The Spirit of Truth

By Danny Saavedra

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”—John 16:13 (NIV)

In John 14:6 (NIV), Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It’s a life-changing reality we can rest in every day, a reality that gives us security for tomorrow and satisfaction for today! 

He is the way, and in Him we find life beyond our wildest dreams! But if we want to accept Him as the way and experience the life He has for us, we must also embrace Him as the truth! 

As believers, we must embrace all of Him, in every area of our life, and we need to embrace His Word as the ultimate authority over our lives so we can live out our faith and calling—and experience the fullness of all God has for us as we become more like Jesus.

So how do we do this in a world of ever-changing truth, where right and wrong is often based on how culture feels about an issue this week? How do we navigate truth in a world where what’s true for me may not be true for you?

We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit! In John 14:16–17 (NIV), He says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” 

Then in John 16:13 (NIV), Jesus adds, “When he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” 

That sounds awesome, but how do we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit? Through relationship and obedience. When we consistently spend time with the Lord in prayer, in the study of His Word, in worship, in community with other believers, when we’re obedient to His Word, we will hear the Holy Spirit speak to us! What will He speak to us? John 14:26 (NIV, emphasis added) says that “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

And so, as we listen to the Holy Spirit, we will walk in the power of the Spirit, and our lives will be defined by the fruit of the Spirit. When we do that, we’ll be able to experience the amazing, abundant life that Jesus came to give us.

DIG: How do you navigate truth? 

DISCOVER: How are you walking in truth? 

DO: Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you and guide you into truth as you navigate the world.