This illuminating work of the Spirit is mentioned by Paul in his words to King Agrippa, wherein he describes his own commission to service.  He claimed to have been appointed by the Lord who spoke to him from the Glory.  He relates that by this commission he was sent “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18).  This is the exact order of the Divine movements in redemption; the illumination of the Spirit is placed before everything else.  There is probably no more neglected truth in modern evangelism than this preliminary work of the Spirit:  yet it is the Divine preparation for the intelligent action of the human will; and if the right choice is made, it unveils the eyes for all the coming ages.

This important illuminating work of the Spirit is completely described in Jno. 16:8-11 as being a revelation of the judgment, by the Cross, of all sin and condemnation; the vision of the glorious righteous Christ, now in heaven; and the realization of the sin of rejecting Him.  The passage is here given:  “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away:  for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  And when he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”  The true child of God is, then, one in whom the Spirit has wrought in lifting the blinding by Satan and revealing to some extent, even now, the surpassing glory of Christ.  Sin, too, has become a terrible reality, and the Cross and the precious blood have become the basis of his confidence toward his God.

Another revelation of the present position of the believer is that he has partaken of the Divine nature through regeneration by the Spirit.  This truth is stated in many passages, a few of which are here given:  “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jno.  I:12, 13).  “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:  so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (Jno. 3:5-8).  “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jno. 10:10).