Doctrine of
Illumination
CROSSROADS BIBLE CHURCH
15815 SE 37th St
Bellevue, WA 98006
Recently, I was asked after a worship service what I meant when I said, “I hope you have heard from the
Lord in the sermon today.” I realized it had been quite a while since I have said anything on this subject,
so I thought a few words on the Doctrine of Illumination by the Holy Spirit was in order.
The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years, by 40 different human authors, giving us 66 books
which are inspired by God. It was given by God to mankind as a source of information which is
dependable on all subjects temporal and eternal. The Scriptures claim for themselves that they are
inspired by God and without error (2 Timothy 3:16).
In order to understand the spiritual truth contained in scripture, the reader must have the Holy Spirit
inside his soul. He is the third member of the triune Godhead and He reveals truth to each individual
member of the body of Christ as He sees fit. (John 16:13-15).
As a preacher of God’s Word, I understand that the truth I preach is totally dependent on the Holy Sp irit
to reveal that truth to each person listening to the sermon. The Holy Spirit must “guide you into all the
truth” (John 16:13). At the beginning of each exposition of God’s Word, I ask the Lord to cleanse our
hearts of sin so that the Holy Spirit has access to our minds and souls to do His work. Only un-confessed
personal sin will “grieve” and hinder His work in the life of a believer (Ephesians 4:30).
Puget Sound Energy sends electricity to our houses for light and heat, but it goes through transfer
stations and transformers to lower the voltage. If the voltage came to our houses directly from the
Skagit and Columbia rivers we’d be sitting in an empty lot with a standing brick fireplace. So too, the
Holy Spirit regulates divine truth specifically for the maturity level of each child of God. As we grow, our
capacity for divine truth increases and the Holy Spirit sends us greater truth. Since God is infinite and we
are mortal, no one ever comprehends all of God’s revealed truth, but each believer is inst ructed to
“grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” ( 2 Peter 3:18)
So when I say to the congregation as your Pastor, “I hope you have heard from the Lord in the sermon
today,” I am expressing my desire that the Holy Spirit has illuminated the scriptures to you in a personal
way.
Doctrine of Illumination | CROSSROADS BIBLE CHURCH
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