“And He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26
Dear Ones:
What does it mean to be taught by the Spirit of God? It means firstly that He is by nature, disposition, and capacity, the greatest Teacher of all. It is hard for us to understand this Teacher, but regardless of our limitations, He does reveal certain things to us that help us, not only to trust Him, but to believe Him fully. First of all, we discover that since He is the Spirit of God, Christ revealed to us BY the Spirit, He possesses all knowledge and wisdom. There is nothing that He does not see and know in the visible and invisible world. Secondly, Jesus refers to him again and again as the “Spirit of Truth.” The knowledge of this aspect of His character should be a great help in enabling us to trust Him, for He cannot lie, and will not deceive. His intent, will, and commitment is ALWAYS to tell, or reveal the truth. Thirdly, the basic disposition of the Spirit of God is love, the highest revelation of His goodness. There is nothing in Him that is a contradiction of His love, and certainly, nothing that proceeds from Him that is not good. With respect to fallen man, God’s goodness cannot be explained, or fathomed. His love is the very basis and assurance, that in all of His dealings with us, whether we think of them difficult to accept or not, He IS love, and cannot deny Himself. He IS love, therefore He gives. That which He gives is true and it is good. So, when Jesus said, and promised, that the Father would send another Comforter, He speaks of One who is the perfect teacher, according to the disposition, will, and purpose of the Son and the Father, who will “…lead us into all truth.”
How then can we practically know the Spirit of God as our teacher? It is first and foremost by faith. This does not mean that we just accept the reality, or truth, that the Spirit of God IS our teacher. We are called to use that truth as a stepping stone to go further in actively TRUSTING the Lord to teach us by the Spirit. The extent to which the Spirit can teach us depends upon our willingness to be taught, honesty in facing what He reveals to us, and the measure to which we will believe Him. The Lord Jesus would often use the phrase, “…according to your faith,” in dealing with the disciples who sought Him, or who were seeking to trust Him. It is very true that the Lord looks at the heart to see if genuine faith is there, and the extent to which it is exercised.
A good example and application of these truths is found in Psalm 32:8, and in the book of Habakkuk. In this Psalm, the Lord gives the believer a promise: “I WILL instruct thee and teach thee in the way in which thou shalt go: I WILL guide thee with Mine eye.” (32:8) Here is a promise by God, assuring us that He will instruct, teach, and guide the believer, with regard to decisions that he or she must make, and the directions they must take. Sometimes the Lord, not only leads us in the Scriptures, giving us direction, but He teaches us how to understand His guidance. With respect to being willing to be taught, the prophet Habakkuk, wrote: “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will WATCH to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.” (2:1) Here we see a man of God who is intent, and committed to trust God to instruct him and teach him. Teachable and open to God’s instruction, he KNOWS that God will answer him. And so, by specifically seeking God, believing in His faithfulness to instruct and teach, Habakkuk waits in faith-filled expectation. He then writes: “And the Lord answered me…”
Dear Father, Give us grace to trust the Holy Spirit to teach us in truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad