Knowing the Spirit: Who He Is, What He Does, and How He Can Transform Your Christian Life

by Costi W. Hinn

The true prophet is never wrong, never misses, and never sees a prophecy not come to pass.

As Paul Washer put it at a conference I attended in 2021, “There is no such thing as a great man of God, only weak, pitiful, faithless men of a great and merciful God.”

God is. He does great things not because of us but in spite of us.

Based on 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, and following Paul’s example of taking time to learn, grow, and get affirmation from the other disciples (Acts 9:19–30), we can humbly admit that no matter how gifted we think we are, no one is above accountability.

If someone claims to have a certain gift, they ought to be tested (1 John 4:1). Since even Paul the apostle’s message was tested by the discerning and diligent Bereans (Acts 17:11), any claim to operate in miraculous gifts must pass the biblical test. It is not acceptable to make a serious claim to operate in these gifts by merely saying, “I have seen some things” or “I have heard some wild stories.”

If it doesn’t match the Bible, isn’t found in the Bible, or can’t be backed up by proper interpretation of the Bible, you’re not missing out on anything.

The Word of God stands on its own, and it doesn’t change the truth when people do not submit to the truth.

But what about the mystery of the Spirit so many teachers talk about? Shouldn’t there be some mystery to hearing from him? No. While the Spirit’s working through an infinite number of details, people, and circumstances is a mystery to our finite humanity, there is no instance in the Scriptures in which the Spirit spoke and believers had to wonder, Spirit, is that you? Can you be more specific?

When we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures, when we preach the Scriptures in their plain and pure meaning, when we read the Scriptures, and when we pray the Scriptures, the Spirit is speaking because the Scriptures are his voice revealed.

If you want to hear the Spirit speak, read the Bible. If you want to hear the Spirit speak out loud, read the Bible out loud.

Are believers the temple of the Holy Spirit and the holy dwelling place of God? Yes, according to 1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 6:16, 1 Peter 2:4–5, and a number of other passages. Are believers those who possess the mind of Christ and have been given spiritual eyes to see what the spiritually blind cannot? Yes: according to 1 Corinthians 2:10–16 all believers have the ability to discern spiritual things, be indwelt by the Spirit, be controlled by the Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, and as a result, be led by the Spirit.

if we are filled with the Spirit, have the mind of Christ, and are under the powerful influence of the Spirit, why wouldn’t we think thoughts in line with what Scripture calls us to? Why wouldn’t we be saturated with God-honoring perspective when making decisions?

As Paul Washer said once, “Be so saturated with the Scriptures that when they cut you, you will bleed the Bible.”

Ignorance, a lack of solid teaching, and poor semantics lead to the use of these phrases to express how we feel the Spirit is leading us to act: “I feel like God told me . . .” “The Lord spoke to me through an impression . . .” “God spoke to my heart and he said .

Consider replacing any such phrasing with one simple phrase any time you are stirred to do something in line with Scripture that you believe is the leading of the Spirit. Confidently say, “I have a deep conviction about [blank] because of God’s Word, and I believe this is what the right decision is.”

Have you ever claimed that God told you something, or have you ever felt you received an impression from the Spirit? How would you express or clarify that in light of this chapter?

Concentric Circles of Doctrinal Distinction

First, let’s be biblical. In our relationship with the Holy Spirit and our study of any theological topic, devoting ourselves to rooting our thoughts, arguments, conclusions, and applications in Scripture is going to always be more fruitful than arguing primarily from experience or unstudied opinion.