But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. John 16:13-14
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and to lead us in the Word. If you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, you can’t help but study God’s Word. I am living proof of this Truth. Studying the Word of God consumes me. Ask anyone that I ever went to school with if studying consumed me, not really, not even a little tiny bit! I wasn’t what you might say a strong student! But when I was in my mid twenties our Father took hold of me and said let’s go, and through His power and strength I never went back. I didn’t have this desire to study on my own; God gave the desire to me. I didn’t have the ability or the patience to study to show myself approved unto Him; it was the Holy Spirit within me that empowered me. I will tell you this too; thank God it was Him, because if it were up to me, I would never do it. But because it is our Father's desire for us and because we have been empowered and chosen to ask Jesus into our lives, and to give Him full permission to lead us, it’s not our will any more, it’s God’s will. We are able to study, willing to study, and eager study, we can’t help it, it’s the will of our Head.
There are so many who preach that if we just do this or that, then God will act for us. But the Truth is that we have been given the Holy Spirit of our Father to lead us, guide us, teach us, and strengthen us in all things that pertain unto life and unto godliness. So the preaching shouldn’t be about us, but about the power of our Father within us. We believe because Jesus Authors and Finishes our faith to believe. We have the hope to believe because the Holy Spirit causes us to abound in hope. We know what to ask for because the Holy Spirit teaches us and leads us in all strength. The glory is all our Fathers, it’s all because of Him, even the believing to ask. The battle is His and the victory is ours.
It is the Holy Spirit that will lead us to love others, despite what they say or do. It is our Father’s Spirit that will lead us to serve beyond human abilities. He will take us, who the world calls foolish, and use us to confound the wise. Through us the Holy Spirit will raise the dead, heal the sick, cause the blind to see, and feed the hungry. It is all His power and glory that causes us to love and forgive.
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