According to the Apostle Paul, “No man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). That the Spirit’s enabling is essential to one’s confession of Christ was brought home to the Apostle Paul in a most extraordinary way. As Paul taught the Galatians, the gospel he preached was not “taught” to him by man, but received “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12).

Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Paul on Damascus Road. When He did, Paul made a miraculous U-turn in his life. The great persecutor of the church became the great preacher of Christ. This former pupil of Gamaliel and valedictorian of rabbinical school became the great missionary apostle to the Gentile peoples of the world. 

It took a revelation of Jesus Christ to reveal the truth of the gospel to the church’s chief persecutor. Furthermore, nothing else could have possibly transformed so notorious a sinner into such a champion of Christ. Believe it or not, it takes nothing less for the truth of the gospel to be revealed to your lost family and friends. They too must receive a revelation of Jesus Christ if they are to be miraculously transformed. 

When Peter made his magnificent confession of Christ in Matthew 16:16, our Lord commended Him by saying, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (v. 17). Peter did not figure out Christ’s true identity for himself, nor was he taught it by some other man. Instead, he received it by divine revelation; God the “Father” revealed it to him.

In order for the lost to confess Christ as their Lord and Savior they must receive divine revelation. The truth of Christ must be revealed to them by God. Whereas men may know “Christ after the flesh” with the help of human tutelage (2 Corinthians 5:16), no one will ever see him as Savior and Lord apart from the enlightening and enabling of the Holy Spirit.

Sample Prayer:

I praise you Heavenly Father for revealing divine truth to ordinary men so you can transform them into your extraordinary servants. I ask you to grant divine revelation to all the lost for whom I am burdened so that they can confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. May the Holy Spirit through His enlightening of them enable them to confess Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Amen.