He Instructed Him
A.W. Pink emphasizes the importance of divine instruction through Scriptures and the Holy Spirit in understanding God's truth and our need for regeneration.
A.W. Pink emphasizes that God has graciously provided us with the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit as our infallible Instructor, guiding us through spiritual truths and illuminating our understanding. He highlights that true comprehension of God's Word is a divine blessing rather than an intellectual achievement, as spiritual discernment is granted by the Holy Spirit. Pink reminds us of our natural inability to grasp spiritual matters without divine assistance and encourages gratitude for God's patient instruction in our lives. He calls attention to the essential truths of total depravity, the necessity of being born again, and the sufficiency of Christ's atoning sacrifice.
Text
"He instructed him." So He does us. It was to instruct us that God, in His great mercy, gave us THE SCRIPTURES. He has not left us to grope our way in darkness, but has provided us with a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Nor are we left to our own unaided powers in the study of the Word. We are supplied with an infallible Instructor. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, "Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things ... the anointing ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you" (1 John 2:20, 27).
Right views of God's truth are not an intellectual attainment, but a blessing bestowed on us by God. It is written, "a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven" (John 3:27). No matter how legibly a letter may be written, if the recipient is blind he cannot read it. So we are told, "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14). And spiritual discernment is imparted only by the Holy Spirit.
"He instructed him." How patiently God bears with our dullness! How graciously He repeats "line upon line and precept upon precept" (Is. 28:10)! Yet slow as we are, He perseveres with us, for He has promised to perfect that which concerns us (Ps. 138:8). Has He "instructed" you, my reader? Has He taught you the total depravity of man and the utter inability of the sinner to deliver himself? Has He taught you the humbling truth "Ye must be born again", and that regeneration is solely the work of God, man having no part or hand in it (Jn. 1:13)? Has He revealed to you the infinite value and sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Christ whose blood cleanses "FROM ALL SIN"? Then what cause you have to be thankful for such Divine instruction.
Sermon Outline
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I
- God's provision of Scriptures
- The role of the Holy Spirit as our instructor
- The importance of spiritual discernment
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II
- The nature of God's truth
- The necessity of divine revelation
- The limitations of human understanding
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III
- God's patience in our learning
- The process of spiritual instruction
- The promise of God's perfection in us
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IV
- Recognition of our total depravity
- The necessity of being born again
- The sufficiency of Christ's atonement
Key Quotes
“He instructed him.” — A.W. Pink
“A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” — A.W. Pink
“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.” — A.W. Pink
Application Points
- Reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit in your understanding of Scripture.
- Acknowledge your need for God's instruction and guidance in your spiritual journey.
- Cultivate gratitude for the truths revealed to you through divine teaching.