The Spirit and the Word

The Spirit and the word go together. Both are needed. You should not emphasize one to the exclusion of the other. Some may say “We don’t need the word because we have the Spirit to guide us.” They rely on subjective experiences, mysticism, and intuition. It is unwise to rely on your feelings alone because you can feel that something is true and have it be partly or entirely untrue. Others may say, “We don’t need the Spirit because we have the word to guide us.” They rely on will power and self-determination. It is unwise to rely on the word without the Spirit because it is impossible to understand the mind of Christ without the Spirit of God. Don’t reduce your faith to a mechanical, orthodox, perfunctory performance of the word. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. The Spirit interprets the word. He illuminates the word in your mind. You should never come to the Bible without asking God to open your eyes and teach you. How does God do this? He accomplishes this by his Spirit. So study the word and rely on the Spirit to help you understand and empower you to obey.