I wasn’t expecting to add a second part to last week’s post, but a thought occurred to me that deserves some attention. When we take time with the Bible, we put ourselves in the right frame of mind to receive God’s wisdom. But when we rush, we miss out on what the Word is telling us.
There’s another reason why we need to slow down when it comes to Scripture. We have to attune ourselves to the Holy Spirit. Without Him, we have no chance of understanding God’s Word.
Here’s Paul’s description of the difference the Spirit makes:
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
We recognize spiritual realities by spiritual means. We discern spiritual truths by the Holy Spirit. Unless He aids our search, we will not comprehend God’s thoughts, words, and deeds.
And this includes the Bible.
Of course, we could make the opposite point. Without the guidance of the Bible, we won’t be able to figure out what is of the Spirit and what isn’t. How do we know when the Holy Spirit is telling us something and when it’s our own idea? Or even a temptation from evil forces?
The Word instructs us!
So we need the Spirit to understand the Word and the Word to understand the Spirit. Got it?
How do we break in, then? How do we get started?
By starting!
God’s not opposed to our desires and efforts. If we want to know the will of God, He’ll help us. If we want to grow as disciples of Jesus, the Lord will lead us.
It’s not a mistake to open up the Bible and begin reading it. Count on the Spirit who wrote the Word to explain it. But we must be patient. We need to give ourselves time to wait on the Lord. And as we do, the Word and Spirit will work together to build up our faith in Christ.
We find this principle reflected in two passages written by the apostle Paul. The first one deals with the Holy Spirit in the church.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:18-20
The second one focuses on the Word in the assembly.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. – Colossians 3:16-17
The principles and processes are the same. The only difference is whether the Spirit or the Word is leading the church. But we can infer from these passages that the Word and Spirit work in tandem. We don’t have to choose one over the other. God has given us both; why not enjoy them? For the sake of our spiritual health, we ought to! And our ministries depend on both.
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” – Acts 4:31
Could we say that prayer is a demonstration of patience? When we take the time to talk to God, we’re not “solving the problem” of understanding a verse. We’re not discerning whether a word is from the Spirit.
Instead, we’re exercising patience when we pray. And the result is a magnificent divine response. We get the Spirit and the Word and not a little bit of each! The verse above says God filled the saints with His Spirit and they spoke His Word with boldness. They got power and a positive attitude!
Learning the ways of God’s kingdom is a long journey. But we have a Map and a Guide to lead us. The more we appropriate these blessed resources, the stronger we become as disciples of Jesus. It takes time and patience, yes. So let’s encourage each other on the way!
