Dr. Charles Stanley posted (March 10, 2018) a devotional entitled “The Holy Spirit: Our Teacher.” The link is: Daily Devotions In Touch Ministries March 10, 2018 – The Holy Spirit: Our Teacher – Daily Inspirational devotionals (247devotionals.com). His post raises the question:
Why do believers first go to human Bible teachers rather than go to the Holy Spirit?
In responding, Dr. Stanley made the following helpful points that establish a believer should first consult with the Holy Spirit.
First, the Holy Spirit is the One who authored Scripture. 2 Peter 1:20–21 (NET) has always been one of my favorites:
20 Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination,21 for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
This passage describes the exciting direct connection between what we read in the Bible and God. One of the most memorable descriptions of divine inspiration is in John Piper’s book A Peculiar Glory, (John Piper, A Peculiar Glory, (2016), Crossway, Wheaton, IL 60187) where on page 69, John Piper describes verbal inspiration of Scripture [italics in the original]:
When we confess our belief that “the infallible Word of God [is] verbally inspired by God,” the word “verbally” means that we believe God guided the biblical authors in their selection of the very words that they wrote to communicate his divine meaning. This is not identical with dictation, since the biblical authors are themselves selecting the words, under God’s guidance. Though there are rare times when God dictates the very words a prophet is to speak, typically the biblical authors write with their own styles and personalities, which are guided by God.
Keeping divine inspiration in mind, there is no way that a thinking person can characterize the Bible as a “dead” book. It is alive and always ready to dispense truth. Hebrews 4:12 (NET) makes this point:
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.
Second, as a member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is God and He knows the mind of God per 1 Corinthians 2:10 (NET):
10 God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
Who better to consult to learn biblical truth than the One who knows the mind of God.
Third, one description of the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth.” For example, John 15:26 (NET) records what Jesus said:
26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me,
Another example of Jesus speaking is in John 16:13 (NET), which reads:
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come.
The “Spirit of truth” knows you better than you know yourself. Again, who better to consult to learn biblical truth than the One who knows you on the outside and the inside.
Dr. Stanley ends this devotional with the paragraph:
We have a teacher of divine quality. He will help us to learn and grow, guide us through difficult passages, and shed light on why the Lord allows certain challenges in our life. When it comes to aiding God’s people to know His Word, no one is more qualified than His Spirit.
I’m not saying that you have no need to consult human teachers, but why not try going to the Holy Spirit first?
If you are a believer, then I hope what I wrote made some sense. If you are not a believer, then what I wrote most likely made no sense at all. After all, an unbeliever does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. But, your status vis-à-vis God can change in an instant. Please keep reading.
If You Are an Unbeliever
If you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you need to get ready!! Please (1) read through “God’s Plan of Salvation” so you can understand what God did for you through His only unique Son, Jesus Christ, and (2), from the bottom of your heart, pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” meaning every word. If you do, you will be reconciled to God – saved – through Jesus Christ.
God’s Plan of Salvation
In the beginning, God, who is holy, created the entire universe. As a part of His creative actions, He made humans (male and female) in His image to know Him. For a while, everything was right between God and our ancestors, Adam and Eve. But Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, whereby Adam’s sin was passed down to all of humanity, creating a separation between God and humanity. We cannot do anything to bridge that separation so that without God’s intervention, hell is our eternal destination. Fortunately for us, in His great love and mercy, God provided us with the only means of salvation through Abraham’s lineage by sending the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, God’s only unique Son. While retaining His deity, God the Son became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, thereby fulfilling the Law, and died a substitutionary atoning death on the cross, taking on Himself the punishment for the sins of all people. Jesus rose from the dead, showing that God the Father accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, thereby exhausting God’s wrath against humanity. God now calls on every unbeliever to repent of their sins and completely trust in Christ alone that Jesus died for their sins and rose to life from the dead. Every unbeliever who repents and trusts in Jesus Christ will be forgiven of all their sins (past, present, and future) and born again as a new creation in Christ, possessing guaranteed eternal life with God.
Scripture References: Genesis 1:1, 26, 31; Habakkuk 1:13; Genesis 2:7-25; Genesis 3:1-7, 22-24; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:19-20, 23; 5:17-19; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; Matthew 1:18, 20, 24-25; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 2:17; 9:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 John 4:10; John 3:16-18; Mark 1:15; Acts 17:30; 26:20; Romans 1:4; 4:25; John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:3.
“Sinner’s Prayer”
Lord, Jesus Christ, the only unique Son of God, thank You for Your free gift of eternal life. I know I’m a sinner who cannot save myself no matter what I do, and I deserve to spend eternity in hell. But, I know that because You loved me so much, You voluntarily died on the cross for me taking my sins upon Yourself, and You physically bodily rose from the grave showing that Your sacrificial death was sufficient payment to give me eternal life in Heaven. I now repent of my sins and completely trust alone in what You did for my eternal salvation. Please take control of my life as I now receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You so much for saving me. I am now Yours forever!
(Scripture references: John 1:1-4, 11-14; John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:21-26; Isaiah 53:4-6; Mark 1:15; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10, 13; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 10:27-29).
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