How Does the Holy Spirit Instruct Us?

The function of the Holy Spirit is to guide the followers of Jesus, and to help us understand the words of Jesus (John 14:26). How does the Holy Spirit speak to us? There are a variety of ways, but some are more central than others.

Few would contest the fact that the primary way in which the Holy Spirit speaks to us is through the written Word: the reading and study of Holy Scripture, individually or corporately, forms the thinking of the Body of Christ. Without it, we are lost. Expanding on this are other forms of Christian discourse: sermons, homilies, devotionals, counseling sessions, theological and doctrinal books, etc., which transmit the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to the extent that they are faithful to Scripture.

What comes next? This question is somewhat less clear. There are many other vehicles by which the Holy Spirit can, and sometimes does, transmit understanding to us. Some are rare, others common. I suggest that, after Scripture, the secondary route for information flow from the Holy Spirit is the advice and counsel of trusted and proven fellow believers (Hebrews 10:25).

If we pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit, and fail to consult, and listen to, our experienced fellow Christians, then we may be ignoring God's effort to give us exactly what we have been asking for.