Lord, reveal Thyself to me

51. The One Revealed in the Apostle

In Galatians 1:16 Christ is presented as the One revealed in the apostle. When Saul of Tarsus, on his way to Damascus to bind those who call upon the Lord’s name, was opposing Christ and persecuting the churches, Christ appeared to him. When Christ met him there, he saw Christ, was captured by the appearing of Christ, and became Paul the apostle. Years after his conversion, the apostle declared in Galatians 1:15-16 that it pleased God to reveal His Son in him. Here Paul did not say that Christ revealed Himself to him but that the Father in His pleasure revealed Christ into Paul. This revelation was not merely an outward vision but an inward seeing. Paul had an inner vision of Christ; inwardly he began to see Christ. This inner vision made him and qualified him to be an apostle in order that he might present the very Christ who had been revealed in him, rather than merely teaching doctrines and theology according to a certain religion.

a. The Apostle Receiving the Gospel through the Revelation of Him

In 1:11-12 Paul says, “I make known to you, brothers, concerning the gospel announced by me, that it is not according to man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation by Jesus Christ. ” These verses reveal that Paul’s gospel was not taught by man, that man was not the source of his gospel, and that he received a marvelous revelation of the gospel directly from the Lord Himself.

The apostle received the gospel through the revelation of Christ. Here the revelation of Christ does not refer merely to a revelation received through Jesus Christ or to the revelation concerning Christ. Rather, it refers to the person of Christ, who was revealed in the apostle. Paul received the gospel through such a personal revelation. Revelation is the opening of the veil in order to show something hidden from view. One day God opened the veil to Paul, and he immediately saw the revealed Christ.

Christ, a living person, is the focus of Paul’s gospel. Hence, the book of Galatians is emphatically Christ-centered. Christ was crucified to redeem us out of the curse of the law and rescue us out of the present evil religious course of the world ( 3:1 , 13 ; 1:4 , 15-16 ). Christ was resurrected from the dead that He might live in us ( v. 1 ; 2:20 ). We were baptized into Christ, being identified with Him, and we have put on Christ, clothing ourselves with Him; thus, we are in Christ and have become of Him ( 3:27-29 ; 5:24 ). Christ has been revealed in us, He is now living in us, and He will be formed in us ( 1:16 ; 2:20 ; 4:19 ). To Christ the law has conducted us, and in Christ we are all sons of God ( 3:24 , 26 ). In Christ we inherit God’s promised blessing and enjoy the all-inclusive Spirit ( v. 14 ). In Christ we all are one ( v. 28 ). We should not be deprived of all profit from Christ and thus be separated, severed, from Him ( 5:4 ). We need Christ to supply us with grace in our spirit that we may live Him ( 6:18 ). God’s desire is that His chosen people receive His Son into them; this is the gospel ( 1:15-16 ; 2:20 ; 4:19 ).

b. It Pleasing God to Reveal Him, the Son of God, in the Apostle

In Galatians 1:15 and 16a Paul says, “It pleased God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me. ” The Son of God, as the embodiment and expression of God the Father ( John 1:18 ; 14:9-11 ; Heb. 1:3 ), is life to us ( John 10:10 ; 1 John 5:12 ; Col. 3:4 ). God’s heart’s desire is to reveal His Son in us that we may know Him, receive Him as our life ( John 17:3 ; 3:16 ), and become the sons of God ( 1:12 ; Gal. 4:5-6 ). As the Son of the living God ( Matt. 16:16 ), He is far superior to Judaism and its traditions ( Gal. 1:13-14 ). The Judaizers had bewitched the Galatians into considering that the ordinances of the law were above the Son of the living God. Hence, in the opening of this Epistle the apostle testified that he had been deeply involved and had become far advanced in the realm of Judaism, but that God had rescued him out of that course of the world, which was evil in God’s eyes, by revealing His Son in him. In his experience he realized that there was no comparison between the Son of the living God and Judaism with its dead traditions handed down from his forefathers.

1) God’s Pleasure to Reveal His Son in Us

In 1:16 Paul emphasizes the fact that the Son of God was revealed in him. This indicates that God’s revealing of His Son to us is in us; it is not outward but inward, not by an outward vision but by an inward seeing. It is not an objective revelation but a subjective one.

Moreover, Paul says that it pleased God to reveal His Son in him. This indicates that to reveal the Son of God brings pleasure to God. Nothing is more pleasing to God than the unveiling, the revelation, of the living person of the Son of God.

The Conclusion of the New Testament:

Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ,

Message 324 Volume 2 (LSM)

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.

Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord Jesus! I've never ever appreciated this verse but tonight the Lord shined on it. In my desire to change from the wretched man that I am there is Jesus showing again and again that He suffered, was killed, and was raised. His cross and His resurrection is our only answer.

Isn’t it so true that when He reveals Himself to us our flesh we fully know? Inwardly we want the Lord but our conduct hateful is. Many times we fall & rise, often resolve & often fail. We see our self & confess our helplessness. May the cross put us to death. May His Holy Spirit fill. May His death so work in us that our self may be destroyed and His life through us may pour. Christ is now our holiness. We receive Him as our life. Soon we will be wholly sanctified. Nevermore ashamed to come before the Lord. Grace through faith He gives to us. Praise the Lord He heard our cry. How we love & thank Him! I really enjoyed singing this to the Lord this morning.

Thank You our Saviour Christ Jesus. Good job done; delivering us from death and bringing us into life! What a victory. Thank You. Grow in us until we arrive at Your full stature. Amen!

How bitter is our case - wretched slaves; sold to sin, no release our soul can find, all is dark and sinfulness. Who will deliver us from the body of this death! Hallelujah! Jesus shed His blood for us. Now He is our life our portion measureless.

Could we ever stop thanking the Lord for what He has gained and obtained for us? Never! From eternity to eternity we would love Him! What a precious One!

This hymn brings out the sorrow and pain we have in the war in Romans 7, and the longing to be released. We all make mistakes in our actions, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Yet here we are captives to something within that is stronger than ourselves. It seems like we can never find freedom in certain areas, even after repeated struggles to be right. This situation can last for years! Romans 7:7-25 uses "I" (27 times), "me" (12 times), "my" (5 times), and "myself" (1 time)to describe all my resources. Christ is only mentioned at the end of the struggle (v.25), wih no mention of the Spirit. How wonderful when Christ is revealed! It is "through Jesus Christ our Lord" (7:25)! It is "in Christ Jesus" (8:1)! It is "Christ in you" (8:10)! "All my trust and all my hope is in Jesus Christ my King!"