Focus: Threefold Work Of The Spirit

Text: Neh.9:20

"Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them…"

As the people of Jerusalem gathered to pray, hear the word of God, and confess their sins, the Levites, in recounting their history, remembered that God gave His good Spirit to instruct the children of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness to the promise land under the leadership of Moses.

Truly, the Holy Spirit instructs, directs and guides. In today's devotional, I want us to see the threefold activity of the Holy Spirit and how it relates to the New Testament Scriptures. In John 14:26, we read, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall TEACH you ALL THINGS, and bring ALL THINGS to your REMEMBRANCE, whatsoever I have said unto you." In John 16:13, we read, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will GUIDE you into ALL TRUTH… and he will SHEW you THINGS TO COME."

From these two Scriptures we understand that the Spirit teaches, reminds, guides and reveals.

The Spirit would REMIND the disciples of all that Jesus Christ taught while He was here with them physically. We have those things now in the Four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Spirit would TEACH them all things and GUIDE them into all truth. In the Acts of the Apostles we see how the Spirit guided them in all truth, and in the New Testament Epistles we have the teachings of Christ.

The Spirit would SHOW the disciples of things to come. Now we have the Spirit-revealed things of the future put together for us in the book of Revelation by the Apostle John.

The Spirit also guided the disciples into all the truths of the Old Testament. As a matter of fact, the New Testament is full of Old Testament references. Paul tells us that All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God. God breathed out the Scriptures. He simply exhaled the Scriptures. They are the product of the Holy Spirit. 

So the Spirit of truth through the Gospels reminds us of all the things that Jesus Christ taught His disciples, the Spirit of truth through the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles teaches us all things, leads and guides us into all the truth, and the Spirit of truth through the book of Revelation shows us the things to come.

As we read and study the New Testament Scriptures the Holy Spirit is exposing us to the realities of God and riches of Christ. In reading and studying the New Testament the Spirit educates us, and also, in reading and studying it, He takes us back to the Old Testament and opens to us its mines of great spiritual treasures.

It is important to know that our New Testament is forever connected to the Old Testament. In fact, we do not have two covenants, but one. The two Testaments are two aspects of the one covenant of God which binds God and His people together. Indeed, another has aptly said that in the Old the New is concealed, and in the New the Old is unveiled. The Old and the New are in agreement; the Spirit claims and owns the authorship of both. 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the key to understanding the Scriptures. The Spirit of truth serves as our Teacher, Guide, and Revealer. The Scripture itself is the Spirit's originated textbook.

The Holy Spirit lives in us to teach us the truths of God, lead and guide us in all things, and reveal future things to us. Every day we find ourselves in the classroom of the Holy Spirit. He takes us on a spiritual journey as our teacher and tour guide. He guards and guides us. He enables us to encounter God's objective truths subjectively. John writes, "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" (1Jh.2:27). 

The Spirit guides us individually. He speaks to and directs us. He nudges and urges us. He inspires, persuades and propels us.

Peter's experience:

"While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee…. And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting…" (Act.10:19; 11:12).

We read also of Agabus prophesying of a future austerity. Luke says, "And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and SIGNIFIED by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar" (Act.11:28). It came to pass as he said it, and that is prophecy fulfilled.

Paul's experience:

"Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, AND WERE FORBIDDEN OF THE HOLY GHOST to preach the word in Asia" (Act.16:6).

"After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but THE SPIRIT SUFFERED them not" (Act.16:7).

"And passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and PRAYED him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, ASSUREDLY GATHERING that the Lord had called for to preach unto them" (Act.16:8-9).

And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was PRESSED IN THE SPIRIT, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ" (Act.18:5).

These are great examples of how the Spirit of truth personally and inwardly guides and leads us into the way and will of God. In the book of Acts we see the Spirit in action, guiding the church and individual believers in the path of truth. By the Spirit we learn the word of God, know the will of God, find the ways of God, give ourselves to the worship of God, commit ourselves to the work of God, behold the wonders of God, and become witnesses for Christ in every place we find ourselves.

In the Gospels the Spirit is reminding us. In the Acts of the Apostles the Spirit is guiding us. In the Epistles the Spirit is teaching us, in the book of Revelation the Spirit is revealing future things to us, and finally, in our personal walk with God the Spirit is leading the way and making the adventure interesting, exciting and fulfilling.

I pray you let the Spirit of truth do His work in your life!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter