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What is the biblical doctrine of illumination?
Got Questions Ministries
Simply put, illumination in the spiritual sense is “turning on the light” of understanding in some area.
When that
enlightenment deals with new knowledge or future things, we call it prophecy.
When that
enlightenment deals with understanding and applying knowledge already given, we
call it illumination.
Regarding
illumination of the latter type, the question arises, “How does God do it?”
The most basic
level of enlightenment is the knowledge of sin, and without that knowledge,
everything else is pointless.
Psalm 18:28 says, “You,
O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”
Psalm 119, which is the longest
chapter in the Bible, is a song about God’s Word.
In verse 130, it says “The unfolding of your words gives
light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
When God’s
Word enters the heart of a person, it gives light and understanding to them.
For this
reason, we are repeatedly told to study the Word of God.
Psalm 119:11 says “I
have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Verses 98 and 99 say “Your commands make me wiser than my
enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.”
Regular study
of the Word of God will give direction and understanding in the issues of life.
This is the
first method of God’s illumination and the starting point for us all.
In Psalm 119 we also find another
type of God’s illumination.
Verse 18 says, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful
things in your law.”
These are not
new revelations, but things which have been written and revealed long before,
and just now understood by the reader (one of those “aha!” moments).
Similarly, verse 73 says, “Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.”
Fifteen times
in this psalm, God is asked to teach or give understanding regarding His laws.
One passage that sometimes stirs controversy regarding
illumination is John 14:26, “But
the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will
teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Jesus was
speaking to His disciples in the upper room, giving them last instructions
before His death.
This special
group of men was to be responsible for spreading the good news of Jesus Christ
to the whole world.
They had spent
three and a half years with Him, watching His miracles and hearing His
teachings.
Jesus said
that the Holy Spirit would teach them and remind them of what had been said, so
they could give it to others (including the writing of the Gospels).
This verse
does not teach that the Spirit will do so with all believers (though there are
other verses that speak of the Spirit’s illuminating work).
What is the
Holy Spirit’s illuminating work in believers?
Ephesians 1:17-18 tells us
that the Spirit gives wisdom and revelation concerning Jesus Christ, and opens
the eyes of understanding so we can know God’s purposes in our lives.
In 1 Corinthians 2:10-13, God has
revealed His plans for us by His Spirit, who teaches us spiritual things.
The context
here points to the Word of God as that which has been revealed.
The Spirit of
God will always point us to the Word of God for our instruction.
As Jesus told
His disciples in John 16:12-15, the Spirit
simply repeats what the Father and the Son have already said.
This
repetition helps us remember and fully hear what God has already told us.
Sometimes we
have to hear things several times before we actually hear them. That’s where
the Spirit comes in.
One thing that
is sometimes overlooked in the discussion of illumination is the purpose of it.
There is no
question that God desires us to accurately understand what He has given us.
Words have
meaning, and we must pay attention to the details in those words.
If, however,
we stop there, we simply have an academic understanding of facts or
philosophies, which do no one any good.
Going back to Psalm 119, we find purpose
statements connected with the illumination verses.
“I will meditate on your wonders” (verse 27),
“I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart” (verse 34),
“that I may understand your statutes” (verse 125),
“that I may live” (verse 144).
The
illumination always points to action.
Why does God
help us understand His Word?
So, we are
able to live in its light.
First John 1:6 challenges
us, “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we
lie and do not live by the truth.”
We could paraphrase it to say, “If we say we’ve been
enlightened, but still walk in the dark, we lie about understanding God’s
Word.”
The Spirit of
God, who enlightens us to hear and understand God’s Word, then takes that
knowledge and guides us in living it.
Romans 8:14 says “For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
The
illuminating and leading work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is a confirmation
that we are indeed children of God.
Got
Questions Ministries seeks
to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and timely
answers to spiritually related questions through an internet presence.
GotQuestions.org is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, evangelical, theologically conservative, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.
GotQuestions.org is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, evangelical, theologically conservative, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.
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