Get Guardian on GoogleBy Emeritus Prof. Mercy Olumide
The Holy Spirit speaks to us cont)
JN 16:13 “The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth.” The convicting work of the Holy Spirit is not only directed toward the unsaved (vv.7-8), but alsooperates in believers and the church in order toteach, correct and guide them into truth (Mat18:15; 1Tim 5:20; Rev 3:19). (1) The Holy Spirit will speak to believers concerning sin, the righteousness of Christ and thejudgment of evil in order to (a) conform themto Christ and His standard of righteousness (cf.2Cor 3:18), (b) guide them into all truth, and (c)glorify Christ (v. 14). Thus, the Holy Spirit workswithin believers to reproduce Christ’s holy life intheir lives.(2) If Spirit-filled believers reject the Spirit’sguidance and convicting work, and if they do not “through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of thebody” (Rom 8:13), then they will enter into condemnation. Only those who receive the truth andare “led by the Spirit of God ” are ” sons of God”(Rom 8:14) and are therefore able to continue inthe Spirit’s fullness (see Eph 5:18). Sin destroys both the life and fullness of the Holy Spiritwithin the believer (Rom 6:23; 8:13; Gal 5:17; cf.Eph 5:18; 1Thes 5:19).
16:13 “He [The Holy Spirit] will not speak on His own authority.” The Holy Spirit receives His message and instructions from Christ; believers ought to talk about and rejoice in the work of the Holy Spirit.
Read 1Cor 2:9-14
“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1Cor 2:13)
“words … which the Holy Spirit teaches.” Though Paul is writing about the divine origin of his preaching, vv. 9-13 suggest the steps by which the Holy Spirit also inspired the writing of Scripture.
Step l: God desired to communicate His wisdom to humanity (w.7-9). This wisdom concerned our salvation, centering in Christ as the wisdom of God (cf. 1:30; 2:2, 5).
Step 2: It is only through the Holy Spirit that God’s truth and wisdom were revealed to humanity (v. 10). The Spirit knows fully the thoughts of God (v.11).
Step 3: God’s revelation was given to chosen believers through the indwelling presence of the Spirit (v.12; cf. Rom 8:11, 15).
Step 4: The writers of Scripture wrote with words taught by the Holy Spirit (v.13); the Spirit directed the writers in the choice of the words they used (cf.Ex 24:4; Is 51:16; Jer 1:9; 36:28,32; Ezek 2:7; Mat 4:4). At the same time, the Spirit’s guidance in the expression of divine truth was not mechanical; rather, the Spirit used each writer’s vocabulary and personal style.
Step 5: Believers understand divinely inspired Scripture as they examine its content through the illumination of the Holy Spirit (v.14-16).
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