What happens when a pastor doesn't have the answer—and chooses not to fake it? A reflection on humility, the Holy Spirit, and the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing him.
What if someone asked me how to get a closer relationship with God? I would simply say, confess your deepest fear and/or shame to God each day, even if it's the same one most days and ask Him what do you want me to know about this fear/shame today. Then Listen. That's all. If you don't know how to discern God's voice then I'd pour myself into learning to discern His voice because only the Spirit can guide you into all truth. There's not much use in reading the Bible without God telling you what it means.
God bless you brother!... Now I'm gonna finish reading the rest of your article💛😋
Very helpful and practical article but also deeply challenging for me!
I do not know how many times I have used intellectual knowledge to talk about spiritual truths with my wife, my children and other people without really having revelation at the moment nor waiting on God for His answer …
Thank you for pointing us back to waiting on God in such practical manners!
He's still our filter.. We can easily misinterpret all the goodness of God. Sadly that's what happened to me until I turned 37. I was raised Christian but my filter had been so skewed by the enemy. I didn't even believe God would speak to little ol me. It's so wonderful now to know that we walk together and I can ask for HIS wisdom, HIS interpretation!!!
Great question! Reminds me of when John writes, “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” (1 John 2:27)
Then he goes on with teaching them in the rest of the letter! LOL. It seems like a contradiction, but it clearly wasn’t to them.
The reason we still need human teachers is because God intends to use the Body of Christ to build each of us up. In the case of human teachers, he intends to use human teachers to help teach us. If we see this for what it is, then we’ll recognize that the gift inside them is actually the Holy Spirit teaching us. Even if I receive understanding through the teaching of another person, it wasn’t actually that person who taught me, but the Holy Spirit inside them (and inside me). The person planted the seed, and God gave the growth.
At the heart of your question, I think, is how the Holy Spirit works. If we make up our minds to learn from him, we should open ourselves up to every means by which he desires to teach us. But as I alluded to in my article, we should try to discern whether we’re merely grasping something intellectually or the Holy Spirit has actually open the eyes of our heart and given us true revelation.
I hope I’m helping to answer your question, but if not, please feel free to push back or ask for more clarity. I’m happy to wrestle through this more with you!
What if someone asked me how to get a closer relationship with God? I would simply say, confess your deepest fear and/or shame to God each day, even if it's the same one most days and ask Him what do you want me to know about this fear/shame today. Then Listen. That's all. If you don't know how to discern God's voice then I'd pour myself into learning to discern His voice because only the Spirit can guide you into all truth. There's not much use in reading the Bible without God telling you what it means.
God bless you brother!... Now I'm gonna finish reading the rest of your article💛😋
Amen! God bless you, too, Jadra!
Very helpful and practical article but also deeply challenging for me!
I do not know how many times I have used intellectual knowledge to talk about spiritual truths with my wife, my children and other people without really having revelation at the moment nor waiting on God for His answer …
Thank you for pointing us back to waiting on God in such practical manners!
Amen, brother!
He's still our filter.. We can easily misinterpret all the goodness of God. Sadly that's what happened to me until I turned 37. I was raised Christian but my filter had been so skewed by the enemy. I didn't even believe God would speak to little ol me. It's so wonderful now to know that we walk together and I can ask for HIS wisdom, HIS interpretation!!!
So if The Holy Spirit will lead us into "all truth" why do we need teachers or even Paul and all the other apostles?
Great question! Reminds me of when John writes, “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” (1 John 2:27)
Then he goes on with teaching them in the rest of the letter! LOL. It seems like a contradiction, but it clearly wasn’t to them.
The reason we still need human teachers is because God intends to use the Body of Christ to build each of us up. In the case of human teachers, he intends to use human teachers to help teach us. If we see this for what it is, then we’ll recognize that the gift inside them is actually the Holy Spirit teaching us. Even if I receive understanding through the teaching of another person, it wasn’t actually that person who taught me, but the Holy Spirit inside them (and inside me). The person planted the seed, and God gave the growth.
At the heart of your question, I think, is how the Holy Spirit works. If we make up our minds to learn from him, we should open ourselves up to every means by which he desires to teach us. But as I alluded to in my article, we should try to discern whether we’re merely grasping something intellectually or the Holy Spirit has actually open the eyes of our heart and given us true revelation.
I hope I’m helping to answer your question, but if not, please feel free to push back or ask for more clarity. I’m happy to wrestle through this more with you!
So GOOD Jacob! Amen Amen!!