“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” John 16:13-14

How is it that a person can truly come to know Jesus and what He has done for all by His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross and His glorious resurrection on the third day? Who teaches and reveals to us the truth of God’s Word and assures us of forgiveness and life everlasting in Christ Jesus?

It is as Luther explains (in his explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed), “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him.” And why not? Because we are by nature spiritually dead, blind and unable to comprehend the Word of the Gospel which tells us of God’s mercy and our salvation in Jesus Christ (cf. Ephesians 2:1ff.).

Luther further explains that “the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

And this is what our Lord Jesus teaches us: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

The Holy Spirit not only gave to us the Holy Scriptures by inspiration, He uses the Scriptures - the very Word of God - to teach us the truth about God’s will, our sinfulness and God’s salvation in the Son, Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who opens up the Scriptures to us, enlightens us and gives us understanding of the truth. And He glorifies the Lord Jesus, for the Scriptures testify of Him and the Holy Spirit reveals the true Christ to us through the Scriptures. He takes the things of Christ Jesus and shows them to you and to me through His Word.

As Jesus said, “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” ( John 14:26).

John also writes in his first epistle: “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things … 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” (1 John 2:20, 27).

The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus poured out upon us and all believers, reveals to us Jesus - the true Jesus of the Bible - and what He has done for us by His death upon the cross. The Holy Spirit assures us that, though we are sinners who have come far short of God’s expectations revealed to us in the law, in Christ Jesus and for the sake of His innocent sufferings and death in our stead we have forgiveness for all our sins and a place in Jesus’ everlasting heavenly kingdom.

O Spirit of the Living God, open up my heart and mind and let me understand Your Word. Show to me Jesus and all He has done for me and my salvation. And grant me faith to trust in the risen Lord Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture Quotation are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

For The Record, Pages 4 on 05/05/2010