Yesterday I came across a wonderful blog post titled “Don’t Quench the Spirit.” I found it by following a link in a comment on one of my favorite blogs, Deb’s Blog. (I love the connections among Christians in the blog world, and this is just one example).
Anyway, this blog post reminded me of one of my favorite passages of scripture. It is part of all the wonderful things Jesus said to His disciples leading up to the Passover. Jesus teaches many important truths to the disciples during these final days, but without this one thing the rest might have been lost long ago. Jesus said,
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:25-27 (NIV).
What an awesome gift! Because Jesus returned to Heaven after the resurrection, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to live in the hearts of all believers, beginning with the original disciples. His Spirit reminded John, Mark, and Matthew of all that Jesus had taught so that they could record it for us in the Gospels.
His Spirit will also teach us what we need to know about God and will remind us of everything Jesus has taught us. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit brings a peace that the world cannot provide or understand.
But how will the Holy Spirit remind the believer of everything that Jesus taught? One can only be reminded of truth that one has previously encountered. The disciples were actually with Jesus and so were reminded of what they had heard Him say to all of them and His teachings to the crowds. But the believer today does not have that opportunity. But we do have the next best thing; we have the accounts of the disciples. So the believer today must spend time in God’s Word, must learn what Jesus taught by reading the Bible; then the Holy Spirit will be able to bring to mind whatever teaching is needed in a particular circumstance.
So how much material does the Holy Spirit have to work with in your life? Have you studied God’s Word so that when a question arises He can remind you of the truth from the very source of Truth? Have you developed a regular habit of reading your Bible? Have you ever read the entire Bible from cover to cover so that the Holy Spirit has the maximum amount of information to remind you of?
Maybe you haven’t in the past, but it’s never too late to ask God for the answers you need. It’s never too late to allow the Holy Spirit to bring the peace of Jesus into your life. Pick up your Bible today and start listening to the lessons Jesus has for you. If you don’t have a Bible of your own or can’t afford one, you can always go to Biblegateway, a free online Bible resource. Then be ready for the Holy Spirit reminders from God.