The Requirement of the Spirit and the Word.
Jesus declared: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 )
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. John 6:63.
Every believer who desires to fulfil the will of the Father must come to the vital understanding in their lives, that the purposes of Almighty God cannot be accomplished through our human strength, our natural ability, or our intellectual knowledge. This is of utmost importance, as believers, we need to understand that the Will and purposes of the Father can only be brought forth through the operation of His Holy Spirit in our lives, being in complete agreement with His Word. The Holy Spirit of God never works independently of the Word of God, and the Word of God was never intended to be understood, embraced, or lived apart from the Spirit of God.
The Necessity of the Word.
Jesus declared: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35). Everything in this present world is temporary:
- Human opinions change.
- Circumstances change.
- Cultures change.
Yet the Word of God remains unchanging. The believer must therefore become rooted and grounded in the Word. Jesus taught: “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” (Matthew 7:24).
The wise believer is not merely the one who hears the Word, but the one who obeys it. Hearing without obedience produces deception. Hearing with obedience produces stability, maturity, and fruitfulness. Only the Word of God provides an immovable foundation upon which faith can stand.
The Necessity of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus declared: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19.
If Jesus required the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who are we to think we can do the Father’s work in our own might? Jesus openly acknowledged His dependence upon the Father, saying:”The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.” (John 5:19). And again: “I can of mine own self do nothing.” (John 5:30)
While the Word reveals God’s will, the Holy Spirit enables the believer to walk in it. Many possess knowledge of Scripture, yet struggle to live according to what they know. The reason is simple: The Father’s will can never be fulfilled through human effort alone. The believer requires the continual working of the Holy Spirit.
It was for this reason Jesus said: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things.” (John 14:26). The attributes of the Holy Spirit are various, and they are all required in our lives. He teaches, guides, illuminates, strengthens, convicts, comforts, and empowers. Without His ministry, the believer remains limited to natural understanding and natural strength.
Jesus further declared: “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13). It is essential in our lives as believers that we are balanced in serving in the Kingdom of God; there is a need to be aware that the Word without the Holy Spirit will hinder our witness.
Jesus said to them: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39). The Pharisees knew the scriptures; they studied them diligently, taught them publicly, and defended them zealously, yet many failed to recognise Jesus, the Word incarnate to whom the Scriptures pointed to.
A believer may possess a great amount of biblical knowledge and yet lack spiritual life. The Word must be illuminated and applied by the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, the Word can become merely head knowledge rather than living truth working within the heart.
Just as knowledge without the Holy Spirit is futile, so are spiritual experiences that are not anchored in the Word of God. The Lord Jesus repeatedly warned against deception.He said: “Take heed that no man deceive you.” (Matthew 24:4)
Herein is a vital truth that believers must have ingrained in their lives: any voice, experience, revelation, or teaching that draws us away from the teachings of Jesus Christ must be rejected regardless of how impressive it may appear.
Jesus declared: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” (John 15:4). The Spirit and the Word always work together in perfect harmony.
The believer’s calling is not merely to know Scripture or seek spiritual experiences. The calling is to abide in Jesus Christ. Jesus continued: “Without Me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5) The branch possesses no life independent of the vine. Its fruitfulness is entirely dependent upon continual union with the source of life. This statement leaves no room for self-confidence. No lasting spiritual fruit can be produced apart from Christ.