The Revealing of Christ

First I want to show you that this is an expression which is Biblical. In Galatians 1:15–16, the Apostle Paul writes: “But when it pleased Cod, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”

Here Paul speaks of his conversion and calling to apostleship. This is by reason of God’s good pleasure. From all eternity the Lord had separated him, and at His appointed time He stopped him, called him out of darkness unto His marvelous light, and showed him that Christ is the true Messiah. And to show him, by true saving faith, that He is the only Savior; in Him alone is deliverance.

All this was because of Cod’s grace, without any worthiness on the side of Paul. Luther writes of this in his well-known commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians: “He writes of the inestimable treasure freely bestowed upon us by the gospel preached. Wherefore, it is a type of doctrine that is not learned or gotten by any study, diligence, or wisdom of man, nor yet by the law of God, but is revealed by God Himself. As Paul sayeth in this place, ‘First by the external Word, then by working of God’s Spirit inwardly.’”

The gospel, therefore, is a divine Word that came down from heaven and is revealed by the Holy Ghost, who was also sent for the same purpose. Yet in such a way, notwithstanding, that the outward Word must go before. For Paul himself had no inward revelation, until he had heard the outward Word from heaven which was, “Saul, Saul why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:4)

First he heard the outward Word, then secondly followed revelations, the knowledge of the Word, faith, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Luther says here, “Paul has come to true conversion and calling by Word and Spirit.”

For Paul, his conversion, and his true saving faith in Christ, were tied to his calling unto apostleship. This is a special circumstance, which we must distinguish from the conversion of others. Yet it is noteworthy what the English Puritan Perkins writes of this, that is, of the benefit in the life of those who may be the called of the Lord to bring His gospel, that they may come to know Christ.

Paul learned to know Christ. Continually, he sought to be led further into the knowledge of Christ. Those who may be used to speaking to others of conversion and the ways of God with His people, must of necessity know something of that conversion and those ways.

When we speak of the revealing of Christ, we must speak of this in a wider and a narrower sense. In the wider sense, we comprehend the entire way of God in Christ with His people.

The sinner who by that inward call is stopped, comes to the knowledge of sin, of conversion, and faith. He is cut off from Adam and ingrafted into Christ, and all what has been merited by Christ in His suffering and dying for His chosen people.

This is applied in their life in the measure which is according to God’s pleasure. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). As long as God’s children are upon this earth, they live out of those benefits merited by Christ. Then they may receive, in a measure established by the Lord Himself, knowledge of inward calling, conversion, faith, justification, sanctification, and all the instruction and comfort needed to live upon this earth.

Each time the Lord Himself makes place for these benefits. They learn more and more that with them there is no place for these benefits. That making place is done by a spiritual cutting off. The Lord says, “What I have builded, I will break it down; what I have planted, I will root up.”

By this, God’s people may come to know their inward poverty, their inward darkness, and the impossibility of redemption from their side. Then every new benefit of the Lord may be received as an undeserved blessing.

When we speak of the revealing of Christ in the narrower sense, then we speak of an eye of faith which may be opened for the person of Christ. To see in Him that which before they have never seen. We must always make a clear distinction about what takes place from the side of Cod and the side of man in the moment of regeneration.

From the side of God in that moment they may have all what is needed. They are cut off from Adam and ingrafted in Christ. And from the side of the Lord it is a finished and complete work.

The Lord cannot have any communion with man fallen dead in sin and trespasses, who is guilty and unclean by reason of sin without the justifying righteousness of Christ. But as Christ has now satisfied the righteous justice of God, therefore on the side of God, in and through Christ, there is a finished work for all those people chosen by the Father from all eternity.

But on the side of man, it goes in exactly the opposite way. By the light of God’s Spirit, there comes a knowledge of a righteous and a holy God who cannot have anything to do with sin, nor any communion with the sinner who by reason of sin is unclean from his head to his feet.

Here the sinner learns not only his own inward depravity and God’s perfect holiness, but also that he will have to meet that God and that the sentence cannot be anything else than eternal condemnation.

The law of God is as a mirror before him. A mirror which does not lie, but which honestly reveals all the sin and guilt. And the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ breaks the heart at the same time. He may learn the prayer of the publican, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Sorrow after the Lord brings him upon his knew to plead as a poor, needy beggar at the throne of God’s mercy and grace. In such a born-again sinner, there is not as yet an accepting by faith; nor an eye upon Christ as the Savior given of the Father.

He sees only guilt and judgment, sin and divine justice. Yes, by times he may taste something of God’s goodness and mercy. This causes the soul to bow deeper and call all the stronger for His mercy. In this way, the Lord continues with law and gospel to teach and lead the sinner that more and more there comes a knowledge of self. And that deliverance is only in Him who has satisfied the justice of God.

By His Word, the Lord calls unto him that the poor and the needy can find shelter only in Him. In all this, the sinner may see what there is in Jesus Christ. But that does not mean that by a true saving faith he dares to call Him his own.

There may be moments in his life that sin is covered. At such times, nothing is lacking. And a fullness may be experienced in that which Christ has merited for him. But a covered guilt is not a forgiven guilt.

As Rev. Lamain has written, “It is a blessing in the life of God’s people when it may become Christmas for the soul. When for the first time he may see that God has opened a way by which he may be saved. But then when it is well with him, he cannot stay at that place. There must come a time when it becomes Good Friday for him. Standing at the foot of the cross, he may see that Christ has given His life and His blood. Blood which cleanses him before a holy and righteous God.”

But something else needs to take place to come to the knowledge of Christ in his life. The time that it may become Easter, meaning a resurrected Savior, applied unto the heart. A Savior presented unto him by the Father may be embraced by the arms of faith.

This is the God-given lesson that it will never become Easter for the soul, unless there has been a time when it has become Good Friday. Because the Christ cried out, “It is finished,” that work for which the Father had ordained him, for which He gave Himself from the stillness of eternity, is completed.

And here is a Biblical truth. When it is well and right with God’s people, then there can never be a resting out side of the knowledge that He is mine and I am His. Observing this, then we are living in dark times. Because in general we can be so satisfied outside of this knowledge.

When the sinner may come to the personal knowledge of Christ, it is as if the Lord turns over a page. Where all was sin and punishment, he now begins to speak of the love, mercy, richness and sweetness of Christ.

There comes a change in his life. His inmost desire is to seek now all that is needed for soul and body for time and eternity in Him alone.

When the sinner may come to the personal knowledge of Christ, it is as if the Lord turns over a page. Where all was sin and punishment, he now begins to speak of the love, mercy, richness and sweetness of Christ.

Rev. J. Den Hoed is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Rock Valley, Iowa.

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