Why You Should Highly Value Holy Spirit Education

Today, our topic of discussion revolves around education, particularly a remarkable kind known as Holy Spirit Education. Education is a highly valued aspect in society, sought after by parents for their children and employers for their employees. However, today we will delve into the kind of learning that comes only from the Spirit of God. Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the incredible journey of Francis Asbury, who started as a humble peasant from Staffordshire and, at the age of eighteen, became a Methodist local preacher. At twenty-one, he was appointed as an itinerant evangelist by John Wesley. For forty-five years, he tirelessly worked in America, traveling around five thousand miles each year on horseback, often earning less than 20 dollars annually. Despite his hardships, he successfully converted many, established Methodist class meetings and societies, and eventually founded the Methodist Episcopal Church, which now boasts over five million members. Asbury’s dedication to education was evident in his daily routine, waking up at four in the morning to teach himself Latin, Hebrew, and Greek, and committing to reading at least one hundred pages of literature every day. ¹ While impressive, this type of education, focused on language and literature, is not what Jesus referred to when discussing the Holy Spirit. As one writer aptly stated, “You can lead a man up to the university, but you can’t make him think.” ² The education provided by the Holy Spirit, however, will undoubtedly stimulate deep thought and introspection. He will make you think! Today, we will explore Why You Should Highly Value Holy Spirit Education. Join us on this week’s episode of Light on Life.

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
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Holy Spirit education leads to maturity — it’s knowledge acted on that leads to growth and development.

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Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
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Question: Share a Holy Spirit story on how He taught and explained a certian Bible truth to you? You can give your personal testimony in the comments section below.

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If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 48 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 43 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Prayer

Well again, welcome.
Let’s pray.

Father God, thank you for Jesus. He is the greatest! We love Him so! Thank you for your goodness and your mercy that both follows and overshadows us. You are the best and we reserve the best for you — our hearts, our minds and our time. Educate us in your ways. Help us to know who you are. We desire it so in Jesus Name, Amen.

Holy Spirit Education: Divine Help from a Divine Teacher

John 14:25–26 (ESV) “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

If the role of the Holy Spirit is to teach you all things, then it stands to reason that you need this particular kind of learning — Holy Spirit education.
The word education is the one we want to look at and with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
The word education in an English dictionary means the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
I like that – education that leads to maturity — knowledge that leads to growth and development.
And with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

One does not wait until he understands the principle of physical growth before eating or exercising. He does them knowing that beyond his comprehension, growth takes place. The same should apply to spiritual growth. God has laid down certain conditions. The Christian should meet those conditions and leave the results with God.³

This area of helping people to grow and develop is what primes my pump every day. I enjoy this more than anything.
I believe it’s at least part of the reason for my being on Planet Earth.
I have many quotes to share along this line.
Can you stand another one? — I won’t play the commercial but how about this short and sweet quote?

He who opens a school, closes a prison. — Victor Hugo

I like that quote.
It doesn’t just apply to earthly prisons.
I think some people are in jail because they either don’t know or haven’t appropriated the finished work of Jesus.

John 8:34–36 (ESV) — 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Holy Spirit education leads to freedom.
Jesus said that He will teach you all things.
The Holy Spirit will teach you how to live free.
You know some people in our microwave — get it to me fast society — are looking for instant deliverance but it’s one to thing to be delivered, it’s another thing to stay that way.
Now, notice that this statement about the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is open-ended.
What I mean by that is that the Holy Spirit’s ministry will last your whole lifetime.
He will never leave you — Jesus said that He will abide with you forever.
You will never come to a place where you don’t need help from your Helper or thoughts from your Teacher.
Your path as a Jesus follower is one of continual learning.
Get used to it.
Enjoy the school of the Spirit.
You know we should continually remind ourselves of this because continual education requires continual humility.
God is so huge — so deep — His understanding is infinite while ours finite.
As He enlightens you about all things God, you will find that the more you advance in Him, the less you seem to know.
Dare I say it?
If you think that they have a good handle on the things of God, you have overestimated the great gulf there is between Him and you.

Holy Spirit Education: Backward and Forward

Now with this statement Jesus made in John fourteen, must be coupled with the additional information Jesus gives about the Holy Spirit just a few moments later in John sixteen.

