The Holy Spirit of Truth (Part 3)

The Holy Spirit (Part 3)

The Spirit of Truth

When we become followers of Jesus Christ, it is Jesus himself who asks God the Father to send the person of the Holy Spirit to prepare our way to eternal life. We have become a servant to the person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls Him the Helper, the Comforter, and the Spirit of Truth. We have not become servant to a concept, idea, or some impersonal force, but a living person. The Spirit is the one who led Jesus to victory over death. If we serve the Spirit, He will also train and lead us to the way of eternal life. This relationship with the Holy Spirit is the promise of our great hope to eternally dwell and grow in God’s community of love.

Who is our great master and trainer and how can I increasingly become more sensitive to His needs? As we grow in our understanding of the Holy Spirit’s person we become more “in tune” to His voice and His current wishes. He is “The Spirit of Truth.” As we begin to understand the measure and depth of His truth, we become better servants who are able to perform their duties with a whole and healthy spiritual heart. As the Holy Spirit fills the heart, the chamber of belief is filled with the presence of eternal truth. The chamber of belief supports the heart’s chambers of courage, humility, and compassion as they mutually support belief. This truth is essential to serve well, to love well on earth as in heaven.

The definition of truth has caused much debate between many philosophers and theologians. With most of these men and women, “the truth” speaks of that which is real or at least perceived as real. What constitutes “real” seems to be in the center of many of the debates. Much of reality, or what is true, is seemingly in the eye of the beholder. The reality, “the truth,” which we will focus on, is as displayed in the Bible. The Bible is about the relationship between God and man. God is spirit; therefore, it is the reality of God’s spirit and our spirit that is our focus. It is spiritual reality that gives real meaning to the life we live. Jesus Christ lived and taught about the spiritual reality of eternal truth. In John 1:17 the Bible states, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The following are four key aspects that describe the truth as taught in the Bible and displayed by Jesus. Biblical truth is:

Eternal

Living

Foundational

Sanctifying

These four aspects of biblical truth are displayed in the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is truth incarnate. Jesus served the Holy Spirit in truth, not independently by his own power, but through obedience to and with the power given to him by the Holy Spirit. Each of these following aspects of biblical truth is reflected in the life and words of Jesus:

This truth is eternal. Eternity is the unseen infinite place beyond the boundaries of time and space. From this place of infinite potentiality, there is only one expression that brings the living light of truth. God is the living light dwelling in the midst of the dark void of the formless and endless possibility that is eternity. Eternity is His home. It is the lens that He sees through and it is the reality that affects the course of His will. There are no surprises with God. Past, present and future time all exist as now to God. He peers into the seeming endless universe of time and space and sees the smallness of its boundary amidst eternity. It is as if God was looking into an hourglass seeing each moment as a grain of sand interacting and flowing from one side of the hourglass (future) to the other side (past). All the choices made, being made, and yet to be made are ever present before His eyes.

Within this eternal, living, and singular expression of truth resides three beings dwelling together in perfect unity. This Holy Trinity is comprised of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are “The One” possibility united in eternity, the Separate (Holy) God of the Bible who personifies and solely expresses eternal truth. When the boundaries of time and space are no more and its contents melt away into eternity, the Holy God dwelling in unity of truth will remain.

Jesus said, “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” By God’s design, each person’s individual spirit is able to survive within eternity. Day by day, each spirit is marked with change. These changes will also remain and survive in eternity. Because God is a single living expression within eternity, it is a narrow way that leads to God. Whether each person’s spirit will remain eternally alone (separate) in the darkness of their own singular expression or be eternally bound to the Holy God of truth is a choice that is before each of us.

The eternal truth of God reflects the reality of eternity. Other truths (beliefs) limited by the boundary of space and time are truisms. Truisms whither and die in the atmosphere of eternity, but the truth Jesus lived by and spoke of is the expression of eternal truth. This was proven by His resurrection from the dead. This truth born of God is more than mere truisms as belief is more than the mere understanding of facts. The truth from the Holy Spirit always has a grasp on the unseen reality of eternity. Truisms speak and consider the visible realities. Living only by what we see is what the Bible calls living by the flesh. Only by the Holy Spirit can we grasp eternal truth that is relevant and in context to what God is doing now for the sake of eternity. This work is unseen and is called living by faith. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Cor 4:17, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” While God speaks truth that brings eternity (the unseen) into focus, the devil will often come at us with truisms that bring the flesh (self) into focus. “You will not die” (Gen 3:4) was a truism when the devil spoke to Eve and her body did not “die” (what was seen) the moment she sinned. However, at that moment, she did die to the inclusive life of the eternal creator God (what was unseen). Adam followed in sin shortly thereafter. The truth was that they were now outside the life (will) of God. They were “dead” to God.

Jesus was constantly confronted with truisms. From the very beginning of His ministry he was tested by them. He was sent into the desert by the Holy Spirit and tempted with truisms. The fact that the truisms Jesus faced came from the Bible should unsettle and warn us. It is a reminder that the Bible is a book of life affirming power (the unseen) that is released by the Holy Spirit, and is a book of religious profundity (the seen) that can be used like a snare by the flesh, the world, the evil one. It is not that the devil spoke obvious lies to Jesus in the desert; the devil spoke truisms (facts) out of the Bible and also reiterated a fact that came from the very voice of God. These mere (biblical) facts (truisms) in the context of Jesus’ then current trial had nothing to do (and everything to do) with eternal consequence. Jesus, by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, spoke truth back to the devil. The words that Jesus spoke were rooted in eternity (the unseen) and represented life lived in the reality of eternity (truth). Jesus’ life would be lived by the rule of truth (eternal consequence) because He served the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus, to have a life that grasps and affects eternity, we too must learn to live by the voice of the Holy Spirit.

