John 16:12-13 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 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.”

Jesus’ disciples had been with Him for over three years, but they still hadn’t seen Him resurrected, so their faith wasn’t at the point where He could tell them everything. Genuine faith grows, particularly when it is exercised. We should always seek to be growing, but we shouldn’t put ourselves or others down for spiritual immaturity. At this point the disciples didn’t have what today we would define as “saving faith.” Paul defines that as “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Anyone who meets that simplest of criteria is a Christian, however ignorant, immature, or misguided they might be otherwise. Since in their experience Jesus hadn’t been crucified, buried, and resurrected yet, the disciples didn’t yet have saving faith. However, Jesus knew that day would come, so He promised the Holy Spirit to fill them in on all the things they weren’t yet ready to hear. We too need to be eager to hear whatever the Spirit says to us, listening with all humility and the faith that God gives us. Frankly, there are things that if we are told too much too soon, we might balk and even run away. We need to operate in the revelation we have been given, exercising the faith we have been given, and ask the Lord to show us what we need to know when we need to know it, not insisting on knowing it ahead of time.

There have been various things in my life that, had I known about them ahead of time, I would have balked. However, God in His mercy brought me to them and through them, growing me in the process. I have had to learn that I have no monopoly on maturity or insight, and listen carefully to what the Lord says to me through my brothers and sisters in faith. As a pastor/teacher I am tasked with sharing the insight I have been given. I am to pray for my hearers, but not put them down if they can’t seem to grasp what is being said. After all, there was a time when I couldn’t have grasped what I tell people sometimes! I am never to get puffed up over “superior revelation,” but rather recognize the Lord’s grace in revealing things to me and ask Him to pour that grace out on my hearers. The Holy Spirit is more than able to handle the job!

Father, thank You for this reminder. You bring me in contact with a wide variety of people. Today I will be with someone of great spiritual maturity, and tomorrow with someone who doesn’t yet have even saving faith. Help me be a channel of Your love and grace to both, receiving through them what You want to say to me as well, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!