Spirit of God My Teacher Be Showing the Things of Christ to Me (Eph. 1:17,18)
Illustration: I remember walking to church one winter evening to preach on the words, "He will glorify me" (John 16:14), seeing the building floodlit as I turned a corner, and realizing that this was exactly the illustration my message needed. When floodlighting is well done, the floodlights are placed so that you do not see them; in fact, you are not supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you can see it properly. This perfectly illustrated the Spirit’s new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior.
1. The Holy Spirit teaches us by enlightening the mind of the simple, ignorant and naive who are not fully aware of the gaps that exist between their professing ideals and their living realities. Paul wrote, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he called you." (Eph. 1:17,18)
Illustration: Any of us more than twenty-five years old can probably remember where we were when we first heard of President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.
British novelist David Lodge, in the introduction to one of his books, tells where he was--in a theater watching the performance of a satirical revue he had helped write. In one sketch, a character demonstrated his nonchalance in an interview by holding a transistor radio to his ear. The actor playing the part always tuned in to a real broadcast. Suddenly came the announcement that President Kennedy had been shot. The actor quickly switched it off, but it was too late. Reality had interrupted stage comedy. For many believers, worship, prayer, and Scripture are a nonchalant charade. They don’t expect anything significant to happen, but suddenly God’s reality breaks through, and they’re shocked.
Brian Powley.
Application: Ask the Lord to let you become more teachable so that you will not error on the side of being too simple, ignorant or naive or your responsibilities to grow up into all ASPECTS in Christ.
2. The Holy Spirit reveals hidden things as He did to Simeon that others may not understand at their level of spiritual maturity. Dr. Luke wrote,
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout... It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." (Luke 2:25-28)
Application: Ask the Lord to reveal hidden things that will allow you to broaden, lengthen and deepen the quality and quantity of your ministries.
3. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins by pointing out areas in our life where we are not living up to Christ’s standards of commitment. Jesus said, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, but do not do the things that I say?" (Luke 6:46)
Quote: Charles Ryrie, a famous teacher from Dallas Seminary said, "God’s glory is His reputation. To live for God’s glory means to live so that God’s reputation is enhanced (heightened in quantity and quality) and not diminished in any way."
Application: Ask the Lord to help you to be more responsive to the ways that the Spirit convicts you of the inconsistencies between the ideals that you profess and the reality of your lifestyle, relationships and attitudes.
4. The Holy Spirit is the only one who is capable of giving people complete, broad and deep understanding of truth without any equivocation. Paul wrote, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him - but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit." (I Cor. 2:9,10)
Application: Ask the Lord to show you what is necessary for you to fully obey and conform to the image of Christ emotionally, socially, mentally, interpersonally, spiritually and in your ministries.
5. The Holy Spirit gives His anointing as a direct result of our surrender to the Lord’s controls. Paul wrote, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature...Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Gal. 5:16,24)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you completely surrender your whole heart, soul, mind and strength to the love of Christ.
6. The Holy Spirit purifies away the worthless aspects of our lives that cannot stand up to test of the fires of God’s purifying methods. Malachi wrote, "For the Lord will be like a refiner’s fire. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." (Malachi 3:2,3)
Application: Ask the Lord to purify your conscience enabling you to serve him with pure motives of love from a pure heart.
7. The Holy Spirit shows us how and when and with whom we should obey God. Dr. Luke wrote, "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road - the desert road - that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch...The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay with it." (Acts 8:26-29)
Application: Ask the Lord to specifically guide you in how, when and with whom you should obey God’s directives.
8. The Holy Spirit quickens the understanding of all aspects of a person’s mind, will and emotions enabling them to see how they can mature in Christ. Isaiah wrote, "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears. But with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth." (Isa. 11:2-4)
Application; Ask the Lord to quicken your understanding in all aspects of your mind, will and emotions as He did for the Lord Jesus.
9. The Holy Spirit reveals truths to us when we pray and study the scriptures. Solomon wrote, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insights. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." (Prov. 3:5,6)
Application; Ask the Lord to reveal truths for each day as you pray and study.
10. The Holy Spirit is all sufficient for whatever known or unknown need we are facing. Jesus said, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you... All this I have told you so that you will not go astray." (John 14:26; 16:1)
Application: Ask the Lord to be your great sufficiency for all of your overt and covert insufficiencies, weaknesses and sins of omission.
Conclusion: Gordon Brownville’s Symbols of the Holy Spirit tells about the great Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first to discover the magnetic meridian of the North Pole and to discover the South Pole. On one of his trips, Amundsen took a homing pigeon with him. When he had finally reached the top of the world, he opened the bird’s cage and set it free. Imagine the delight of Amundsen’s wife, back in Norway, when she looked up from the doorway of her home and saw the pigeon circling in the sky above. No doubt she exclaimed, "He’s alive! My husband is still alive!"
So it was when Jesus ascended. He was gone, but the disciples clung to his promise to send them the Holy Spirit. What joy, then, when the dovelike Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. The disciples had with them the continual reminder that Jesus was alive and victorious at the right of the Father. This continues to be the Spirit’s message.
Thomas Lindberg.
Song: 1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.
2. Let me at thy throne of mercy
find a sweet relief,
kneeling there in deep contrition;
help my unbelief.
(Refrain)
3. Trusting only in thy merit,
would I seek thy face;
heal my wounded, broken spirit,
save me by thy grace.
(Refrain)
4. Thou the spring of all my comfort,
more than life to me,
whom have I on earth beside thee?
Whom in heaven but thee?
(Refrain)
