The Teaching Ministry of the Holy Spirit

“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”* (1 Corinthians 2:10-14)

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”* (1 Corinthians 3:1)

The things of the Spirit do not properly compute with the natural mind. No matter how sharp our mind may be, it fails to comprehend God’s words correctly. We must rely upon something else to guide us into all truth. We must realize that we need spiritual discernment. This means that we can only know a certain truth by the teaching of the Spirit of God. Upon Him we must rely. He alone is our safety.

“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”* (1 John 2:24-28)

We are promised eternal life! What a joy and hope! If we abide in Him, according to this solemn exhortation, we will not be ashamed when He comes. The heart cry of every true disciple is the desire to abide in Christ. And we know that it is only as we keep His commandments that we can abide in Him as Jesus said: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”* (John 15:10) This is the beauty of the ministry of the Holy Spirit: He keeps us abiding in Christ if we will rely upon Him to do so. He is the teacher that instructs us correctly in our understanding of the things of God. He is the Spirit of truth. If we allow Him to guide us then we will abide perfectly in Christ. Then we can live in the confidence that He gives. We will have the assurance that we are pleasing our Father and living a holy life. This is our only safety.

Oh, that the Holy Spirit was given the prominence that He deserves in the life of every disciple! He is the only surety upon this narrow road. All the commandments that men set up for themselves are shallow and insufficient. Let us forsake our own thinking and humbly call upon God to fill us with His mind.