Romans 16:25-26 Now to
Him that is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel, and the preaching
of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept
secret since the world began,
26 But now is made
manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment
of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.
The revelation of the mystery, which had been kept secret, is now being made known for the obedience of faith. Revelation requires obedience! Revelation requires activity! Revelation requires appropriation and impartation!
The apostle Paul was the most active of all the apostles. He personified the obedience of faith. He was a man of appropriation and impartation. His heart was set “to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28). To do that required impartation, and he could not impart anything without first appropriating it himself. It first had to be a reality in Him. Therefore, appropriation of the revelation was needed. He could not appropriate something without first receiving a revelation of it. The order of true ministry is: (1) revelation, (2) appropriation, and (3) impartation. Revelation requires an active obedience, which is the obedience of faith.
Revelation 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My name.
Revelation is an open door. It is not the thing seen, but it is the access to what is seen. Revelation does not mean you have what you see. It means that you now have access to obtain what you see. It is an open door that you must go through to obtain what you have seen. Appropriation is how you walk through the door and after you appropriate the revelation, you must impart it to retain it.
Revelation can be a blessing or a curse. It is a blessing when you appropriate the substance of the revelation and impart it to others. It is a curse when you assume to have what you see without appropriating it. Appropriation requires more than just saying the words, “Lord, I appropriate this revelation.” A right spirit is required. If, for example, a person secretly wants to look spiritual to others, the appropriation is blocked. Also, room must be made in your life for the substance of the revelation – the room for it is created by the work of the cross and it, too, has to be appropriated. As self is eliminated, room is created for more of Christ in your life.
Everything God gives us is given as a provision, and it is our responsibility to obtain it. To know the provision requires revelation. To obtain the provision requires appropriation. To retain the provision requires impartation. Revelation followed by appropriation and impartation is the formula for the obedience of faith.
Copyright © 2002 by Henry DuBose