DN Receiving Spiritual Enlightenment 1/24/2008
- From: Peter G. Chase <pchase@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:02:21 -0500
DRAWING NEAR
January 24
Receiving Spiritual Enlightenment
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened" (Eph.
1:18).
Spiritual enlightenment doesn't come through self-effort or
introspective meditation, but through God's Holy Spirit.
Our society has been enamored with the pursuit of spiritual
enlightenment especially since the influx of Eastern thought into the
West during the 1960s. Now we are drowning in a sea of false
religions and New Age philosophies.
True enlightenment continues to elude many because they have denied
its source and turned to gurus and teachers who have no light to
give. They propagate self-effort and introspective meditation, but
spiritual enlightenment doesn't come through such means. It comes
only through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14-16). That's why Paul prayed
that God Himself would enlighten the hearts of the Ephesian believers
(Eph. 1:18).
We might expect Paul to pray for enlightened minds rather than
hearts, but that's because we associate the word heart with emotions,
not thought. But in Hebrew and Greek thinking, the heart was
considered the seat of knowledge, thinking, and understanding. For
example, Jesus said that evil thoughts come out of the heart (Matt.
15:19). Emotions are important but they must be guided and controlled
by an enlightened mind.
How does the Spirit enlighten you? As you pray and study God's Word,
He transforms and renews your mind (Rom. 12:1) by filling you with
the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding
(Col. 1:9). He teaches you to recognize and uphold what is excellent
so you might be sincere and blameless before God (Phil. 1:10). He
implants biblical truth into your thinking so your responses become
more and more like Christ's.
How wonderful to know that each moment of the day God is working
within you in such a way. Be diligent to pray and spend time in the
Word so that your spiritual progress will be evident to all (1 Tim.
4:15).
Suggestions for Prayer:
1. Thank God for the Spirit's transforming work within you.
2. Reaffirm your love for Him and express your willingness to be
changed by His Spirit in any way He sees fit.
3. Be alert for attitudes or actions that need to be changed. Rely on
His grace and strength in doing so.
For Further Study:
Read Genesis 27-33 noting how God used the events of Jacob's life to
transform his weak spiritual commitment to one that was strong and
unconditional (see especially Gen. 28:20-22; 32:9 -12).
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NKJV)
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.
15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is
rightly judged by no one.
16 For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct
Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
Ephesians 1:18
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know
what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of
His inheritance in the saints
Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
Colossians 1:9
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding
Philippians 1:10
that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be
sincere and without offense till the day of Christ
1 Timothy 4:15
Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your
progress may be evident to all.
Genesis 28:20-22
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep
me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing
to put on,
21 "so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD
shall be my God.
22 "And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's
house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to
You."
Genesis 32:9-12
9 Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father
Isaac, the LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your
family, and I will deal well with you':
10 "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the
truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this
Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies.
11 "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand
of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother
with the children.
12 "For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, and make your
descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for
multitude.'"
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@xxxxxxx
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@xxxxxxxxxx
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
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There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means just what he says, and will do all that He has promised. - Hudson Taylor
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