PLANTED TRUTH
<><
"The Counselor, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name." (John 14:26 NIV)
<><
The Holy Spirit would be sent by both the Father and the Son
(see also 15:26).
In my name means that the Spirit comes in the Son's name, the name of
Jesus Christ, and thereby brings the Son's presence to the disciples. As Jesus
represented the Father, the Spirit represents the Son.
"Will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all things that I said to you." NKJV The Spirit
would continue, for Jesus, the ministry of teaching. The Spirit would also
remind the disciples of what Jesus had taught. The apostles remembered and
wrote with the help of the Spirit. John's Gospel, even the entire New
Testament, would not exist if not for this reminding work of the Holy Spirit.
In the case of the disciples, the reminding role of the Holy
Spirit uniquely guided the recording of the New Testament. However, the process
is still in place. The disciples first heard Jesus speak; we discover Jesus'
words in Scripture. Reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, and obeying
place Christ's words firmly inside us, and the Holy Spirit reminds us of their
further application as we move through life.
Theologians use the term illumination to describe the
Holy Spirit's process of helping believers understand Scripture. Without God,
sinful people are unable to recognize and obey divine truths. When a person is
reborn, the Holy Spirit helps the person to see God's Word with the eyes of
faith and love. The Holy Spirit also works in the life of the believer,
convincing him of the truth of the Bible, keeping him from misconstruing what
it really says, and helping him not be distracted so he can see and remember
the true meaning of God's Word.
<><
LIFE
APPLICATION: PLANTED TRUTH
Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would help
them remember what he had been teaching them. This promise ensures the validity
of the New Testament. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus' life and
teachings; the Holy Spirit helped them remember without taking away their
individual perspectives. We can be confident that the Gospels accurately record
what Jesus taught and did (see 1 Corinthians
2:10-14). The Holy Spirit can help us in the same way. As we study the
Bible, we can trust the Holy Spirit to plant truth in our minds, convince us of
God's will, and remind us when we stray from it.
<><
Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary
– John, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book,
300-301.
"Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to
build theirs."
No comments:
Post a Comment