God Speaks Through the Bible

Memory verse: He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. (John 8:47)

The Bible is God’s Word. It describes God’s complete revelation of Himself to human­ity. God speaks to you through the Bible. As you have already learned, however, a person cannot understand spiritual truth unless the Spirit of God reveals it. The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17). When the Holy Spirit reveals a spiritual truth from God’s Word, He is personally applying it to your life. That is an encounter with God. This is the sequence:

  • You read God’s Word: The Bible

  • The Spirit of truth takes God’s Word and reveals truth

  • You adjust your life to God’s truth

  • You obey God

  • God works in and through you to accomplish His purposes

The Spirit uses God’s Word to reveal God and His purposes. The Spirit uses God’s Word to instruct us in the ways of God. We cannot understand God’s truths on our own. Unaided by the Spirit of God, it will appear to be foolishness to us. Aided by the Spirit, we can understand all things.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one (1 Corinthians 2:14-15) 

What particular verse has God highlighted for you during this study? Answer the following questions regarding that verse:

  1. What does the verse reveal to you about God and His ways?

  2. What does God want to do or be in and through your life?

  3. What adjustments would you have to make to align your life with this truth?

    • Personal life?

    • Family life?

    • Church life?

    • Work life?

  4. Pray a prayer of response to God about this truth and its application to your life

Understanding spiritual truth does not lead you to an encounter with God; it is the encounter with God. You cannot understand God’s purpose and ways unless the Spirit of God teaches you. If God has revealed spiritual truth to you through this passage of Scripture, you have encountered God Himself working in you!