Bible Training Center
Section 4.0 – The Holy Spirit And Your Bible Study
introduction & articles
introduction
give the holy spirit his rightful place
The Holy Spirit is ‘the revealer of all truth.’ Jesus said it so for me it is fact. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth”. (John 16:13a) What is ‘All Truth’? Is it the truth which is written in the Bible? It is that, of course. However, the written words of the Bible, while being the truth, is not all of the truth. Remember that the Bible is filled with parables. In fact, I believe the Bible is actually one huge parable that also contain parables. And parables have hidden meanings. These meanings are also the truth. They differ from the words on the pages of the Bible, but they will always confirm and never contradict the Bible. These insights into the hidden mystery of the Bible (as Paul referred to them) are the rest of the truth. And they are as limitless as God Himself.
Those of you who are disciples (not merely church-goers) have received the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was the result of your genuine repentance. You were not, however, given the Holy Spirit so you would feel warm and fuzzy or so you could be the center of attention when you give a prophetic word. Your were given the Holy Spirit so you would listen to Him.
Listening to the Holy Spirit is not an option. Nor is listening something to be turned on and off. We are bound to listen and obey all of the time.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh —
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led [listeningand obeying] bythe Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:12-14)
Putting to death the deeds (fruit) of the flesh (sinful desires) is a process called sanctification. This is the primary work of every born again believer. In fact, sanctification is a believers pathway to salvation.
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. (Romans 6:22)
And sanctification is God’s will for you:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
[Sanctification is denying the flesh and its lustful desires.]
4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.
7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.
[To reject the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is an affront to God.]
8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)
The Holy Spirit is to be in first place in the life of a believer, especially our Bible study.
Section 4.0 - Articles
If you have read some of my articles, you probably know that I have made the following statement many times: “You must have the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible.” It hasn’t always been expressed with those exact words, but the same point is always made. However, there has been and is now a divide over what it means to have the Holy Spirit and when does one get or come to have the Holy Spirit.
Repentance is a purposed decision to make a complete change of mind resulting in a turning from the ways of the sin nature with which you were born in favor of a new way of life … one filled with the innumerable blessings of obedient fellowship with Christ. Once you have done that, the next step is to live the new life you’ve adopted. And since you have been given a new life, your behavior is expected to be completely new also.