This truth is living. The Holy Spirit is the living personification of truth. Jesus describes and gives title to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of Truth” in the Bible three times (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13). Truth is not a dead lifeless rule to God, it brings eternal life to the spirit of man. The word of God (truth) is “living and active” according to the writer of Hebrews (Heb 4:12). In the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15), the word is likened to a seed that grows in the heart and bears fruit. Words (truth) from the Holy Spirit are like seed from the mother plant. Each seed is full of life (pregnant) in itself because it has been given life from its mother. In John 8:31-32 Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” To “know the truth,” is not purely the same as knowledge of facts. In the Bible, this word “know” can refer to intimacy of person and understanding. Intimacy with living truth produces “fruit” from the relationship (Luke 8:15, Gal 6:22-26). The bearing of fruit is the consummate result of a personal and intimate relationship with the living personification of truth, the Holy Spirit (John 14:17). As followers of Jesus, the common relationship with the Spirit of Truth is the “glue” that binds us together and makes us a community of Jesus’ disciples. Together, by guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are actively growing in unity by the way of truth and not by self-centric determination.

This truth is foundational. Because this truth is eternal and grounded in the person of the Holy Spirit (God), this truth is the foundational rock that eternal life is built upon. This is not a mushy truth (sand) (Matt 7:24-27). Eternal (biblical) truth is the real and solid foundation that the church (God’s family) is built upon (Matt 16:17-18). Within the believer the spiritual heart is where this foundation is laid, because it is the place the Holy Spirit renews and resides (Ezk 36:26-27). The heart is the ground where these truths are planted and tested (Luke 8:11-15). God participates in testing the foundations of the heart (Jer 11.20, 1 Chron 29:17, 1 Thes 2:4). He wants us to be ready when we are laid down like a “living stone,” as said in 1 Peter 2:4, and set with the foundational cornerstone of Jesus Christ. The foundations of our hearts are tested and refined by God in the furnace of affliction (1Pet 1:6-7, Isa 48:10, Zec 13:9). His desire (delight) is that we have truth in our innermost being (Psalms 51:6). Our suffering through these tests confirms the foundations of eternal truth in our hearts. When God asks us to sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel, it is eternity that elevates our temporal momentary suffering and gives it true meaning. At that moment, the truth is baptizing us in holy fire. Therefore, we become more like Christ as fellow servants in His suffering, His service, and His glory to come (1 Pet 4:12-13).

This truth is sanctifying. The successful testing of our foundations is the result of a process called sanctification. It is the means by which we become holy or set apart. As we go through this process, we begin to “stand out” from the rest of the world. In Hebrews 12:29, the Bible calls holy God “a consuming fire.” God’s fire has two distinct properties. The first is light. Truth brings separation as light defines form and color from shadow and darkness. God is light (John 17:17, 1 John 1:5) and this light dispels all that is false and reveals all that is real and true. We choose to be either exposed by His truth or hide from it. As we choose to be more illuminated by the light of God’s truth we become increasingly free from the lies and overwhelming darkness of sin. Like a two- edged sword, this light shines both ways (Heb 4:12). With laser-like ability, it is able to illuminate, pierce, separate, and discern through all the layers of the human heart of both wielder and recipient. Not a single thought or intent of the heart is hidden from this living illuminating truth.

As we get closer to the light, we begin to feel the effects of the second form that fire takes, which is heat. Holy truth not only defines darkness from light it also tests the enduring qualities of what is revealed and treasured in eternity. These “tests” can be from the flesh, the world, Satan, or God Himself. As we feel the heat, these tests strengthen and build up the heart chamber of intent. It is courage (patient endurance) that is developed as we press into truth. For me, and I hope for you, I pray that that our work be tested sooner than later. In 1 Cor 3:11-15, the bible says the final test will be in eternity. All the attitudes and work of our lives will be tested. The sooner we know whether or not our hearts pursue eternal treasure, the better we can devote ourselves to that pursuit. (Matt 6:19-21).

As relationship (identification) with truth grows, believers become increasingly sanctified (John 17:17). The act of separation is an inevitable process for those who follow the Holy Spirit. It is this separation that allows us to be in the world and not of the world, as Jesus instructs (John 15:19) and prays (John 17:14-17). As such, we are led into the world to serve it not by might nor by strength, but by the Holy Spirit.

These eternal, living, foundational, and sanctifying aspects express a single eternal truth that is at work in the hearts of those who follow Jesus. This truth is the single unifying framework of all of the hearts that follow Jesus and bind us together as family. However, within the bounds of that connection there are very many individuals. The brilliant light of truth refracts uniquely in each sanctified heart and creates its own individual signature response. This is not a bad or evil result, but a unique multicolor response manifested within the bounds of truth. As the Holy Spirit works with each individual, we will see Him as the coach, the encourager, “The Comforter,” as He leads each of us in our individual journeys. As Jesus came in grace and truth, we will next talk about the multicolored grace of the Holy Spirit.

Peace,

DF Cutler