ILLUMINATION
Because of man's sin nature and his natural limitations, even after conversion he is in need of illumination. This page discusses that aspect of the doctrine of the Bible. This truth is being considered under two sub-headings: The Need of Illumination and The nature of Illumination.
The Need of Illumination
We have already suggested the need of illumination in that man has a sinful nature and that mankind has certain natural limitations. The most obvious of the latter is that man is finite and thus incapable of knowing everything. However, the need of illumination is more necessary because of mankind's sinful nature. There are at least four kinds of blindness to spiritual truths that are evident from the Word of God.
The Blindness of Israel. That the Jewish people have been blinded spiritually is clearly seen from their history and from the Word of God itself. For nearly 2000 years, not even considering their repeated blindness throughout Old Testament history, Israel has been out of the place of blessing because of their rejection of their Messiah, Jesus. It has only been since 1948 that Israel has been back in the land promised to Abraham as a nation. Isaiah prophesied of this blindness, "Go, and tell this people, 'Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed." (Isaiah 6:9, 10) Romans 11:7-12 speaks of this blinding of Israel. Now, there are those who teach that God is through with Israel AS A NATION. This is not so. Verse 2 clearly states, "God hath not cast away his people which His people which He foreknew." Though Israel has been judicially blinded for a time, God is yet to do a work in them. Romans 11:13-25 shows this to be the case. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 3:13-16 shows both that judicial blindness and the future recovery from it. Though these are not the only verses, they suffice to show that Israel has been blinded for a time "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (Romans 11:25) Even Jesus spoke of this blindness quoting from Isaiah 6:9, 10 in Matthew 13:13-15 (Cf. the parallel passages in Mark, Luke, and John). Thus, it is evident that spiritual blindness has happened to Israel for a time, but God is preparing His people Israel to accept a false christ so that they will finally accept Him "whom they have pierced." (Zechariah 12:10) Their blindness, however, is only in part and as a nation. Individual Jews can and have come to a saving knowledge of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Messiah). "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33)
The Blindness of the Gentiles. The blindness that Gentiles is that which is the result of the fall of man. Because of this fall mankind as a whole is unaware of their condition. This is well illustrated by many with whom this writer has dealt on the internet. No amount of intelligent argument seems to persuade the hard hearts of unbelievers. Their blindness is as bad in some respects as that of the Israelites. A number of passages speak of this blindness such as John 1:5; Ephesians 2:2, 3 and 5:11; or 1 John 2:11. Another equally pertinent passage is 1 Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural man [the one outside of Christ] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The context shows that the Apostle is talking about wisdom and how it is revealed only to those who love the Lord. That love comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. Here again other Scripture could be cited to show that Gentiles are for the most part blinded (Cf. Romans 1:18ff.)
The Blindness Due to Satan. The blindness that Satan causes is revealed chiefly in 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4. These two verses plainly say, "But is our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them." These two verses clearly show that men's hearts and minds are clouded by Satan himself. A man may be brilliant intellectually, but be absolutely dumb spiritually, because Satan has blinded his mind. Thus, such--as all men are incapacitated by Satan, for he impede the receiving of the message of the grace of God to save. Jesus stated this same incapacity, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Likewise, Paul by inspiration affirmed, "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom KNEW NOT God", etc. (1 Corinthians 1:21) This writer would again refer you to Romans 1:18ff. and 1 Corinthians 2:14. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts the heart "of sin, righteousness, and judgment" in order to persuade the mind of the truth. Likewise, it is the Word of God which is the main agency of Spirit to persuade men's minds.
The Blindness of the Carnal Man. Even after a person is saved, there is a blighting of the spiritual understanding of those who walk after the flesh and not in the Spirit. This blindness is described in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3a--"And I, brethren [He is talking to believers.], could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal;" He had to limit his messages to simple things because they were still babies spiritually. One of the problems today is that many Christians have not grown up spiritually or are growing spiritually. Thus, they seek some experience or another; they run after this or that emotion. Emotions are not bad in themselves, but in the carnal Christian this is one of the main (if not the main) driving force in their lives. This same situation is set forth in Hebrews 5:12-14. There has to be a reckoning that we are dead to sin and alive unto God (Romans 6:11ff.) and a presentation of our bodies to the Lord (Romans 12:1, 2) which is our rational service.
Illumination is naturally the work of the
Holy Spirit. The Lord promised that the Spirit would be in believers
(John 14:12). The Lord also said the Holy Spirit would bring things
to their remembrance. Of course, this had primary reference to
inspiration, but it also applies to illumination. John 15:26, 27 also
speaks of this illumination by the Spirit as does John 16:13ff.
In 1 Corinthians 2:15 after Paul states that the natural man can
not receive spiritual truth apart from the Holy Spirit, one reads, "But he
that is spiritual judgeth [discerns] all things, yet he himself is judged
of no man." Yet the believer who is carnal can not discern spiritual
truth because they are spiritually babies, and can only take milk.
