First Corinthians 2 Part 5 Introducing How God Uses Progressive Revelation To Teach Us About Himself.

Rich blessings freely given to us by our Heavenly Father.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10)  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 

We learned that our Father in heaven has prepared many wonderful things for His redeemed children.

He has made the path to receive these truths as straight, smooth and accessible as possible.

God determined that when a sinner repents and turns to Jesus Christ for salvation, that He would do something remarkable.

The Spirit of God comes to live or indwell each heart that He regenerates (See Titus 3:4-6). 

John's gospel tells us that the Holy Spirit will help us remember truth from the scriptures and that He is our teacher and guide in studying the Word (See John 14 & 16). 

1 Corinthians 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 

Paul makes sure that we comprehend that the Father has His Spirit living in us. 

This is why each believer must learn how to glorify God in our body and spirit, because we belong to Jesus (See 21 Corinthians 6:19-20).

The Spirit of God indwells us to help our mind and soul and spirit grasp the glorious things the Father has prepared for us to learn.

The things of God are "freely given to us" which is a gracious blessing from our Father to us. 

Christians should be greatly encouraged because it is very clear that the Father has done everything needed for us to receive His truth.

When we seek these things, we will know our God much more intimately. The more that we know Him, the more that we will love and serve Him. 

We will find ourselves living for God's eternal purposes instead of living a self centered life.

Learning with Spirit led comparisons, contrasts, line upon line.

1 Corinthians 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

We will look at the progressive revelation of God in the scriptures in order to begin showing how the Holy Spirit compares the things of God with each other.

The idea of progressive revelation is that God does not put all the doctrine of atonement in one place. 

The truths connected with atonement are found from Genesis through Revelation. 

It begins with one line of truth, and then another line is added in another place. 

As we study truth about our atonement, it becomes more full and clear as we progress from Genesis through the rest of the Bible.

Drinking in the pure spiritual water of God’s Word.

Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

The verb “teach” includes the action of pouring out copious rain. This connects to how the Word of God is compared with life sustaining waters.

Deuteronomy 32:1-4 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2)  My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3)  Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4)  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

The Word of God is like life sustaining rain from our Father, revealing His name, His greatness, His perfect works and His righteousness.

The Word of God drops like rain from heaven slowly falling drop by drop, as it increases in intensity.

It falls like much needed rain into our hearts, as God seeks to saturate us with His truth. 

The Word of God is like morning dew that distils on all things. It forms gently, softly, during the night,  bringing refreshment into our soul.

The Word of God is like sheets of wind driven rains dropping copious rainfall into our heart.

The Word of God is like showers of blessing from God.

Ezekiel 34:22-26 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. 23)  And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 24)  And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. 25)  And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. 26)  And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

Therefore, we ought to pray for God’s Spirit to pour out showers of blessing into our heart when we read the Word.

The showers of God's Word will not return void, but will do His will. 

Isaiah 55:9-13 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10)  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11)  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12)  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13)  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

The Word of God teaches us about God’s holy ways and His high thoughts.

The Word of God goes out with power to do His will when it drops down to us.

The Word of God sinks into our heart just like rain is absorbed by dry ground and it produces a joyful, right worship.

The Word of God takes root in our minds it produces the Holy Spirit's fruit and godliness in us.

Hosea 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Jehovah’s coming to us is compared with early and latter rains without which there is no growth, no life, no harvest.

Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

The fallow ground of our heart must be prepared, plowed, harrowed, disked and read to receive the good seed of His Word.

Fallow or unproductive ground in our heart is caused by callousness toward the scriptures, by loving the world or by putting ourselves as the highest priority, instead of God.

This is illustrated by Jesus' parable of the seed and the sower. The soil of our heart must be worked up and made ready by the Spirit of God. 

Then, when the good seed of God's Word falls into our heart, we will be ready to receive it and be changed by it. 

Pray for the Holy Spirit to quicken us as we drink in the scriptures.

Psalm 63:1-5 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2)  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3)  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4)  Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5)  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

Pray for a heart that longs to meet with God and hear from Him. King David gives us a good pattern by showing us that we ought to seek God early in the morning, making Him our life's priority.

We all want a deeper longing for God that is like a man ready to perish in the hot desert because he lacks water to sustain him. 

We should cultivate a desire to see and understand more the glory of God as revealed in the scriptures. 

This leads us to a fruitful life filled with joy and responsive worship. 

Progressive revelation is line by line, spread throughout the Bible.

Isaiah 28:10-13 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:11)  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12)  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13)  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Teaching line upon line is the idea of patiently teaching little children, by breaking down truth into smaller increments so that they can more easily comprehend it.

The phrase "line upon line" refers to a measuring line used by masons in building walls to make sure they are level.

This reminds us that the scripture builds and builds from Genesis to Revelation as we study its Divine Truths. 

The scripture is always level lines upon level lines, or as Peter put it, there is no room for private interpretations that do not conform to the whole of scripture (See 2 Peter 1:20). 

Gospel preaching and teaching is compared with farming.

1 Corinthians 3:6-11  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7)  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8)  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10)  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11)  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Watering refers to the preaching and teaching of the scriptures.

Husbandry refers to a cultivated field, ready for planting, ready for rain. This demonstrates there is an orderly process of spiritual growth.

Parable of Seed and Sower, Wheat and Tares.

We must learn principles of proper agricultural practices before attempting to farm the land.

We must master basic math before attempting to learn algebra.

We must learn the alphabet before learning how to spell words.

We must learn proper grammar before attempting to write sentences or paragraphs.

In like manner, when we learn the basic truths of scripture, we can better study God’s progressive revelation of the threads of His truth. Line upon line, here a little and there a little. 

In our next post, we will look at some examples of progressive revelation in order to illustrate what we learned today.

May the Spirit of God open our eyes so that we may see wonderful truth God has prepared for us. 

Bob