Reflecting on Truth, Conscience, and the Presence of God
Living a spirit-filled life is about more than just attending church or following religious rituals—it’s about experiencing a deep, personal connection with God that transforms both how we see ourselves and the world around us. This connection is what the Bible calls revelation, and it happens in two important ways: inside us (the inner revelation) and outside us (the outer revelation).
Understanding Inner Revelation
Inner revelation is something every person can relate to, whether religious or not. It’s that quiet sense inside you that certain things are right or wrong, or that there’s something bigger than yourself. The Bible calls this our conscience. In 2 Corinthians 4:2, Paul talks about “manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” What he means is that truth isn’t just something taught by others—it’s something you feel and recognize within your own soul.
A lot of people today, especially young people, question the truth of the Christian faith. Some doubt the Bible’s inspiration, but often, this doubt isn’t because they have deeply studied it. More often, it’s because they haven’t given much thought to what their own hearts and minds are telling them. Before we ever read a religious text, God has already given each of us a “gut feeling”—an inner sense of what’s true and good. When we look inside ourselves honestly, we find evidence of God’s presence in the very way we think and feel about right and wrong.
Outer Revelation: Seeing God in the World
The Bible doesn’t try to prove God exists—it assumes we already know. Genesis 1:1 simply says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” It doesn’t argue for God’s existence; it expects us to have sensed it already. Paul’s letter to the Romans makes a similar point: the natural world itself is a testimony to God’s reality. The universe’s beauty, complexity, and order are like a signature, pointing us to the Creator behind it all.
If we pay close attention, we notice that the Bible builds its teachings on truths that we already sense. It talks about God’s power and goodness, about right and wrong, as if we already know these things deep down. This is because, just as our bodies are built to experience the physical world through sight and sound, our souls are built to experience spiritual truths. Our moral compass—what we feel to be right and wrong—points us toward God, just as our eyes point us toward light.
The Journey from Skepticism to Faith
Let’s consider a real-life example. Imagine a young woman who considers herself intelligent and thoughtful, but she’s skeptical about Christianity. She believes in God in a general way but rejects the Bible and its message of salvation. When she’s challenged to look inside herself, she finds that her mind already recognizes certain truths about God and goodness, even before reading the Bible. She realizes that if these truths are real, then perhaps the Bible’s message about hope and redemption is also true. This leads her to question her unbelief—not out of pressure, but because she’s honestly confronted by what her own heart tells her.
For this young woman, and for many others, faith isn’t just about accepting something because they’re told to. It’s about discovering that the truths taught by the Bible make sense of what they already know inside and see outside. When she opens her heart, she finds peace and joy—not because she’s blindly accepted a doctrine, but because she’s experienced a spirit-filled life. She’s seen both the inner and outer revelations of God, and they’ve led her to a place of trust and hope.
Embracing the Spirit-Filled Life
If you’re searching for meaning or wondering about faith, know that you don’t have to start from scratch. Begin by looking inside—what does your conscience tell you about truth, goodness, and purpose? Look outside—what do you see in the world that points beyond itself? The spirit-filled life is about connecting these inner and outer revelations, letting them guide you toward a deeper understanding of God and your place in His creation.
Ultimately, living a spirit-filled life means being open to God speaking to you through both your conscience and the world around you. It’s about letting the truth manifest in your heart, commending itself to your conscience, and growing in the sight of God. The journey may begin with questions, but it leads to a life filled with peace, joy, and purpose—a life shaped by both inner and outer revelations.
Minister A Francine Green
February 2026
afrancinegreen.com 