“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63, NLT)

“I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit…” (Romans 9:1, NIV)

What a joy it is when we discover that God has not left us alone to fend for ourselves through this life but has sent to us a divine Guide to help us in all matters! One person close to me commented, “I feel like I am just starting to really understand the Holy Spirit after so many years and how He can guide me and teach me just as long as I listen and want to hear what He’s saying.” These words are true. He is willing to guide us and teach us, but are we willing to listen and hear what He’s saying? He will never leave us, but we’re not always willing to wait upon Him. It is so natural for us to rush ahead, confident of our own wisdom. He is so gentle that He won’t raise His voice. He will let us resist, quench and even grieve Him rather than forcing His way or will upon us. But if we are willing to listen and hear what He says, He will guide and teach us the way we should go.

How do we more effectively listen to this Guide? We may think that it is His leading only to realize later that it was something much less spiritual. How can we learn to discern? A simple illustration may help.

Imagine a room beautifully furnished and decorated with one source of light, a window facing south to capture the daylight. At first the sunbeams penetrate the room with no hindrance, but in time the glass becomes dirty, dimming the light. This is the room of the heart; the window is the conscience. Everyone is made in the image of God. The conscience is that part of our inner being formed after the character of God. When we do the right and godly thing it approves us; when we do the wrong and ungodly thing it condemns us. The dirt on the window is sin that we don’t confess. It clouds the light of God shining into the heart.

Now on the desk near the window is a bucket of pure water. This is the Word of God. The Word, rightly applied, has a cleansing effect on the conscience. It convicts us of sin so that we can see the dirt for what it is, confess it and be cleansed. And the conscience also confirms the truth of the Word. But even the conscience and the Word are not enough. We need the Holy Spirit to give life to the Word so that it may most effectively convict and confirm the conscience.

Conscience alone is not enough. It is only the remnant of our God-likeness. Even the Word and conscience are not enough, for the letter alone kills (2 Cor. 3.6). But the Spirit, the Word and conscience form a holy Trio that can be trusted. The Spirit will never work apart from the Word and conscience. The Trio works in harmony to keep the light shining in us and through us. Humbly submitting to the rebukes of conscience and waiting on the Spirit to guide us with the Word keeps us from rushing ahead of God in our own efforts or from being deceived by a false spirit. May God help us to wait and to listen to this holy Trio!