How to Receive Revelation from the Scriptures (An excerpt from James Barron’s new book)

August 18th, 2014 § 1

I believe there are three concepts that are critical to keep in mind when studying the scriptures in order to get their true meaning. First, know that all scripture is designed to reveal Jesus, the Son of God, and what He accomplished in His coming to earth and His leaving the earth. Secondly, understand that the scriptures are written from two different perspectives, of law or grace, or in other words, from the perspective of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or the Tree of Life, and it is imperative to “rightly divide the scripture” accordingly. Thirdly, the concept of the “visible” reality and the “invisible” reality is a key to properly understand the scriptures.

All that is seen was made by the unseen to give us pictures of the unseen reality. To look at what has been created as a picture of the unseen reality is key. Paul said the invisible things of God are clearly seen and understood by the things that have been made or created. “Truth” in scripture means “reality” in the Greek language and one of Paul’s main emphasis was for the believer to look not at the seen but to look at the unseen. Look at the reality. It is impossible to grasp the finished work of Jesus without our focus being on the invisible reality. Paul said that which is seen is temporary but that which is unseen is eternal. Jesus told Pilate that He came to earth to reveal the truth, the invisible reality. Having this mindset of the visible and the invisible puts your mind on a track of thinking like God thinks and that is important for understanding the words of God.

The key to seeing the unseen reality in Christ is to focus on believing that your sins have been taken away by the death of Jesus and that God no longer counts your sins against you, but rather He counts His righteousness for you. Few believers really believe that their sins are no longer being counted against them. The whole confession teaching that is dominant in the church today from a misunderstanding of I John 1:9 has kept believers blind to unseen realities like the love of God. When Jesus died on the cross, at that moment, the “veil” of the temple was torn from top to bottom. More than just granting us access to God by Jesus’ death, He granted us vision. A veil hides something from view even more than it keeps someone out for it is easy to push aside a curtain with little effort and enter behind that curtain but a curtain or a veil can completely conceal what is behind it. Therefore the main work of a veil is to conceal from view, not necessarily to block access. God is teaching us through the torn veil that the complete forgiveness of sin (for the veil tore at the moment of Jesus’ death) is the key to “seeing” beyond the veil.

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