There is a joke about a man who put a dog and a cat in the same enclosure together. They got along perfectly. Then, he put the dog and the cat and a goat together. They, too, got along fine. Finally, he put a Baptist, a Presbyterian, and a Catholic together and all hell broke loose. They couldn’t get along, unable to agree on almost anything, even the things they supposedly held in common. What went wrong? What kind of spirit animated their conversations? Was it the Spirit of Truth?

Hardly.

Jesus assured His followers that He would ask the Father, and He would send them another Advocate to be with them always, the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16–17). The Spirit of Truth is the Holy Spirit whose function it is to cultivate genuine wisdom and unity among the followers of Christ. If we would have the grace of Christ within us we must secure the communion of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth.

This Holy Spirit of Truth imparts a spirit of unity for a spirit of division, and replaces the worldly spirit of animosity with a spirit of love.

It is easier to be critical than to correct, to bark orders than to lead by example, to put somebody down than to build him or her up, to destroy a reputation than to respect another’s good name.

Anyone can grumble or censure.

But, it takes a person of faith to rise superior to the selfish spirit of the world. God knows we need the Spirit of Truth to set us free of the prejudices, pettiness, greed, and the downward pull of human selfishness. When it comes to God’s gift of the Spirit of Truth, the old molds of the past do not fit. The Spirit of Truth will not be pigeonholed into some comfortable little slot in our lives and dealings. This spirit beckons us to be alert, to see through new eyes, and to discover God in every aspect of creation. The Spirit of Truth, like an invisible breeze, motivates us to live life more fully, always in accord with the example of the Lord for the Spirit and the Lord are one (John 14:26).

Jesus warned His disciples that they were not in charge of God’s Holy Spirit which goes where it wills (John 3:8). As Christians, we continually need to take this lesson to heart. Refusing to acknowledge the good deeds and gifts of others is one of the greatest scandals among Christians. Even Jesus’s disciples tried to hoard the Spirit of Truth when they sought to prevent others “not of their company” from doing good deeds (Mark 9 : 40).

This was not the Christian spirit that Jesus advocated.

He did not come for a special clique or class of people. He came as the Savior of all mankind. His Spirit is for everyone, and those who are privileged to follow Him need to be continually open to the gift of “The Spirit of Truth.”

A true Christian is one who values and cultivates The Spirit of Truth.