Infinite Fellowship Ministries

The Mystery Of The Spirit Of The Scriptures (Part 1): Sermon By Bishop Gobanga

Yet when we are among the full-grown (spiritually mature Christians who are ripe in understanding), we do impart a [higher] wisdom (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden); but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world nor of the leaders and rulers of this age who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away. But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God—[that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence].

None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].

Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny]. For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man’s thoughts except the man’s own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].

But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].

For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (AMPC)

To be able to study the Scripture well we must acquaint ourselves with the feelings and the thoughts of the Holy Spirit. We need to be able to enter the Spirit of the Scripture.

Each and every doctrine of the Bible has its own Spirit. 

The Spirit of God expresses Himself through the spirit of man. When the Spirit of God rejoices or is grieved, He does not do it within Himself but in the spirit of man. 

When you are filled with the Spirit of God, He  makes your Spirit be His official residence. He makes the condition of your spirit be His condition. 

There is a Spirit behind what is historical and geographical in the Bible. It’s the Spirit of the writing of the Scripture that makes it relevant to us today. 

In the writing of the epistles, the Spirit was not just conveying doctrine. He was also communicating His feelings and thoughts. 

We need to go beyond the information in the Bible and touch base with the Spirit of the word. 

Behind every word that is written in the Bible there is a Spirit. 

Behind every prophecy, there is a Spirit. Until you touch base with the Spirit behind the prophecy, it will remain as information. 

The feelings of the Holy Spirit and the thoughts and condition of the men of old is what governed the writing of Scripture.

When you study the Bible, you need to touch base with the Spirit of every word. There is an inseparable link between the written word and the Spirit of the word. Preaching of the word should be a release of the Spirit. 

Before you can preach the word of God, you must have the right spirit. If your spirit and the word you are preaching are not one, then you are preaching amiss. 

There is a difference between a stage and an altar. A stage is a place of performance. An altar is a place of death. It’s the Spirit that gives life. 

Behind every word and passage in the Bible, there is a right Spirit. You need the Spirit that backs the word. It’s the Spirit that infuses the word in the hearts of men. 

For you to be able to receive the preaching of the word, you need to have the right Spirit. Having the right Spirit will enable you to receive the word without feeling judged and condemned. 

You need to touch base with the Spirit of the sermon and Bible study for you to be able to receive the ministration of the Spirit. If we do not touch base with the Spirit, our understanding of the word will be very shallow. You will only have information and facts.

God’s word must became Spirit for it to become spiritual food. If we do not touch the Spirit behind the passage we read, we have not read the Bible. 

You can’t rely on your own effort to touch base with the Spirit. You can only touch base with the Spirit through the discipline of the Holy Spirit. He comes to replace each and every work you’ve tried to do in the name of being a Christian. He will arrange everything around you and work in you until you became like Him. He will marinate you until you became like Christ. 

You cannot became exactly like the Spirit of God because He is God but you can have similar character to Him. 

What is written in the Bible is code. You need the Spirit of God to be able to decode the Scripture for yourself. 

The Bible can’t speak to you. It does not have a mouth. You need the Spirit of the inspirer of the word for Him to turn the words in the Bible to His voice. 

We can only reach the highest peak in our reading of the Scriptures when our spirits harmonize with the spirits of the writers. The Spirit of inspiration operating in the writers has not died even though their bodies died. This is possible because it’s the same God who inspired the writers that we worship today. 

The Spirit that lies behind the word is very particular. God is a God of clarity. 

The Spirit of God had to mould every writer of the Scriptures before they could write e.g. the moulding of Moses took him to the wilderness. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit did not just supply words to be written but also the preparation for them to became proper vessels. 

The Spirit behind the Bible is perfect and dynamic.

One of the reasons people are not effective in their walk is because they limit the Spirit of God and enter the pit of comparison. Allow God to express Himself in and through you. When you allow God to express Himself through you, you release life. 

The Spirit of God wants you to come to a place where you allow Him to express His views. The breath of God consists of His purpose.

The Spirit of God wants to have complete freedom in you. Delighting in God means delighting in His ideas, thoughts, views, desires, etc.

When you read the Bible, your spirit must be led by the Spirit of God to enable you to be in harmony with the spirit of the writer.

The study of the Bible is not a study of mere words. Our spirit must be led by the Spirit of God. 

The word of God does not destroy or condemn. It convicts. 

God wants us to come to a place where we allow His spirit to train our spirit. 

Every process is a training in transition.