“But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.”
1 John 2:27 (NLT)
John reminds us that we’ve already received the Holy Spirit—the very presence of God dwelling inside us. His role isn’t just to comfort us, but to teach us what’s true. The Spirit gives daily direction, moment-by-moment guidance, and the power to remain in fellowship with Christ.
This doesn’t mean we don’t need pastors or teachers. It means that no matter how good the teaching is, we can’t truly apply it unless we yield to the Spirit. The Spirit helps us discern what’s true and what’s false—what’s for us to follow and what isn’t.
We don’t need another self-help book, another voice of the world’s wisdom, or another source of validation. We need to remain in fellowship with Christ by giving space for the Holy Spirit to speak and lead us all throughout the day.
When we do this, John says we’ll be full of courage when Christ returns. We’ll stand before Him without shame because our lives bear the evidence of being God’s children—doing what is right, walking in truth, and living by His Spirit.