As believers, we have the bottomless well of the Spirit within. We have access to the manifold wisdom of God!
“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
The living water “springs up.” Because we are in union with the Spirit of God, we have a never- ending supply of Him from the inside.
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-39)
The Spirit of God doesn’t fall from the outside for those who are in Christ! His life flows from the inside out! Everything we need is inside.
Here is our New Covenant reality:
“None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” (Hebrews 8:10-11)1
God says no one will need to teach his neighbor saying, “Know the Lord.” Why? Because all will know Him! The first time the word “know” is used in verse 11 (“Know the Lord”), it’s the Greek word “ginosko,” and it means “to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of.”2 Someone would need to tell you this type of knowledge for you to know it. It’s the kind of knowledge that someone would give to another who was ignorant of God. Under the Old Covenant the priest was the intermediary between the people and God, and he gave them the knowledge of God and the law.
The second time the word “know” is used in verse 11 (“all shall know Me”), it’s a DIFFERENT Greek word, “oida,” which speaks of an absolute knowledge of something.3 Under the New Covenant, we do not have someone standing between us and God. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us, and we have a personal, direct relationship with God. All will intimately know Him from the least to the greatest in the New Covenant by the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us! There is no more hierarchy!
[Jesus said] “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 things that I said to you.” (John 14:26)
Knowing that the Spirit lives in us and will guide us into all truth should bring great peace and confidence. However, when we don’t believe that we can hear Him, fear will creep in. Religion teaches that only “men of God” hear from the Lord, and we must be dependent on them. Legalism has convinced people that only certain men have the anointing of God and speak for Him. Even with good intentions, leaders often abuse their spiritual authority and cause great insecurity in the body of Christ. Under religion we were programmed to be spoon fed by men, so that when our eyes are opened to grace, we might find it very uncomfortable to listen to the voice of the anointing within for ourselves. We ask, “What if I’m wrong?” There is a witness of truth in our spirit, but our flesh is fearful. Good leaders will encourage other believers to listen to the voice of the Spirit and trust it. Good leaders will encourage other believers to grow in the maturity and security in their identity in Christ.
“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” (1 John 2:27)
(from pages 291-292 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
2G1097 (ginōskō), Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, website: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G1097&t=KJV, accessed on 6-10-14
3Kenneth S. Wuest, Hebrews, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1947, p. 148