John 16:12–14 (ESV) — 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Notice the twofold working of the Holy Spirit as we compare these two verses in John.
The Holy Spirit will remind us of what Jesus has already said.
That’s John 14:26 — we could say ‘this covers your past education — the things you already know.’
He will also guide us into new areas of truth — that’s John 16:13.
That’s what Jesus told His disciples: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”
In 21st century lingo, “I have some stuff to tell you that you can’t handle. So, you will have to wait a little bit.”
This statement covers the future.
Now, you can see why you need both verses for complete picture of your learning life in God — past stuff that He has been able to share with you and future stuff that you’re not quite in place to get at the moment.
If we cannot bear some things now, that would imply that there are some things that we must grow into first.
You know humans are a curious lot.
That’s a good thing.
Albert Eistein said.

I have no special gift. I am only passionately curious. —Albert Einstein

But, in our desire to understand, sometimes we ask questions beyond where we are.
I love this verse in Isaiah.

Isaiah 28:9–10 (ESV) — 9 “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? 10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

By the Spirit of God, Jesus tells us here a little, and there a little as He is able to build in us precept upon precept, line upon line.
The Hebrew word precepts means commands.
We are not able to carry certain commands forward into our lives because of where we are at the moment.
It’s just like a two-year-old and algebra.
We could say to this little one, “Give me the answer to 2x=10.”
The answer of course, is five — don’t feel badly if you don’t know that — it’s an algebra thing.
So you see Holy Spirit education mirrors our American system of education — grade school first, then, High School — then college.
So, the Holy Spirit’s will let you in to certain areas as you are able to put them into operation in your everyday life.
He is a Master at knowing when the time is right.
Past, present, and future truth — the Holy Spirit has it all covered.
Enjoy class.

Matthew 13:51–52 (ESV) — 51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

So, from this we understand that the work of the Spirit in teaching is to remind us of what He said and to equip us with powerful all encompassing truths for all the seasons of our life.
From this verse in Matthew thirteen, we see that God-style education is both old and new.
Past and future — old and new.
Here’s another quote.
I told you that I have a bunch of them.

Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.⁴

Holy Spirit Education: “You Cannot Bear Them Now”

Now, I want to home in on this idea of, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”
Here are a few examples of how the Holy Spirit worked with and brought heavenly education to the disciples at a later time.
Remember, the work of the Spirit is new and old, past and future.
He reminds us of the areas we know to walk in and opens fresh paths of revelation and light.

Holy Spirit Education: The Resurrection of the Body

So here’s a few scriptural examples of where the Holy Spirit took the things of Jesus and made them real to the disciples at a time in the future.
Go with me to John two.

John 2:19–22 (ESV) — 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

John two details for us the first miracle-sign that Jesus was involved in, the turning of water into wine — that’s verses 1–12.
So, this proclamation — “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” — occurs early in Jesus’ ministry.
When the disciples heard that, they didn’t understand that He was talking about the Resurrection.
You see, they weren’t there yet in their understanding of the glorified body that Jesus, as the first born from the dead and we as the second born, are to receive.
But, after Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples remembered and the disciples believed.
How did they remember?
They had help from the Helper — they had help from the teacher.
The Holy Spirit educated them.
He, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that Jesus said.
Here you see this in action.

Holy Spirit Education: The King on the Donkey

Here’s another example — it’s the same MO.

John 12:14–16 (ESV) — 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

Here it is again — they didn’t understand in the moment, but they did later on, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered.
How did they remember? — with help from the Master Educator — the Holy Spirit of God.

Holy Spirit Education: More on the Resurrection

How about one more verse?
Are you seeing this yet?

John 20:1–9 (ESV) — 1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

“He saw and believed” — look at this closely.
John’s faith, at this juncture in time, was not based on the Word of God because he didn’t understand the scripture — he didn’t understand the Word of God yet.
That’s what verse nine says.
According to translators like the Handbook on the Gospel of John, the phrase “they still did not understand the scripture” may be translated “but even then they did not understand what the scripture meant when it said that He must rise from the dead.
Or, here’s a similar rendering — “they did not know how to understand the words of the scripture, He must rise from death.”
You see, they needed help from the Holy Spirit to educate them.
Now, who is this other disciple who outran Peter to the tomb, saw and believed?
It is none than other John.
John flies into the tomb — and he sees something.
He has a visual encounter.
He sees the cocoon cast that had hardened into a shell.
You know when Jesus died, they wrapped His earthly body in spices after the manner of the Jews.
What did John see that caused him to believe?
John saw the opening for the face in the cocoon cast.
He sees the linen cloth or napkin that was the face covering neatly folded.
You know when they buried you in a tomb, they would put the wraps and the spices around your whole body — all except the face.
They took the napkin or the linen cloth and lay it over face.
It was the only part of him that was showing — everything else was in the cast.
So, John sees this empty cast and the scripture says that when does so, he believes.
And with that thought, here is the Question of the Day.
Here is the question:

What was it about this scene that provoked John to believe?