Spiritual truth, then, is only comprehended to the extent that a person
is spiritual. It follows, therefore, that no one comprehends all spiritual
truth because no one is completely spiritual. Furthermore, this truth
accounts for the difference of understanding among believers to divine
truth.
In some cases, even among spiritual men and women, a
difference arises due to improper interpretation. That will be discussed
under that topic. The only thing about what the unsaved are illumined
is the conviction by the Holy Spirit of "sin, righteousness, and judgment."
(John 6:8-11). This illumination, if accepted,
will result in the unsaved person placing their trust in the Lord Jesus
Christ and what He did on the cross for their sin (and mine). The
illuminating work of the Holy Spirit which is presented in the Upper
Room discourse in John 16:12-15 is elaborated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:9-3:4.
The key is the opening statement made in verse 9--". . . the
things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." These things are
now present realities and not just something for the future, although that
would be included. "It is not difficult to believe that the Third Person
of the Godhead is in possession of all truth; the marvel is that
this Third Person indwells the least Christian, and thus places that Christian
in a position to receive and understand that transcendent truth which the
Spirit knows." (Chafer, Systematic Theology, I:111). Thus, the
least intelligent believer can grasp the essence of divine truth, and
the most intelligent believer can plumb the depth of those truths to
his heart's content. Therefore, each man will fall into one of three
categories:
1) the natural man who is unsaved, who has not
been redeemed by the blood of Christ, cannot receive with any
real understanding spiritual truth; he may have some insight due to
his natural ability and a desire to know, but he cannot really comprehend
it so that all revelation is to him foolishness. This why so much of
the thinking of various philosophers from Socrates (and before) to
William James, Whitehead, etc. has gone astray. Even if such
people quote Scripture, they are no closer to the truth than this writer's
cat. This is not egotism on the part of this web site's maker;
rather it is a Biblical fact.
2) In contrast, the spiritual man is capable by
the Spirit of God to receive all truth. This does not,
of course, mean that he has so obtained all truth. The measure
to which a person does understand is to that degree in which he
truly spiritual. As a person who has believed submits himself to God
by the Holy Spirit, and presents his body as a living sacrifice (Romans
12:1)--This is to be taken as a figure, not literally laying oneself
on an altar to be slain, and adjusts his life daily to the light he has received,
then he receives more truth. One could say, "Submission to truth leads
to more truth."
3) Finally, there is the carnal believer. Such
are truly saved; they have been born again by the Spirit of God, know
that they are saved, and can understand simpler truths. Because of
being carnal--living in the flesh and failing to submit whole-heartedly
to God, they are unable to comprehend the deeper things of God.
They can understand the need for further submission to God, and to
recognize that they must reckon themselves dead unto sin, and alive unto
God. Upon such understanding, and the presenting themselves to God,
they can begin to "grow in grace and the knowledge of their Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18) As Dr. Chafer so aptly said,
"Hence the imperative aspect of a yielded life." (Ibid., 113)
This is not a yielding to some pastor, or other church leader;
it is a willing yieldedness to Almighty God through His Son, Jesus Christ
by the power of the Holy Spirit working in the individual's life. In
the final analysis, the unsaved can be illumined by the Holy Spirit
to the extent of their need of salvation and the way of salvation.
If such acts in faith on that illumination, then they become
sons of God through the new birth; then as any baby they can grow first
by taking the milk of the Word, then the pablum, then the meat and
potatoes. Early in this writer's ministry he visited in a home of one
of the Sunday school students, and there was a twelve year old crawling
on the floor in diapers. The boy (as he happen to be) was a member
of that family, but he never grew up (due to whatever was his problem).
In that boy's case he could not grow, and thus it was not his fault
(nor the parents, for that matter). When a person, however, becomes
born again by the Spirit of God, he may need at first to bottle-fed;
but he should not remain in that condition. Rather he is to grow spiritual
in understanding and spiritual stature. One of the biggest problems
in many churches--and this writer is speaking of Bible believing ones--is
that the congregation for the most part are spiritual babies. Thus,
they must have new experiences regularly or they become uninterested. Many
times it is the fault of the pastor who fails to declare the whole
counsel of God through careful exposition of the Word of God;
however, all too often it is the fault of the individual who
listens, but becomes a forgetful hearer (Cf. James 1:22-24), thus not getting
the benefit of the spiritual food given. This writer has seen
some little old ladies with less than a high school education that had
a better grasp of spiritual truth than some well educated individual
who though saved have never submitted their intellect to the Spirit of
God. Thus, the little old lady may well be a spiritual giant
while the great intellect is a spiritual baby. This is not to knock
education; it is because the one has submitted themselves to the truth of
the Word in simple faith whereas the other has not.
If you are a believer who has been reading this page, may this writer
urge you--if you have not already done so--to "present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable [rational]
service. (Romans 12:1; also note verse 2). This is the first step to
sanctification. If you are not a believer, may he urge you
to realize that you are a sinner headed for a Christless eternity and
turn to the Lord Jesus Christ in simple faith for that great salvation that
He provided on the cross of Calvary.
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