An "Explosion" of Truth

In salvation a miracle happens. It is a SPIRITUAL miracle in the heart. Jesus explained that it is like the MYSTERIOUS moving of the wind. We don't know where the wind comes from or where it goes but we feel the effects of it. Jesus said "So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Jn. 3:8) The moving of the wind is a constant reminder of the activity of God.

The eyes of the lost are BLIND to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, "if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing." (2 Cor. 4:3) Satan has blinded the minds of those who don't believe "lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them." The LIGHT of gospel is the GLORY of Christ. And this relates to WHO He is as Lord-God. This glory is the TRUTH that Jesus is the very image (the exact representation of God) because in fact He is God of very God. This gospel truth has never shone in the hearts of unbelievers in a PERSONAL way.

Paul said, "no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:3). Now, people can mouth the words. After all many will say "Lord, Lord" to Jesus on judgment day only to have Him say, "I never knew you". They were Christians in name only. They mouthed the words "Lord, Lord" but He was never truly their Lord. No one ever truly means it or sees the truth of Jesus as Lord apart from the Holy Spirit. This requires a supernatural revelation by God in the human heart!

And so Paul said, "we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord" (2 Cor. 4:4). And then Paul shares one of the greatest salvation verses in the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 4:6 (NKJV)
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 the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

In salvation an "EXPLOSION" of TRUTH/LIGHT takes place in the heart! It is a miracle comparable to "Let there be light" in Genesis 1:3. It is a total God-thing! It is awesome! Those who have miraculously seen the LIGHT are forever changed by it! God Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness in Genesis 1 has now supernaturally shone the TRUTH of Jesus as Lord in the hearts of true believers. We have come to KNOW the glory of God as seen in the PERSON OF CHRIST. That is a LORDSHIP conversion! When we look into the face of Jesus we see the very GLORY OF GOD! In this we have seen "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ".

A "Lordless Gospel" is really NO GOSPEL at all! Only GOD is Savior (cf. Isa. 43:10-11; 45:22). One CANNOT be saved without believing on Christ as LORD! One of the greatest theological errors in the history of the Church is that somehow a person could accept Christ as Savior while not accepting Him as Lord. The glory of the gospel is bound up in the twin truths of Christ as Lord and Savior. Lord as applied to the risen Jesus means "God-Master" and Jesus means "God-Savior". God-Master and God-Savior cannot be divorced!

In Matt. 1:21 the angel said, "you shall call His name JESUS ["YHWH is salvation"] for He will save His people from their sins." Jesus means God-Savior! And then Matthew 1:23 says, "and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Jesus is God-Savior Who is "God with us". To believe in His NAME is to believe in Him for WHO He is as Lord and Savior.

The apostles of Christ lived in a time of transition - a time of transition from an Old Testament faith to the fullness of a New Testament faith. The nature of faith is the same in all dispensations, but revelation was progressive. In the resurrection of Christ the FULL GOSPEL TRUTH came to full light. As Paul says it "has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to LIGHT through the gospel" (2 Tim. 1:10 - emphasis mine).

When "Doubting Thomas" saw the risen Lord he immediately came to an informed New Testament faith. Upon seeing the glorified/risen Christ, Thomas immediately cried out, "My Lord and my God!" (Jn. 20:28). Jesus responded by saying, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed" (Jn. 20:29). THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BELIEVE! It is to PERSONALLY recognize Jesus as "MY" Lord and "MY" God. This is the climactic example of SAVING FAITH in the gospel of John - which is the gospel of BELIEF!

The miracle of conversion is so great that on a personal level it is comparable to "Let there be light" in the creation account! Only God can make this happen. And yet as human vessels God uses us to share this life-changing gospel. Paul said, "And who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Cor. 2:16). Then a few verses later he answers the question: "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5). We are privileged to share the TRUTH of the gospel but it is God alone that can SHINE the truth into the HEART! Let the wind blow - let the light shine! May there be an "EXPLOSION" of gospel truth in the hearts of many people today!

As the God-Man Christ's life has INFINITE value. As such He was a worthy sacrifice for the sins of the world! As Savior He died for all our sins. As Lord over all He arose from the dead. This is the GOSPEL! A saving faith personalizes the truth of Christ as LORD and SAVIOR as seen in the GOSPEL. Have you seen the LIGHT?

Romans 1:16–17 (NKJV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Romans 10:10–13 (NKJV)
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”