This week, as we continue our 6-week study on the person of the Holy Spirit, we will be looking at the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.
It’s not surprising that the Spirit is a teacher. Jesus’ ministry was saturated with teaching and the Spirit is sent to continue Jesus’ ministry. Jesus often took His disciples aside to teach them (See Matthew 5:12). Like the Son, the Spirit wants to teach us. A disciple is ‘a learner’. If we are not learning we are not a disciple. Jesus said of the Spirit,
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’ (John 14:25-26)
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” (John 16:12-13)
He is called ‘the Spirit of truth’. This reveals that anyone who is genuinely being filled with the Spirit will love and grow in the truth. The Holy Spirit has come to 'guide' us into ‘all the truth’. The Spirit is our guide. He can be trusted to speak and help us understand the truths that we need.
It’s vital that we understand that only the Holy Spirit can teach us. Anyone can teach facts and inspirational ideas, however, only the Spirit can teach us spiritual truth. From our initial faith in Christ to every other truth that changes our heart, it’s the Holy Spirit who is teaching. The Spirit uses teachers and each of us, but all true spiritual learning is enabled by the Spirit. As you read the following text, pay attention to how Paul’s ministry is made successful by the Spirit,
‘You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.’ (2 Corinthians 3:3-6)
LEARNING IS OUR GREATEST NEED
There are many important things, but learning about God and what He says about things is foundational. For example, your marriage may be a mess; it’s a mess because of sin. It’s a mess because you have not been doing things God’s way. For your marriage to be restored you need the truth so that you can forgive, have a true vision of marriage and be empowered by the Spirit to move toward this. Any area of life can flourish as we seek to apply the Spirit’s wisdom from His Word. Jesus says,
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
RESPONSE
The greatest thing that you can do for yourself is to stop making excuses: “I don’t like reading, I’m tired, It’s boring, I’m too busy…”). Rather, let’s start keeping in step with the Spirit by letting the Holy Spirit teach us. A vacuum will be filled! If your head is a vacuum you can be sure that the devil will fill it with junk; let’s not forget that the devil is also a teacher! In John 8, Jesus continues,
‘You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.’ (John 8:44)