JUNE 24

The Spirit Taught Christian

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 1 John 2:26-27

The gift of teaching is amongst the various spiritual gifts God has given to His church.  Pastors and teachers play an important role in the equipping of the saints for the work of service.  I’ve been privileged over the years to sit under some great Bible teachers and hear some wonderful sermons—praise God for all the good and faithful teachers of the Word!  All that being said, we can sometimes lose sight of the fact that there’s One teacher who is infinitely superior to any other.  He is the One teacher none of us can do without.

Only the Holy Spirit can show us spiritual truth.  Any of us can hear people teach and thereby gain an intellectual understanding of the meaning of Scripture, but it is the Spirit alone who can penetrate and work to transform the human heart.  Since every believer is indwelt by the Spirit, it follows that every believer is indwelt by the Divine teacher.  He never departs the Divine classroom of the human heart.  His goal is far bigger than to just make us theologically smarter.  His goal is to make us to be like Christ.  How patient He is with us!  How many times do we fail to grasp or forgotten what He’s taught?  Through the Word, He keeps on with us—teaching, reproving, correcting, training unto righteousness.  Though the Divine classroom of life might be filled with lots of distractions and interruptions which work to draw away our interest and attention, the Divine teacher is never diverted from His task.  Temptations and deceptions come our way, but the Spirit is always there to lead and instruct that we might exercise discernment and turn away.  He is all wise, all loving, and altogether patient in His work!

How wonderful is God’s provision to us of the indwelling Spirit whereby we can understand the truth in a transformative way!  And that should be our goal—to be transformed by the Spirit through the truth of God’s Word.  It’s not enough for any of us to know only what a pastor or teacher or commentator or devotional (like this one) says about any passage or point of doctrinal truth.  Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying—listen well to your pastor and other teachers!  But the point I’m tying to make is this—there’s a need for each of us to be Spirit-taught and for that to happen we’ve got to depend on Him and dig into the Scriptures for ourselves. 

An encouraging aspect of this truth is the reality that in having the Spirit, any believer has that which is necessary to comprehend the Scriptures.  There are advantages, of course, to going to Bible School or reading good commentaries or books that help us to be better equipped to study and know.  But the fact remains, in possessing the Spirit of God, you’ve got the One teacher you absolutely must have to fully comprehend the truth of God’s Word.  He may use others and their gifts, but for Him, there is no substitute.

Vance Havner has commented on this, “If the Bible’s message were so hidden that only scholars and seminary students could find it, most of us believers would be hopelessly in the dark. It is part of the miracle of the Book that God has prepared it so that it unfolds itself to the simplest souls and not merely to intellectual investigation. Of course, academic training should help, and does when rightly combined with other preparation still more valuable. No person need feel discouraged over lack of theological education, for there is an understanding of the Word which is utterly independent of scholarship and open to the unschooled as freely as to the learned. We fill our libraries with books about the Bible, and some of us need to learn the truth expressed by the old colored preacher. He had borrowed a commentary from a white preacher and, upon returning it, was asked what he thought of it. He replied that the Bible certainly did throw a lot of light on it!”

In possessing the Spirit of God, you’ve got the one teacher you absolutely must have to fully comprehend the truth of God’s Word.  He may use others and their gifts, but for Him, there is no substitute.

Jerry Conklin

MORE ABOUT JESUS

More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.

Refrain:
More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me. [Refrain]

More about Jesus in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing His voice in ev’ry line,
Making each faithful saying mine. [Refrain]

More about Jesus on His throne,
Riches in glory all His own;
More of His kingdom’s sure increase;
More of His coming, Prince of peace. [Refrain]

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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