Sometimes rich people employ a “personal lifestyle coach”. Today we learn about God’s lifestyle coach for the church.
Read John 16:12
When He comes
Notice the words “when He comes” in v 8 and v 13. Yesterday we learned what the Spirit will do in the world. Today we learn what He does for the church.
Leading the apostles into truth
• Why can’t Jesus just tell them everything they need to know before He leaves?
• How does Jesus connect the Spirit with Himself and with the Father?
otice that the Spirit is not a separate God. Everything He says comes equally from the Father and the Son. The words “what is yet to come” mean the implications of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection for life in the days after His ascension.
• What’s the source of all that the Spirit teaches (v 13)?
The Spirit doesn’t deliver lots of new and separate little parcels of revelation, but He shows the apostles how to unpack the one great present they have been given, who is Jesus.
...............................
PRAY THRU
The main meaning of this promise is that the Spirit led the apostles into all truth. So when their teaching was written down for us in the New Testament we may be absolutely sure it is reliable. Thank Jesus for that.
...............................
Leading us into apostolic truth
The Spirit does not lead us, as the church today, into any different truth from the truth into which He led the apostles. He leads us so that we walk in the way shown us by the apostles in the Bible.
He is not an individual lifestyle coach giving us each a hotline to heaven, from where we may expect strange revelations. He leads the Church together into the way of Jesus, which is the way of the apostles and the way of the Bible.
• What does the Spirit’s work mean for Jesus (v 14)?
• What does all we’ve seen about Him tell us about the Spirit’s humility?
...............................
PRAY THRU
Pray that the Spirit will help you understand the Bible and then live in line with Bible truth.
• Are there any truths about Jesus you particularly need the Spirit to keep bringing to your mind at the moment?
...............................
This devotional is taken from Explore—a daily Bible-reading devotional from the good book company which enables you to engage with Scripture and which will encourage, equip and inspire you to live for Christ. Explore features contributions from pastors such as Dr Timothy Keller, Mike McKinley and Tim Chester.
Click here and enter the code bstexplore57 when you check out to get the current quarter’s Explore for $5.84, a 10% discount.
Click here and enter bstexploresub when you check out to buy a year’s worth at 25% off—just $16.
Keep a record of what God is teaching you with "my bible" at biblestudytools.com
