The Holy Spirit

Think of how the Apostle Paul needed a thorn in the flesh in order to bear the knowledge he had received. 2CO 12:7 says, "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." The Holy Spirit speaks a word in season to the weary. He does not give understanding to those who have not been humbled. He does not take a man such as the Apostle Paul and exalt him to the third heaven that He might become exalted in Himself. A preparation goes with that. That is what the Lord Jesus was telling His disciples. You cannot grasp it now. You are not prepared to hear what has to be told you.

It is only the Spirit of Truth who can guide us through these trials and keep us in all Truth. Paul said he would glory in tribulations, that Christ might be glorified. That is not of the flesh.

The Holy Spirit's title of the Spirit of Truth reveals His qualifications to guide the flock of Christ because of His absolute incapacity of error. The Holy Spirit is incapable of error, and that is why He is so fully qualified to guide. He knows every thought and intent of our hearts. 1JO 4:4-6, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." The language of the world is all that which is walking by sight, but the language of those who are of God is walking by faith, walking by knowledge obtained by the Holy Spirit.

Two spirits are in the world-the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error. A lying spirit leads the spiritually blind. Look at MAT 15:14, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." He is talking of blind leaders who have not received spiritual insight. These blind leaders had made a philosophy, a private interpretation, and they had come up with so many commandments of men that they made the Word of God of none effect. If such a person is a spiritual leader, what is his sense of direction? Is it the Word of God?

The Spirit of Truth cannot be separated from the written Word. Christ the Incarnate Word is also called the Truth. JOH 17:17 says, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." The witness of truth is in the Word of God, and if it is not in the Word, it is not of the Spirit. I hear so many people say that God told them something. I ask them what verse that is from and they reply, Oh no, I was just looking out the window and God spoke to me and He said some thing that was contrary with Scripture. The Spirit of Truth is the Word of God, and if it does not abide in the Word of God it is a deceiving spirit.