And as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Rom.8:14.
By very many Christians the leading of the Spirit is chiefly looked for as a suggestion of thoughts for our guidance. In the decision of doubtful questions of opinion or of duty, in the choice of words from Scripture to use, or the distinct direction to the performance of some Christian work, they would be so glad of some intimation from the Spirit of what the right thing is. They long and ask for it in vain. When at times they think they have it, it does not bring the assurance, or the comfort, or the success, which they think ought to be the seal of what is really from the Spirit. And so the precious truth of the Spirit's leading; instead of being an end of all controversy, and the solution of all difficulty, a source of comfort and of strength, itself becomes a cause of perplexity, and the greatest difficulty of all.
The error comes from not accepting the truth we have had to insist upon more than once: the teaching and the leading of the Spirit are given in the Life, not in the Mind. The Life is stirred and strengthened; the Life becomes the Light. As the conformity to this world is crucified and dies, as we deliberate and keep down the life of nature and the the flesh, we are renewed in the spirit of our mind and so the mind becomes able to prove and know the good and perfect and acceptable will of God (Rom. 12:2).
This connection between the practical sanctifying work of the Spirit in our life by His Life comes out very clearly in our context: "If by the Spirit you make to die the deeds of the body you shall live." (Rom. 8:13) Then follows immediately, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." That is, as many as allow themselves to be led by Him in this mortifying of the body, these are the sons of God. The Spirit is the Spirit of the holy life which is in Christ Jesus, and which works in Divine life-power. He is the Spirit of Holiness and only as such will He lead. Through Him God works in us: both to will and to do His good pleasure. Through Him God makes us perfect in every good work to do His will; working in us those things which are well-pleasing in His sight. To be led of the Spirit implies in the first place the surrender to His work as He convinces us of our deadly shortcomings and cleanses our Soul and body for His temple. It is as the Indwelling Spirit; filling, sanctifying, and ruling the heart and life, that Christ's Spirit enlightens and leads.
In the study of what the leading of the Spirit means, it is of the first importance to grasp this thought in all of its bearings. It is only the spiritual mind that can discern spiritual things, and can receive the leadings of the Spirit. The mind must grow spiritual to become capable of spiritual guidance. Paul said to the Corinthians that because, though born again, they were still carnal, as babes in Christ, he had not been able to teach them spiritual truth. If that enlightened observation applies to the teaching that came through Paul to the Corinthians, how much more must Paul's observation apply to that direct teaching of the Spirit, by which the Spirit leads us now into all truth. The deepest mysteries of Scripture, as far as they are apprehended by human thought, can be studied and accepted and even taught by the unsanctified mind. But the leading of the Spirit, we cannot repeat it too often, does not begin in the region of thought or feeling. Deeper down, in the life itself, in the hidden laboratory of the inner life where the power that moulds our will and fashions the character of our spirits: there the Holy Spirit takes up His abode; there the Holy Spirit breathes and moves and impels. The Holy Spirit leads by inspiring us with a disposition out of which right purposes and come forth. "That ye may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and understanding." That little prayer teaches us that it is only to a spiritual understanding that the knowledge of God's will can be given. And the spiritual understanding only comes with the growth of the spiritual man and faithfulness to the spiritual life. Those that would have the leading of Spirit must yield themselves to have their lives wholly possessed and filled of the Spirit. It was when Christ had been baptized with the Spirit that, "Being full of the Spirit, he was led by the Spirit in the wilderness." (Luke 4: 1) and "That He returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee." (4:14), to began His ministry in Nazareth with the words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me."
All leading implies following. It is easily understood that to enjoy the leading of the Spirit demands a very teachable mind. The Spirit is not only hindered by the flesh, but still more by the flesh-power that seeks to serve God. To be able to discern the Spirit's teaching, Scripture tells us that the ear must be circumcised in a circumcision not made with hands: in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ. The will and wisdom of the flesh must be feared and crucified, and denied. The ear must be closed to all that the flesh and its wisdom whether that "wisdom" occurs in ourselves or is received from those around us. In all our thoughts of God or our study of His Word, in all our drawings nigh to worship, and all our goings out to work for Him, there must be a continued distrust and abnegation of self; a very definite waiting on God by the Holy Spirit to teach and lead us. A Soul that daily and hourly waits for a Divine leading, for the light of knowledge and of duty, will assuredly receive it.
Would you be led of
the Spirit?
Give up, day by day, not only your will and wisdom, but your whole
life and being.
The Fire will descend and consume the sacrifice.
This leading of the Spirit must very specially be a thing of faith. The beginning of the leading will come when we learn in holy fear to cultivate and act upon the confidence that the Holy Spirit really is in me and really is doing His work. The Holy Spirit is Real.
The Spirit's indwelling is the crowning piece of God's redemption work. The Spirit's indwelling is the most spiritual and mysterious part of the mystery of godliness. Here, if anywhere, faith is needed. Faith is the faculty of the Soul which recognizes the Unseen, the Divine. Faith is that faculty of the Soul which receives the impression of the Divine Presence when God draws near. Faith is that faculty of the Soul which, in its measure, accepts what the Divine Being brings and gives to us. From within the Holy Spirit pours out the most intimate communication of the Divine Life. And from here faith may not judge by what it feels or understands. Faith simply submits to God to let Him do what He has said. Faith meditates and worships. Faith prays and trusts ever afresh Faith yields the whole Soul in adoring acceptance and thanksgiving to the Saviour's word: "My Spirit shall be in you." Faith in the assurance: the Holy Spirit, the Power of God, dwells within and I may depend upon it. He will lead me.
