CHRISTIANS AND THE TRUTH | Part 2
John 16:13 – “When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come.”
Christians know that the Holy Spirit is the very Spirit of Truth the Lord Jesus mentions. The term “Truth” signifies absolute reality—that which is correct and never erroneous. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth because He is the Wisdom of God, existing as a distinct Person from the very beginning, before God created anything (Proverbs 8:22). As the Wisdom of God, the Holy Spirit possesses all knowledge; furthermore, because He inspired God’s people to write the Bible, the truths contained therein are accurate and relevant for all ages—provided Christians use them as the standard for their walk with the Lord. Moreover, since God and the Holy Spirit are unchanging, the Lord’s truth in the Bible remains constant and eternal. These truths apply not only to Christians here on earth but also to the angels and the redeemed who will enter Heaven in the future. When Christians apply the Lord’s biblical truths to discern people and events, His Word uniquely illuminates and guides us.
Let us consider the meaning of the Lord’s words in John 16:13. When Jesus spoke of the Spirit of Truth *coming*, we should pay close attention to the words “will” and “come.” Since the Holy Spirit is God and omnipresent, the word “come” in this verse signifies the Holy Spirit taking up residence in the hearts of Christians, rather than merely arriving in the world. If “come” meant arriving in the world, the entire globe would surely already know the Truth. Because this “coming” refers to the Holy Spirit dwelling within the hearts of God’s children, Jesus’ statement serves as both a promise and a truth. It is a promise because, at that time, the apostles and disciples had not yet received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)—or, more precisely. At the same time, the Holy Spirit had moved them; but He did not yet dwell in them in fullness (Matthew 16:17). It is also true because the Lord’s words are immutable and infallible.
In this statement, Jesus reveals a crucial truth: when a Christian’s life is filled with the Holy Spirit, he can understand the Bible’s truths. The word “guide” in Scripture implies “understanding.” Thus, this declaration by Jesus is both a promise—foretelling what *will* happen—and a statement of truth regarding the *result* of a life filled with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, Jesus used the phrase “all truth”—referring to the entirety of biblical truth, not just a few select truths. This helps us recognize those who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
By considering a few questions, we can grasp this concept more clearly and with greater certainty. According to Jesus’ words, can a person filled with the Holy Spirit lack an understanding of the truth? Conversely, can someone without the Holy Spirit dwelling within them fully understand all the truths of the Bible? If either scenario were true, would that not imply that Jesus’ words were incorrect? Since Jesus is God, could His words ever be empty rhetoric, inconsistent with reality? When we ask such questions, the answer becomes clear, showing that this statement by the Lord Jesus is the truth—an unchanging certainty.
In reality, some believers claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They point to evidence—such as their actions, deeds, and speech, including strange utterances—to support this claim. Yet, when asked about biblical truth or the precise meaning of key Scriptures, they are completely at a loss; they either cannot explain them at all or can only grasp the superficial meaning of the verses, unable to delve any deeper. We do not intend to criticize those who may not have an extensive understanding of the Bible. God grants illumination to each person according to their individual measure of faith, and it is valuable to recognize one’s own level of spiritual maturity (Psalm 149:4; Proverbs 3:34). However, others constantly boast of being filled with the Holy Spirit and urge others to adopt the same behaviors and speech patterns as proof of such an experience. At the same time, they themselves fail to grasp the Truth—even the most fundamental truths.
(to be continued)