Part 4 – A Metaphor for Faith Established by Revelation

Lying in bed one night at a retreat in California 25 years ago I had revelation of how faith is established in us. I saw that the film of the photographic camera illustrates of how we are established in the realization of the Bible’s truths concerning our living union with Christ... by “the faith of the Son of God.” (Gal 2:20b).

Consider how the incoming ‘light’ brings a scene into the film camera’s focus. The aperture of the camera permits ‘the lighted image’ to come in and literally be deposited onto the film. I saw that God’s light comes to us by the Spirit, producing the faith in what we’ve seen, such that the seen truth is deposited into our ‘soul’ (as the film), where it is securely established in us, enlarging our Biblical view of truth.

Before we were saved, we were “dead in trespasses and sins,” dead toward God (Eph. 2:1). Our human spirit was void of Christ’s presence and our soul was corrupted, dead in trespasses and sins. The human “spirit of man” of every born person needs to be regenerated by receiving the power of the resurrected “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” The Spirit then proceeds to light and liberate our soul, renewing us.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration (of our human ‘spirit of man’), and renewing of the Holy Ghost (in our soul);” (Titus 3:5)

“But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit [with Him]. (1 Corinthians 6:17)

Just as the Apostle Paul received progressive ‘revelations’ of the Lord (2Cor. 12:1, 7), Christ is progressively revealed to us that we would learn to trust and rely upon Him more and more. The truth of Him is impressed and deposited upon the ‘film of our soul’s mind’ much as camera film would capture the lighted image on film. This is God’s day by day work in us.

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward (body) man perish (is dying), yet the inward (soul) man is renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

As we progress in our ‘seeing’ by the light of the Spirit we see more of  what we now possess by the resurrected “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”; we come to trust the grace of His sanctifying life within us, replacing our old independent way of religious self-effort and performance.

Being regenerated, our spirit is no longer void. Instead, “the Spirit of life in Christ” has been dispensed into our “spirit of man” making us “one spirit” with Christ (1Cor 6:17). We are born of Christ as the “seed,” of God, we have an organic (living) union between us and God as our Father. Note Jesus’ words below.

“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17 (KJV)

So, after our regeneration, in order to have stronger, broader, and greater faith, we need a greater view of the spiritual truth of the Lord. As the ‘light’ of Christ’s Spirit shines into our ‘soul’s mind … faith is produced and we are being renewed “day by day” (2 Cor 4:16).

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV)

We desire and need to know more of the Lord according to the Scriptures, and to hear more sound preaching of Christ from the “rightly divided” word of truth to give us a greater understanding. As we gain more revelatory sight, it produces a greater faith and a greater believing trust. It’s a shame that many of us don’t hear much ‘preaching of Christ’ from the pulpits in the USA today, rather we hear of programs, book reviews, demands of the law, dos and don’ts, or philosophy, and are entertained, but that’s another issue.

The “light” of the Lord’s presence is able to transform our heart’s soul. For this, He “turns” our heart away from religion’s Law and ‘works’ program to simply see truth in Him as our all. Then, as we openly behold Him; seeing Him in truth, we are “changed” inwardly (in our souls).

2 Cor. 3:15-17 But even unto this day, when Moses (the law) is read, the Vail Is Upon Their Heart. Nevertheless When It [The Heart] Shall TURN to The Lord, the Vail Shall Be Taken Away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is LIBERTY.

¹⁸ But we all (in our soul-self), with open face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (Gk. metamorphoo, metamorphosis) into the same image from glory to glory (one level to another), even as BY The Spirit of The Lord.

With our heart focused and OPEN to Christ as ‘light’ He shows us that most of our works were “works of the law,” called “dead works,” that were of OUR Self… not of Him or His life working in us..

“Knowing that a man is NOT justified by the works of the law, BUT by the faith of (from) Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of (from) Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead (Godless) works to serve the living God? (Heb. 9:14)

The divine radium (light) of Christ’s “Spirit of life” shines into our hearts, changing us into His Image.

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath SHINED IN OUR HEARTS, to give the light (illumination) of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Cor. 4:6)

As the film of our soul receives Christ’s lighted image it is deposited or written in our heart. Having our “conscience ‘cleansed” (Heb. 9:14) we now bear His image, we now ‘know Him,’ and can permit His indwelling love and life to … flow Out of Our New Pure Heart.

“Now the end (culmination) of the commandment is charity (love) out of a PURE HEART, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned (without pretense):” (1 Tim. 1:5)

The ‘Conscience’ is of the “spirit of man” and a primary function of our “Heart” in convicting us, to see our need of a Savior.

“… THE Law (knowledge of Good and Evil is) Written In Their Hearts, their CONSCIENCE also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another” (Rom 2:15)

Our relationship and walk with God are initiated and maintained by the conscience of our heart. Our relationship and walk are guarded by the telltale sense of the conscience of our heart as it reflects God’s Holy nature and His will for us… often in contrast with our corrupted soul’s condition. In this way He convicts us of our need to trust Him and His will. He does not condemn us (cf. Rom. 8:1).

 “… for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord Looketh On The Heart.” (1Sam 16:7)

“Keep and GUARD YOUR HEART with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23 AMP)