In his love, mercy and grace Almighty God has shared with man the revelation of himself. Without the further “inspiration” of God no Scriptures ever would have been written. The third step God used to create the Bible is “illumination” and without it no sinner ever would have been saved. Illumination, then, is that method used by the Holy Spirit to shed divine light upon all seeking men as they look into the Word of God. I remember reading the Bible when suddenly the realization hit me that God was real and I was holding the Word of God. It came as quite a shock. The truth of God was instantly settled in my soul without any doubt whatsoever. That was the Holy Spirit communing with my spirit to confirm that I was a child of God.
Nobody can fake God out. The Holy Spirit looks at the sincerity of a man’s heart to see if we have the necessary amount of faith to be saved. If we have enough faith the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and shows us the truth of God and our need for his salvation. Illumination is from the written word to the human heart by way of the Holy Spirit. Nobody can be saved apart from the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is only present when the holy Scriptures are read from God’s Word, our Holy Bible. As I’ve said before, nobody can be saved apart from the Bible and the Holy Spirit of God working in unison. Some people think they can wait until the last minute, pick up the Bible, and read it to save themselves. It doesn’t work that way. We’re called by God; chosen to be a child of God and justified by God’s grace. It’s the Holy Spirit who actually saves us unto eternal life. It’s not possible for man to save himself for the following reasons:
1. Because of our natural blindness.
1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Matthew 16:16-17 – Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
2. Because of satanic blindness.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
3. Because of carnal blindness.
Hebrews 5:12-14 – For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracle of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
When the Bible is read sinners are saved and believers strengthened. It takes more than believing there’s a God to be saved. Illumination from God isn’t automatic. God saves those who repent and seek him; those who put forth a little effort to find the Lord our God. In addition, the Holy Spirit seeks those believers who can help him illuminate the hearts of unbelievers. All the more reason for us to be prepared to witness the gospel of Christ when called upon. We see several examples of this in the Bible. It was the Holy Spirit who spoke to Phillip and sent him to intercept the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch on the road between Jerusalem and Gaza so he could share the gospel of Christ with him. We must be ready to do the same when called.
2 Corinthians 2:10 – But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
2 Corinthians 4:6 – For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 119:105 – Your word id a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
2 Timothy 2:15 – Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
Witnessing for Christ