The Holy Spirit: Our Teacher
by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries
John 14:25-26
If you are going to take instruction from someone, you want to be certain that person is well qualified, right? It’s interesting, then, that so many believers neglect the greatest Bible teacher available. We read religious books, survey friends, and ask a Sunday school class before we decide to get on our knees and consult the true Authority. While those sources can point us in the right direction, only the Holy Spirit illuminates God’s Word to our hearts and minds.
Asking someone to explain Scripture seems easier than seeking to understand it through the Spirit’s power. But consider what a person misses in bypassing Him. Who better to instruct believers about the Word’s depth and breadth than the One who wrote it? (See 2 Peter 1:20-21.) The Spirit laid His message on each human author’s heart, and the writers dutifully recorded it in their own unique voices.
Furthermore, as a member of the holy Trinity, the Spirit knows the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). He is often called the Spirit of truth, because He understands everything. The Holy Spirit recognizes our emotional and mental state and can identify exactly where we are in our Christian walk. Therefore, He can reveal to our mind the passages that will encourage, challenge, or convict us as needed.
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.