“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13, NIV84)

Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians that spiritual truths are spiritually discerned. He tells us that natural man cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised. This is important for us to understand and remember when we are trying to witness to the world around us. What seems rational and logical to us (because we have the Holy Spirit in our lives) may not seem rational and logical to the non-Christian to whom we are trying to witness. As Jesus says in the verse above, the Holy Spirit alone can guide us into truth.

What this should be telling us is that our encounters with non-Christians should not appear to be an argument or a debate. From our perspective, we should be praying that our words are being used by the Holy Spirit, and that He is using His power to penetrate and persuade. We absolutely need to be engaged in the process. We need to be prepared to give an answer. We must be fervent students of the Word of God. But we must always remember that this is a spiritual (not cerebral) process. This is more a process within the heart and soul of an individual than it is a process within the brain. The brain is certainly involved in the process, but without the Holy Spirit’s assistance our discussions would simply end up as debates and arguments.

Today we should find comfort and peace in knowing that our witness to the world around us is not dependent upon our persuasive ability but on the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church