable life that is invested in believers when they receive Christ through the Word—that “imperishable” seed (1 Peter 1:23). Paul uses seed the same way: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” (1 Cor. 3:6). No one plants a seed without expecting a crop (Hebrews 6:7) or a harvest (Galatians 6:9), the very thing God wants. Growth involves transformation—the changing of forms. Nothing happens unless the seed is sown and dies (John 12:24; 1 Cor. 15:38, 44).

All three persons of the Godhead are involved in development of Christian persons and the people of God to their intended maturity. The Father will equip us “with everything good for doing his will” (Hebrews 13:20-21). The Son invites his disciples to abide, or “remain,” in him because “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). The Spirit brings people to spiritual birth so they can see and enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5, 8), that is, the beginning of spiritual growth through which we are sealed (Ephes. 1:13) by the Spirit “who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (Ephes. 1:14). But Paul also prays that the Father will give “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephes. 1:17). All three persons of the triune God are involved in spiritual growth.

Spiritual growth involves crucifying the flesh (Galatians 5:16-18), walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25; Galatians 6:7-8) and becoming Christ like.

Paul offers this final prayer to the Thessalonians: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it” (1 Thes. 5:23-24).