The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity, which means He is God. He is the One who helped guide each of the writers of the Bible (2 Peter 1:21). Therefore, the Bible is ultimately the true Word of God, written by various writers over time, who were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Since God is the author of the Bible, does the Holy Spirit speak through the Bible?
The Living Word
The Bible is the Living Word of God. The author of the Book of Hebrews says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Since the Bible is living and active, we can know the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Bible. From the moment of salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit.
He automatically indwells believers at the time of salvation, and He will never leave. Unlike the temporary indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is permanent.
Since we have the indwelling Holy Spirit in us as believers, He is able to speak to us when we read the Bible. Have you ever noticed the comfort or conviction you experience during your Bible reading?
This is because of the Holy Spirit speaking to you. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Bible to direct, guide, and instruct us.
The Apostle Paul tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Bible is our ultimate guidebook for life and the right way to live, serve, and obey God. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is our guide. He will instruct, guide, and convict us through our Bible reading and in our daily life.
We need to be careful to listen to His soft voice and His gentle instruction. If we consistently refuse the direction of the Holy Spirit, we will become calloused to His guidance in our lives.
This is a dangerous business to adhere to as it can rationalize a great deal of sin in our life. In our own walk with the Lord, we need to ensure we never grieve the Holy Spirit, nor should we ever push Him away.
The Holy Spirit is our friend, and He loves us. He truly knows what is best for us. Since the Holy Spirit loves us, He will only point us in the right direction that is in conformity with His Will.
The Holy Spirit would never guide us or instruct us into something that is not biblical. In other words, the Holy Spirit only leads us in the way of light, goodness, and truth. He will speak truth into our lives through the living Word of God.
Listening to the Holy Spirit
While the Holy Spirit can speak to us through other trusted believers, sermons, Christian books, and Christian music, the Holy Spirit’s main way of communicating to us is speaking to us through the Bible.
If you are having trouble hearing Him, there are a few things you can do to hear Him better. The first thing you can do to better hear the Holy Spirit in your Bible reading is to pray for God’s help.
Pray and ask God to help you hear the Holy Spirit better. The Lord will answer your prayer and help you to hear the soft words of the Holy Spirit.
The second thing you can do is to become more active in your Bible reading. The Holy Spirit cannot speak to you through the Bible unless you are actively reading the Bible.
Try to read a passage, a chapter, or a book of the Bible. Read it carefully and be open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Try your best not to rush as it can impair your understanding of the scriptures. Instead, try to take it slow and listen to what the Holy Spirit is teaching you. He will help instruct you, yet you have to be open to listening to Him.
Sadly, due to the constant information being thrown at us each day, it can be hard to be still and sit at the feet of Jesus. Even though it is difficult, we need to train ourselves to be still before the Lord. The Holy Spirit speaks to us softly and convicts us in our hearts.
If we are rushing through our Bible reading, we will not be able to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s instruction. Take your time in your Bible reading and ask the Holy Spirit to help you see what He wants you to see. He will help you and guide you in the way you need to go.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Bible, yet we have to listen to Him. We should not grieve him, nor should we ignore His conviction. Listening to the Holy Spirit can be difficult, yet with more practice, it will be easier to discern His voice.
Similar to knowing a person, we can only come to know their voice if we spend time with them; we cannot discern the Holy Spirit’s voice if we don’t spend time with Him in prayer and reading His Word.
It is vitally important to listen to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit as He can help us live the life God wants us to live. If we live in conformity with the sinful nature rather than the instruction of the Holy Spirit, we will be led astray.
Paul tells us, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” (Galatians 5:17).
The Spirit inside of us is constantly at odds with the sinful flesh. As believers, we have to choose whether we are going to follow the sinful flesh or the Holy Spirit.
The sinful flesh is hard to fight against, yet God can help us. Each member of the Trinity can help us in our battle against the flesh. The Holy Spirit helps convict us against the sinful flesh as we as He urges us to follow His guidance.
What Does This Mean?
The Holy Spirit helps us cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). The more we cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our daily life, the better we will become at walking in the Spirit.
However, it should be noted that we cannot cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our life without the working of the Holy Spirit.
Thus, the Holy Spirit does speak to us through the Bible. The Bible is His main way of communicating to us in the modern day.
The Holy Spirit guides, directs, and instructs us in the way we should go. Take your time every day when you open the Bible and be willing to listen to His voice, guidance, and instruction. He is always speaking to us through the Word.
If we ignore His voice, we will become calloused to His voice over the course of our lives. This is why it is vital for us to read the Bible, listen to the Holy Spirit, and apply what He has taught us in our daily lives.
For further reading:
What Does it Mean to Be Led by the Spirit?
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit?
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