"Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions" (Psalm 119:18, NIV).
I can remember as a youth fleeing from my girlfriend because she was trying to seduce me--that was the first time I made a moral choice to obey my conscience. My revelation from God in the Word came when I realized that we cannot lose our salvation, known as eternal security, but, when we sin, Jesus intercedes for us and the Father disciplines us to bring us back into the fold. That's when the Bible was opened to me and everything seems to fall into place, I practically went through the complete New Testament to see what would happen if there was no eternal security--there could be no assurance of salvation either, for they go hand in hand and can only be distinguished but not separated. This doctrine of the perseverance of the saints was the one I cut my spiritual teeth on and now I read the Bible through the lens of sound doctrine, opening up a new dimension. The next "Aha!" moment I had was when I realized my spiritual gift and where I was to fit in the body of Christ.
Other believers such as Peter had his personal "Aha!" moment when he realized that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Paul had one on the road to Damascus when he realized he was kicking against the goads or fighting God's will. Even pagan Socrates had his "Aha!" moment when he awoke from his dogmatic slumber and began to teach with effectiveness to such a degree of success that he got in trouble with the authorities for his strange lessons that seemed to ridicule the Greek pantheon and had to take hemlock for his punishment in corrupting the youth and speaking against the gods.
We all need to confess our faith and to share it to make it ours--the only way to keep it is to give it away! The point is that if we relate things God has taught and shown us, He'll give us more insights, but if we ignore the light He gives, it may be withdrawn. Some people need to learn in the school of hard knocks before they get their "Aha!" moment, but those who are able to learn via the Bible are the blessed ones in God's estimation.
The point is that everyone is entitled to an "Aha!" moment and God will try to reach everyone, even if they reject Him. It is true that we reject Christ an average of 7.6 times before accepting His lordship over our lives and trusting Him as our Savior. The whole world is blinded by the devil and walks in darkness according to the prince of this world and is under the power of the devil until they are set free in Christ. If we make a positive choice, one that leans in God's direction or comes to the light, God will show us more light (give us more "insight for living")--He is no man's debtor. If we refuse light, it's withdrawn. Soli Deo Gloria!
Some believers experience "Bible fatigue" (the verses lose their pazzazz or zing) i.e. when they're over-familiar with passages and need a fresh perspective or cup of discernment. A good panacea for this is to explore various translations because there is more than one good translation no matter what methodology they use. However, we all need a spiritual wake-up call to our calling and Christian purpose and gifts in our walk.
Many Christians experience God in the Scriptures on a regular basis with an existential encounter with God known as an "Aha!" moment in the Word--which may be a sudden awakening or enlightenment due to the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes. When we feel God is speaking to our hearts and we are hearing specifically from God in the Word, this may be seen as an "Aha!" moment also. There should always be something in the Word that we want to "Amen!" as it opens our eyes to the spiritual.
I can remember as a youth fleeing from my girlfriend because she was trying to seduce me--that was the first time I made a moral choice to obey my conscience. My revelation from God in the Word came when I realized that we cannot lose our salvation, known as eternal security, but, when we sin, Jesus intercedes for us and the Father disciplines us to bring us back into the fold. That's when the Bible was opened to me and everything seems to fall into place, I practically went through the complete New Testament to see what would happen if there was no eternal security--there could be no assurance of salvation either, for they go hand in hand and can only be distinguished but not separated. This doctrine of the perseverance of the saints was the one I cut my spiritual teeth on and now I read the Bible through the lens of sound doctrine, opening up a new dimension. The next "Aha!" moment I had was when I realized my spiritual gift and where I was to fit in the body of Christ.
Other believers such as Peter had his personal "Aha!" moment when he realized that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Paul had one on the road to Damascus when he realized he was kicking against the goads or fighting God's will. Even pagan Socrates had his "Aha!" moment when he awoke from his dogmatic slumber and began to teach with effectiveness to such a degree of success that he got in trouble with the authorities for his strange lessons that seemed to ridicule the Greek pantheon and had to take hemlock for his punishment in corrupting the youth and speaking against the gods.
We all need to confess our faith and to share it to make it ours--the only way to keep it is to give it away! The point is that if we relate things God has taught and shown us, He'll give us more insights, but if we ignore the light He gives, it may be withdrawn. Some people need to learn in the school of hard knocks before they get their "Aha!" moment, but those who are able to learn via the Bible are the blessed ones in God's estimation.
The point is that everyone is entitled to an "Aha!" moment and God will try to reach everyone, even if they reject Him. It is true that we reject Christ an average of 7.6 times before accepting His lordship over our lives and trusting Him as our Savior. The whole world is blinded by the devil and walks in darkness according to the prince of this world and is under the power of the devil until they are set free in Christ. If we make a positive choice, one that leans in God's direction or comes to the light, God will show us more light (give us more "insight for living")--He is no man's debtor. If we refuse light, it's withdrawn. Soli Deo Gloria!