We can answer that question with a question: how did Jesus get out of the hardened cast?
The only opening was for the face!
Did Jesus just get sucked through that hole?
No, as Resurrection life came into Jesus’ body, He sat up and, as He did, He simply passed through the cast.
There’s evidence of this in two other post resurrection Jesus accounts.
Do remember this story?

John 20:19–23 (ESV) — 19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

You see, Jesus body was a glorified body.
This body that’s able to pass through solid matter is God’s promise to you.
God has promised you this same body at the Coming of the Lord.
See it here in Philippians.

Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV) — 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

You also see it in Corinthians.
You knw out of the mouth of two or three witnesses everything is established.

2 Corinthians 5:1–10 (ESV) — 5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

So repeating our thesis again, what John saw provoked him to believe.
Now, here’s another question.

What kind of faith is this that John had?

We can look to Thomas’s encounter with Jesus for this.

John 20:26–29 (ESV) — 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Here it is again, Jesus passing through the walls, eight days after the previous occurrence — again Jesus appears smack dab in the middle of a locked room.
How did He get in there?
The same way He did before — He passed through the walls.
It’s a marvelous thing this glorified body is.
This same body is reserved for you.

John 20:27 (ESV) — 27 Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

John 20:26–29 (ESV) — 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John’s faith is the Thomas kind of believing.
Same thing — he believed because he saw.
Blessed are those who haven’t seen yet have believed.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word.
Believing the Word without seeing — that’s the highest kind of faith you can have.
That’s what Romans 10:17 says.
Now, one last point.

John 20:8–9 (ESV) — 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Did you hear those words “For as yet?”
As yet, John didn’t know the scripture.
That’s where faith comes — do you think, though, that they understood the scripture later on?
Sure he did — and sure they did.
Why? Because the disciples had a divine, heaven-sent education from the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit Education: For You and Me

Now, there are other Bible promises along this line that you can familiarize yourself with.
How about Psalms 25:5?

Psalm 25:5 (ESV) — 5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

How about this passage in Nehemiah?

Nehemiah 9:20 (ESV) — 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.

And then, of course, 1 John.

1 John 2:27 (ESV) — 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Well, there you have it today.
Why You Should Highly Value Holy Spirit Education.

Now, Father God, thank you for your Word — your Holy written Word — the instruction manual for my life. And thank you so much for the Holy Spirit who is there to grant us the education that we need to walk in the light of it.

Have a marvelous week in God and we will see next time for another edition of Light on Life.

Do You Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus? [Encore Podcast]

__________
References:

J. Wesley Bready, England: Before and After Wesleys (Hodder and Stoughton, 1939), 431–37. ↩
Finley Peter Dunene, Mr. Dooley’s Opinions, Inc Merriam-Webster, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Quotations (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1992), 114. ↩
Herschel H. Hobbs, My Favorite Illustrations (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1990), 37. ↩
Pete Seeger, folk singer ↩

emeryhorvath.com

Equipping people to pursue God's glory

Why You Should Highly Value Holy Spirit Education

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Thirty

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

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Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Holy Spirit Education: Divine Help from a Divine Teacher

Holy Spirit Education: Backward and Forward

Holy Spirit Education: “You Cannot Bear Them Now”

Holy Spirit Education: The Resurrection of the Body

Holy Spirit Education: The King on the Donkey

Holy Spirit Education: More on the Resurrection

Holy Spirit Education: For You and Me

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Holy Spirit Education: Divine Help from a Divine Teacher

Holy Spirit Education: Backward and Forward

Holy Spirit Education: “You Cannot Bear Them Now”

Holy Spirit Education: The Resurrection of the Body

Holy Spirit Education: The King on the Donkey

Holy Spirit Education: More on the Resurrection

Holy Spirit Education: For You and Me

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