How is God Present Today?

At times when I hear people calling the Bible the Word of God, I feel a bit uneasy. It is assumed that the book is the revelation of God for today and what we need to adhere to most seriously. This is fine except it is not the whole truth of God with us today in how he wants to speak to us. It is true the Spirit speaks to us as we may be reading the Bible but there is a further truth we should understand to see the whole matter of God speaking to us today and throughout periods of holy history.

In the Old Testament, we have a record of God's attempt to make his will and nature known through the law and his marvelous deliverance at various times like from Egypt and other enemies. In the prophets we have further revelation of God's will. The prophets also foresaw a further revelation of God's plan in the coming of a Messiah.

The Gospels are the record of God coming to his people and for all the world in the person of Jesus. He made clearer the will of God than the Old Testament, and also presented himself as the sacrifice to replace the Old Testament system. He thus ushered in a New Covenant of how people can relate to God through faith in him, his teachings, and his sacrifice.  We call it the New Testament, or actually, New Covenant.

Jesus however predicted a third step in God revealing his will for his people. He would go away so that the Holy Spirit could come. He said it is good- actually better for him to go, so that the Spirit would come and “Teach you all things.” Jesus would be going away; he was here only for a while. The Spirit will come as the permanent presence of God with his people and guiding them. (Cf. John 14-16. This is where the Old and New Covenant was leading to and was perceived already in Joel where it was prophesied that the Spirit would come on all, young and old, men and women. This is the dispensation of the church and which was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost.

This progression of holy history of God reaching out to man and coming to live with man, raises the question of the use of the Bible and the tendency of many to glorify it as was suggested in the beginning of this discussion. The least we can say is that it is the record of God carrying forth his purposes with his children from the OT law, and the Gospels to ushering in the age of the Spirit. Though it is full of items of true faith and has also examples of the short comings of God's people. Even though David could be considered a “man after God's own heart” many of the Psalms express his hatred for his enemies so contrary to the teaching of Jesus. To glorify the Old Testament, requires gymnastics of interpretation to make it all come out in the Spirit of Jesus.  

Yet without doubt, it is useful to be read and listening to the Holy Spirit for what God us saying to us each day s we follow Christ. But the Spirit is our inner contact with God, and the Bible is more of an intellectual guide to show us God's will with the up-date of the Holy Spirit in us. Jesus said that it is the Spirit that gives life. The Bible is for reference of God's ways in the past not meant to guide us in all of our challenges moment by moment today as well as newer issues of culture.

Example of God revealing his will by his Spirit beyond the Bible is seen in how the church came to recognize over history that polygamy and slavery were not God's will at all, even though Jesus and the NT are not explicit on these. And for our daily discernment and decision, only the Spirit can give us the current will of God for each step of the way.  The Bible is useful in many ways, but it is the Spirit who is our contemporary “Counselor”.

Considering personally how the Spirit is needed for guidance beyond the Bible is illustrated by when I wonder how to help desperately poor people we know well from living in Belize for many years. How to give generously without developing dependency  where it is hard to find jobs and self-support. Only the Spirit can guide me in what is best. My intellect would be clouded by my self-interests and bias. What is God’s way to help them? Certainly intercession is also needed even in seeking the Spirit in how to pray. The Bible has many helpful principals but the Spirit is needed greatly in everyday decisions and guidance. He is God present with us today.