The Holy Spirit's job is to bring the family of God into maturity and into one accord. As long as man is operating in the religious teachings we've all learned throughout the years (and not all of it is wrong), we will differ in our opinions and not come into the unity the Father desires for our lives. Man's ideas about what the Word says and the Holy Spirit's teaching of the Word, are not always the same. We get caught up in our own ideas even today, just like the Scribes and Pharisees did when Jesus walked among them in the flesh.
God's idea and purpose for the main theme of the Holy Spirit's ministry was to teach men by their spirit and not by their flesh. Men in the old covenant weren't and could not be taught by their spirit, because they weren't born again of the Spirit. Jesus told Nicodemus that, "He must be born again of the spirit." When man was spiritually dead, God dealt with them from the outside in and not from the inside out. Their concept of God was one must simply follow the Law and avoid the penalty of sin. Our concept is that sin is now dealt with by Jesus and we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. There is no more sacrifice needed or accepted by the Father for sin. Jesus accomplished it all.
Now, we come to the crux of the matter for the Church, which is how do we learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit? 2Timothy 3:16-17 (Amplified) says, "Every scripture is God breathed (given by His inspiration) and is not profitable for instruction, for reproof, and conviction of sin, for correction of error, and discipline in obedience (and) for training in righteousness (in) (holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action)." Verse 17 says, "So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
The phrase "God breathed" reminds me of Genesis 2:7 (Amplified) which says, "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or Spirit of life, and man became a living being." God's breath is the Holy Spirit of Life. When His Word is now "God breathed," it is Spirit and it is life. Jesus said as much in John 6:63 (Amplified) where He said, "It is the Spirit Who gives life (He is the life-giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and life."
We have come up with many different truths about what the Word of God is really saying, because we haven't always been led by the Holy Spirit. This has been one of the main ways satan uses to keep the Church from coming into the unity we are supposed to be operating in. Remember that the "flesh profits nothing." All of the things of the flesh we have learned over the years, are now being shaken and tested.
It's up to the individual Christian to hear the Holy Spirit for himself. We can have anointed preaching and still miss the truth of what is being said, unless we allow the Holy Spirit to illuminated it in our heart. I cannot recall anyone who spoke the Word with more anointing, than Jesus. There were those who heard what Jesus said, but "Their hearts (spirits) were hardened and they would not hear."
Many man made doctrines have grown from the Church over the last two thousand years, some of which were Spirit and some were flesh. This doesn't mean we're to be the "Lone Ranger" type Christian who believes we singularly have the truth. If you believe that, then you're not being led by the Spirit either. Each of us might have a portion of the truth to share with another believer. This is how the truth will come.
The devil will keep us fighting with one another over who has the truth. Truthfully, none of us has the "whole" truth, but we have the Spirit of truth. There are some things we've always held onto that we might need to let go of. There are also some things we haven't wanted to believe that we must embrace, as the Holy Spirit reveals them to us.
Most of what the Holy Spirit will teach us, are about Himself. The Gifts of the Spirit have been dismissed by many believers. The Holy Spirit must reveal Himself once again to the Church, in order to restore His position as our Teacher. There are many man made doctrines today that deny His ministry and His power to operate in our lives. Some have even ridiculed healing and speaking in tongues and even miracles and prophecies from God to the Church.
It seems unthinkable that the Teacher of the Church has had to take a backseat to man made religions. Mostly, we've clung to the old covenant rather than the new covenant. John speaks from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 1John 2:20 (Amplified) saying, "But you have been anointed by (You hold a sacred appointment from, you have been given an unction from) the Holy One, and you all know (the truth) or you know all things."
If you are born again by the Spirit of Truth, then the Truth Giver is now in your spirit. All the truth is now in you. It's not something you must "get," but something you must allow to be brought out. That's what revelation knowledge is, something that is already there, but must be revealed. You can place a tarp over a statue so that no one can see the statue, but once you remove the tarp you can see the statue. The statue wasn't just placed there, it was already there, but the tarp covered it.
Our man made religions and the blindness of the world has "pulled the wool over our eyes" like that tarp and prevented our seeing what has been there all along. It the Spirit of Truth is in you, then all truth is already there.
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