From interaction with a friend and from a comment yesterday, I want to think a bit about the Spirit teaching us. Thomas gave this comment: "I think that people need to experience Jesus and The Holy Spirit. I know this is what I need. Yet it seems that there are few of us willing to lay down what we know in order to be instructed by The Holy Spirit." To which I responded: "...I think that work of the Spirit, while meant to bring to us clarity in understanding truth, will at...times prompt us in directions in which we really don't know where we're going, or we don't yet understand much to speak of, at all."
This doesn't mean that God doesn't want us to use our minds for most certainly he does. They are a gift from God and part of what makes us image bearers or Eikons of God. It does mean we must not lean (or even learn we might say- at first a typo but has truth), on our own understanding, and that involves faith. The Spirit through Jesus wants to teach us from the word (Scripture) and from and in the midst of life. This takes time, and it takes a commitment of faith on our part which is ongoing. This is especially crucial when we reach those points at where we're at a loss of what to think or what to do. Or maybe at points in which our faith is directly or indirectly being undermined, or challenged.
Do we trust God in Jesus? Do we trust the Holy Spirit? Do we believe God will help and guide us through everything, so that we can learn better to rest in him when we ordinarily would not? These, and more questions are important for us in our life in Jesus in this world. People need to see where our trust really lies: in God through Jesus. And this involves a commitment of faith in God through Jesus.
What might you like to add to these thoughts? Or, what have you learned in your own life about this?
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4 comments:
-Do we trust God in Jesus?
I do believe, but ofen need help overcoming my unbelief.
-Do we trust the Holy Spirit?
I do, but am often surrounded by so much "spiritual noise" that I wonder if His voice is being muted.
-Do we believe God will help and guide us through everything, so that we can learn better to rest in him when we ordinarily would not?
I do believe, but am afraid that I often act so hastily that miss both the lessons and the rest.
Thanks, Ted, for bringing clarity to my day.
Shalom,
Bill
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is
—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
romans 12:2
It takes courage to be lead by the spirit and I think that is part of the fun!
Bill,
Thanks, brother, for pondering with me on this.
Amen, Nancy.
Sarko Sightings,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, indeed it does take courage demonstrated in simple faith, even in our weakness. I would gently but firmly challenge you in regard to your website, though maybe you're just attempting to have fun with that. Either way, I'm not convinced a testing of the spirits according to the Word accords very well with what you're doing there. Becoming enmeshed in present day world events to tie them to Bible prophecy and to identify the Antichrist is missing the point of what God's word in Jesus tells us to be about, even with reference to such things, I believe.
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