Revelation and learning! These are not the same in the spirit realm. Teaching, without the Holy Spirit to give it Life, is no more than man's carnal mind building a new religion. Revelation is inspired and revealed into your new creation spirit, as pictures and real Life. It's not something that your ears hear, but a revealing picture that is painted by the Word of God, into your spirit. Many times, the picture is hard to speak or preach, with the fullness of what you've seen in the spirit.
Notice how Paul described his own revelation from the Lord Jesus, in 2Corinthians 12:1-4 (Amplified) saying, "True, there is nothing to be gained by it, but (as I am obliged) to boast, I will go on to visions and to revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows-was caught up to the third Heaven [Notice,how Paul wasn't certain whether he was taken up into Heaven in the flesh or in the spirit]. And I know that this man-whether in the body or away from the body I do not know, God knows. [Once again, Paul comments on his carnal mind's inability to distinguish this event accurately. In an event like the one that Paul experienced, natural thinking and explanation are overshadowed]. Verse 4 goes on, "(This man, who was Saul of Tarsis) was caught up into paradise, and he heard utterances beyond the power of man to put into words, which man is not permitted to utter."
The above revelation didn't only change the life of Saul of Tarsus, but all who've understood by the same Holy Spirit, for centuries. God changed Saul's name Paul. Paul then, began putting the things he saw and perceived in the spirit, into words. These things were so radical to the natural mind, that today's men, still struggle to understand them. Paul speaks about this event again in Galatians 1:10-11 (Amplified) saying, "For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not man's gospel (a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard) For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it but (it came to me) through a (direct) revelation (given) by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
The understanding of this revelation, is strongly debated by men, throughout the world today. When we read the Words, but don't receive the revelation, we tend to put the entire thing into man's perspective. Paul revealed the things he had "seen" through revelation from Jesus, little by little. Some received it, while others didn't. The Gentiles were without God and covenant, at the time of Paul's writing, but they were happy to receive these Truths. The carnal, religious people were perplexed and jealous, because of the great liberty that the Gentiles gained with Almighty God.
When the religious men, saw what was happening to the Gentile world, they immediately set out to bring them back into subjection to their own thinking. Galatians 1:6 (Amplified) says, "I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah)and that you are transferring your allegiance) to a different (even an opposition gospel)."
We've received and have been taught many "different gospels" from this one revelation, throughout the centuries. The Truth of salvation, as Jesus the Cornerstone and Foundation, has been the stable point in most all of them, but the revelation of who we are in Him, and Who He is in us, has been distorted, by man-made doctrines. This hasn't stopped Jesus from being preached and hasn't stopped God from performing the new birth into this world, but it has nearly stopped the furtherance of the revelation.
Paul spoke about this revelation in 2Corinthians 12:1 (Amplified) saying, "I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord." The revelation Paul received from Jesus Himself, was an ongoing revelation, that extended into the time of his departure from this earth. As Paul grew and matured in his relationship with the Lord, his revelation also continued to unfold in his Epistles to the Church.
This revelation was given by the Spirit, into Paul's spirit and natural man (with the natural mind) have no insight into it. Jesus said in John 6:63 (Amplified), "It is the Spirit Who gives Life (He is the Life-Giver) the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (Truths) that I have been speaking to you are SPIRIT and LIFE." Jesus' Words and the revelation in them, must be sown into your spirit, in order to bring forth the True Revelation (or picture) of who you really are in Him.
God's Words build a picture (or image) of the true being that we have become in Christ. This picture or image, is painted in your spirit by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in Mark 4:12 (Amplified), "They may look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend." Only the Holy Spirit can reveal these Truths, into your spirit, by the Word (which is Spirit).
Before the resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, men were spiritually dead and couldn't perceive His Words, like we can today because of the new birth. Only those Jesus chose in His ministry, had the ability to understand the Truth of His Words. Mark 4:11 (Amplified) tells us, "And [Jesus] said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the Kingdom of God (that is, the secret councils of God which are hidden from the ungodly) but for those outside (of our circle) everything became a parable."
There was no picture being revealed in the dead spirits of unsaved men, only a few truly grasped what Jesus was all about. They were moved by what they could see with their natural eyes. Today, the Church is moved more by natural eyesight, than by spiritual eyesight. Seeing in the spirit is more of a perception, than a seeing. Hearing in the spirit is more a perceiving and revealing in our spirit, than actually hearing. The natural ears and spiritual ears, don't operate on the same frequency. Hearing in the spirit is more of having a knowing or perception, than a voice. God spoke audibly to Jesus at Lazarus' tomb and although everyone "heard it," only Jesus perceived what God said. The others believed they heard thunder.
We've had difficulty separating the spirit from the soul (or carnal man). Many Christians still have trouble "hearing" the Voice of God, even though His Voice speaks to us in many ways. We've walked more in man-made doctrines, instead of Spirit Led doctrines. Even though those preaching and teaching are "good people" and sincere in their beliefs, it must be something the Spirit reveals or it's just man's ideas of what God has said.
This is why there are so many differing factions in today's Church. We must heed Paul's directions in 2Corinthians 12:1 (Amplified) and, "Go on to visions and revelations of the Lord." We receive revelation from such men as Martin Luther and stop at this one revelation of a truth, without continuing into The Truth. We must continue in the Holy Spirit's revelations of the Lord. They must agree with the Words of the revelation given to Paul and with the Word of God. This is why they must be "discerned and revealed" in and by the Holy Spirit, into your spirit. When we don't know what the Word says, we open a door to deception and eventually return to the bondage of man-made doctrines.
The new creation being was created to walk, talk, fellowship and know the Father, in an intimate relationship. We've spent so much time "educating" the natural man, and very little time bringing the new creation man into maturity of the Spirit. Prayer isn't just asking God for things and then hoping they come to pass. Prayer also involves listening to the Voice of the Spirit, as He guides us into all the Truth.
We're not to be obnoxious and overbearing, when sharing revelations from the Spirit, but we aren't to be subdued and return to man-made rituals and beliefs. Paul wasn't received as an Apostle, everywhere he went, but he still maintained his identity in Christ...no matter what. Paul met Peter and perceived Peter was living a double standard in his walk with the Gentiles and Jews. Paul stood on the Truth of the revelation and wasn't swayed by the people.
Paul never backed off or backed up, despite the hardships satan brought against him. Paul continued preaching the direct revelation, in both good and bad times, according to 2Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified) which says, "And all of us, as with unveiled face (because we) continue to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His Very Image in ever increasing splendor, and from one degree of glory to another (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit (revealed image)."
The revelation of the new creation family of God, is our seeing ourselves in this "mirror" or the true reflection of us in Him, "from one degree of glory to another." Looking into the Word, like a mirror of the Spirit, is the revelation Paul received about the Church. The Word (by the Spirit) is reflecting this same revelation to us, as we go from "one degree of glory to another."
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