For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
(1 Corinthians 2:10-13, NASB)
When I started my ministry seven years ago, I wrote the following statement of faith:
~I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—one God in three Persons.
~I believe that God the Father created heavens and earth and all that’s in them; that God the Son—Jesus—died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin and rose three days later; and that God the Holy Spirit dwells within each one who accepts the free gift of salvation and eternal life.
~I believe that salvation comes only through the belief in and acceptance of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
~I believe the Bible is God’s word given to us through the pens of men. It is inerrant in its original text and is God’s truth.
~I believe that those who choose to follow Jesus will spend eternity with Him in heaven, and those who do not will spend eternal life separated from Him.
~I believe we are to grow in our faith through continued study and meditation on God’s word.
~I believe that God has uniquely gifted each of His children, and that we are to use those gifts to serve and glorify Him, serve each other, and ultimately grow His kingdom.
The very first statement deals with a concept called the “Trinity,” and one Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit who indwells each of us who has accepted the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God the Son.
It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates the Scriptures for us. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand biblical truth. And it is the Holy Spirit who reveals the wisdom of God, “combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
If you want to understand the Bible and its truths, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal that truth to you. Ask, as Samuel did, centuries ago, “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant is listening …” (1 Samuel 3:10).
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