Knowing Truth

I’ve an online app for Selwyn Hughes’ wonderful devotionals called “Every Day with Jesus.” Today’s reading blessed me using verses about the guidance of the Holy Spirit. His focus was on Jesus words:

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13)

Hughes adds that obviously this means spiritual truth, but suggests all truth means truth about everything. His words reminded me of a couple of personal experiences. A few years ago, I thought I’d like a book of prayers that were different from the way I usually pray, mostly to prompt me to pray in a new way. I never told anyone.

However, a family member who is a believer gave me two prayer books, exactly what I was looking for. I told him this was an answer to prayer. He said he saw them in a department store, read a few pages to make sure they had good entries, and thought I would like them. The odd part is that he isn’t going to church or doing much praying that I know of, but the Holy Spirit used him anyway.

The other story was a visit to a family member who also once made a profession of faith but is not in church either. However, she drove by a church and thought it was the one we would like and told us that was where we should go. We did, and it was the right place for us to be the two Sundays we were able to attend. How did she know? All truth given from the Holy Spirit, even to a prodigal?

Hughes pointed me to several passages:

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:10–16)

In Galatians, Paul said he did not receive the gospel from anyone but through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11–12) These days, many people in the Middle East are being saved by this same thing. They have no Bibles or churches but the Holy Spirit is revealing Jesus to them in dreams and visions. Can He not also direct people to buy the right books or select the right church? How about the right food to eat or the best store to find the coat they need? Or where to travel? Or what house to buy?

When  Paul was headed for Jerusalem, “constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”  This was not a problem for him as he did not consider his life of any value nor precious to himself. He also knew that those with him would not see him again. (Acts 20:17–25) How was this possible unless the Spirit revealed it!

So many people look for guidance each day. Sadly, many look in the wrong place. For millions it is horoscopes in the nation’s newspapers that people often governed by ‘science’ in the rest of life can believe that the planets’ positions affect what might happen to them that day. For Christians, such things are not only forbidden, they are totally unnecessary; for God himself has promised to guide us.

This reading blesses me. God can use anyone, even backsliders who are His yet not walking the way Christians should walk are still guided by Him anyway. As for the two I mentioned, I see God’s Spirit at work in their actions and concerns for justice and truth.

PRAY: Lord, You are Lord. Your Spirit is guiding those who You want to guide, whether they realize it or not. You do this for me, but how delightful that Your guidance has no limits. Thank You.

Understand the Bible?

Years ago a couple of ‘missionaries’ came to my door. Their main question was, “Where did you learn the meaning of the Bible?” I didn’t realize they wanted me to name my church so they could attack whatever flaws they perceived in it. But I had an answer. I told them that my teaching came from the Bible, not from people or a church. That upset them. They didn’t believe me. I realized later that in their minds no one can learn anything that way; it must be taught to them by a religious organization.

For that reason, these verses are particularly meaningful to me:

I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. (1 John 2:26–27)

Even though the Holy Spirit is the teacher, my church and other Christians often affirm to me what the Spirit has been telling me. This week I’ve been able to catch John MacArthur a couple of times. He is talking about how he knows what he knows about God. Basically, he says, “from the Bible” and because he is convinced it is inspired by God, it is the only reliable source.

He goes on to say what I know also, that the human mind cannot understand the things of God without the illumination from the Holy Spirit. He uses these verses, which I also believe give the answer to both issues:

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:10–16)

Both questions involve knowing the truth. Why does a Christian know what we know? Why do those without faith in Christ not understand what we know? The answers are above. Christians know because we have the Holy Spirit and are taught by Him. This is according to a promise Jesus made before He was crucified, resurrected and left this world:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16–17)

The second question is answered too. The unsaved person does not know or understand the things of God because that person does not have the Holy Spirit imparting spiritual truth to their heart and mind. Not only is this true, but God’s truth seems totally foolish to them. It does not make sense nor seem right or useful. Even hearing that this is what is happening does not make sense. In human independence, the sinner’s heart is convinced that he knows all he needs to know to run his own life.

This is a danger for me too. Even though I know the source of all things is my triune God, I can fall into assuming I can handle things. When I fail or become weak, God reminds me that this isn’t so. I need to rely on Him all the time and for everything.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I do look forward to the day when this battle with sin and relying on myself instead of You comes to an end. Here I get a taste now and then of what that will be like and love the freedom of walking in the Spirit. You are amazing and You do amazing things, even with such a sinner as I. Today’s challenge is to cooperate with You in every detail of life!

Today’s thankful list . . .

- that Jesus gives me His mind and thoughts as I need them.

- a day of rest now that my work has created a tennis elbow (no tennis though).

- hubby’s help to clean out a long-overdue junk drawer of hangers, nails, hooks, etc.

- a short nap during a hockey game (and being able to sleep through anything).

- healthy snacks like nuts and grapes.

- clean clothes and good food.

Out of my mind

An intellectual distant cousin posted an idea on his blog that only an atheist can do a pure good deed because he isn’t trying to curry favor with a deity. I responded that no one seeks God or can please God. He isn’t impressed with us even though He continues to love and reach out to us.

Currying God’s favor is a religious idea, but not a Christian one. The Bible says just the opposite. Instead of humanity trying to reach God (religion), God came to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. He had to do this because we cannot do anything to get beyond the barrier created by sin that separates us from Him. We need Him. He does not need us or our good deeds.

Yet even as I try to explain things like this to those who do not know Christ, I realize my own need of the Spirit of God. I cannot please Him or even know anything about Him and spiritual realities by reading, studying, or using my intellect and imagination, or through anything else of my own efforts.

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:10–16)

This morning I’m thinking how useless is the human brain without Jesus. Oh, we come up with marvelous inventions, grand creative projects, vast and complex philosophies, but when life is over and all is said and done, we cannot know a thing about God or where we will spend eternity unless the Spirit of God reveals it to us.

Before Christ came into my life, I do not remember hearing one thing about these matters. I know they were explained to me, but my mind could not grasp them. Others may get bits and pieces, but the puzzle is scrambled and mixed up. Truth is mixed with error. Human reasoning, flawed by the sinfulness we all possess, does not even realize its own folly. Even those with “the mind of Christ” struggle because our sinful nature constantly tosses its wants and suppositions into the mix. Without the Spirit of God, we cannot know the things of God.

*******

Lord, today is like any other day — I need You. I need the clarity that comes from the Holy Spirit. I need Your clear direction concerning Your will. I also need You to reveal my ‘I will nots’ so I can confess them and receive that mysterious wonder that You call forgiveness and cleansing. Grant me today the ability to set aside any pride or reliance upon my own thinking. Only with the mind of Christ can I trust You totally and joyfully.