The Rock of Revelation 2
(week 36/07)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we saw that revelation knowledge was described by the Lord Jesus as being a rock (Matthew 16.18) on which we should build our Christian lives so that the floods of Satanic power and onslaught will not prevail over or overcome us.
Now the rock of revelation can either be a rock of building, that God will use to break our pride or a rock of offence that will cause us to stumble.
Matthew 21:44(NKJV): 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
How does falling on the stone or rock cause us to be broken?
When we try to act on revelation knowledge initially we will find it hard and difficult because of the sin nature in our flesh and so we will fail or fall many times.
Proverbs 24:16(NKJV): 16 For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.
This falling will cause us to lose trust or confidence in ourselves and trust more and more in the grace and mercy of God, so breaking our pride.
Romans 5:20-21(NKJV): 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Corintians 12:7-10(NIV): 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
When a person is practicing and gradually obeying the rock of revelation it will become a rock of building, which will edify and build up.
1 Peter 2:4-5(NIV): 4 As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
When a person is not practicing the rock of revelation, the same rock of revelation will be like a rod of chastening and condemnation and if one does not repent and start practicing the rock of revelation it will become a rock of offence and stumbling.
1 Peter 2:6-8(NKJV): Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
So for the rock of revelation to be a rock of building and not a rock of offence we must have and maintain an attitude of humility: practicing the Word even when you do not feel like it. When the rock of revelation chastens us it keeps us awake (Matthew 13.25) spiritually so that we remain ‘wheat’ and not degenerate into ‘tares’ (Matthew 13.26-30, Romans 8.13). So we should submit it to it in humility and obedience so it will cause us to bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, even though at first it seems grievous.
Hebrews 12:7-11(NKJV): 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
So let the rock of revelation be a rock of building and not a rock of offence to you!
