By Allen White
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:14-16
The Holy Spirit is not just the possession of Charismatics. You don’t have to speak in tongues to be Spirit-filled. God gives His Spirit to every believer, and then God gives spiritual gifts (charismata) to every believer as well (1 Corinthians 12:7).
In fact, according to this verse, if you do not possess the Holy Spirit, then you cannot be God’s child. Don’t worry. There aren’t any snakes involved.
Let’s put something together. Going back to yesterday’s devotional, we understand that the Holy Spirit inspired and directed the writing of the Bible. Add to that the fact that the Holy Spirit lives within every believer. This means that the same Spirit that inspired Scripture to be written lives inside you and me.
When we, as Spirit-filled people, pick up God’s Spirit-inspired Word, an amazing dynamic takes place. Sometimes it seems that words jump off of the page. Sometimes we read things that somehow we never seemed to read before, though we’ve read the passages many times. God speaks to us through His Word. But, before you get nervous about that, there is a backup.
Scholars and theologians have been writing about and interpreting the Bible for thousands of years. If we come up with something that contradicts what orthodox scholars teach, then we need to make sure that it was the Holy Spirit speaking, and not just indigestion. A quick scan of the notes in a study Bible is a great indicator of whether we’re hearing right.
The Bible was written for us. The Bible wasn’t written to us, but it was written for us. That’s why it’s good to learn about the different types of literature in the Bible and how to interpret it. This is where a BrookwoodU class could be helpful.
As you sit down with your Bible, start by praying and asking God to reveal His truth by His Spirit. Then, pay attention to what you read. What thoughts enter your mind? How do you feel about what you are reading? What do the words prompt you to do? Then, do it.
Reading the Bible is a powerful and supernatural exchange. There is no other book like it.
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