And then with this more general faith increased in us by the Spirit, that same faith has also been exercised in regard to each part of the Holy Spirit's leading. When there is a question I have laid before the Lord, and my Soul has in simplicity and emptiness waited for His exposition and application of what in Word or Providence the Lord has provided, I must in faith trust my God that His guidance is not withheld. We should expect the Lord to lead us not in sudden impulses or strong impressions; not in heavenly voices or in remarkable interpositions, but rather the ordinary leading of the Spirit. There are Souls to whom such dramatic leading undoubtedly is given. The time may come, as our nature becomes spiritual and lives more in direct contact with the Invisible, that our very thoughts and feeling become the conscious vehicles of His blessed voice. But such expressions we must leave to Him. God knows precisely how to manage the growth of our spiritual capacity. The lower steps of the ladder are let down low enough for the weakest to reach.
God means every child of His to be led by the Spirit every day. Begin the path of following the Spirit's leading by believing, not only that the Spirit is within you, but that He does now at once undertake the work for which you ask and trust Him. Yield yourself to God in undivided surrender. Believe with implicit confidence that God's acceptance of the surrender means that you are given into the charge of the Spirit. Through His Holy Spirit, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God guides and rules and saves you.
[NOTE: The very idea of God's Being in me, that is, in my Soul sure does seem fine and I sure do hope it's all true but, dammit! I know I'm not good enough for such wonderful stuff so why should I bother even hoping it might be true. Those are the thoughts that Satan has used for thousands of years to convince millions of Souls that they aren't "good enough" for God. God knows none of us are good enough. The Blood of His Son makes us good enough. And that's why Satan did all he could do to prevent Jesus from dying. Satan offered Jesus "all the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them" and Jesus said "No thanks. After I die this One Time, it will all be Mine again anyway. So get behind me, Satan." The Blood of The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world makes us all good enough for God. And that is the supernatural fact of the matter.]
But are we not in danger of being led away by the imaginings of our own hearts, and counting as leading of the Spirit what proves to be a delusion of the flesh? And if so, where is our safeguard against such error?
The answer ordinarily given to this last question is: The Word of God. And yet that answer is but half the truth. Far too many have opposed the danger of fanaticism with the word of God as interpreted by mere human reason or by the Church Temporal. These well-meaning Souls have erred no less than those they sought to oppose. The correct answer is: The word of God as taught by the Spirit of God. It is in the perfect harmony of the two that our safety is to be found. Let us on the one hand remember that as all the word of God is given by the Spirit of God, so each word must be interpreted to us by that same Spirit. This interpretation comes not from the Spirit above us or around us suggesting thoughts to us. This interpretation comes from the indwelling Spirit. We repeat: it is only the spiritual man whose inner life is under the dominion of the Spirit who can discern the spiritual meaning of the word. Hold fast to the fact that as all the word is given by the Spirit so His great work is to honor that Word and to unfold the fullness of Divine truth treasured there. Not in the Spirit without or with but little of the word; not in the word without or with but little of the Spirit; but in the word and Spirit both dwelling richly within us, and both yielded to in implicit obedience: this is our assurance of safety in the path of the guidance.
This brings us back to the lesson we urged at the commencement: the leading of the Spirit is inseparable from the sanctifying of the Spirit. Each one of us who would be led of the Spirit should begin by giving up to be led of the word as far as we know it. Begin at the beginning: obey the commandments. "He that will do shall know," said Jesus. "Keep my commandments, and the Father will send you the Spirit." Trust and have faith in the Spirit to help you give up every sin. Trust and have faith in the Spirit to help you give up in everything to the voice of conscience. Give up in everything to God and let the Holy Spirit have His way. Through the Spirit mortify the deeds the body (Rom 8 v. 13). As a son or daughter of God place yourself at the entire disposal of the Spirit, to follow where He leads (Rom 8 v. 14). And the Spirit Himself, this same Spirit through whom you mortify sin and yield yourself to be led as a son or a daughter, will bear witness with your spirit, in a joy and power hitherto unknown. You are indeed a child of God enjoying all a child's privileges in the Father’s love and guidance.
Blessed Father! I thank Thee for the message that as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Thou wouldest not have Thy children guided by any one less than Thy own Holy Spirit. As He dwelt in Thy Son, and led Him, so He leads us too with a Divine and most blessed leading.
Father, Thou knowest how by reason of our not rightly knowing and not perfectly following this holy guidance, we are often unable to know the Holy Spirit's voice, so that the thought of the leading of the Spirit is more a burden than a joy. Father, forgive us. Be pleased graciously so to quicken our faith in the simplicity and certainty of the leading of the Spirit: that with our whole heart we may yield ourselves henceforth to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh.
Father, I do here yield myself to Thee as Thy child; in everything to be led of Thy Spirit. My own wisdom, my own will, my own way I forsake. Daily would I wait in deep dependence on a guidance from above. May my spirit ever be hushed in silence before Thy Holy Presence, while I wait to let your Holy Spirit rule within. As I through the Spirit make dead the deeds of the body, may I be transformed by the renewing of my mind to know Thy good and perfect will. Holy Father, bring my whole being under the rule of the Indwelling Sanctifying Spirit so that the spiritual understanding of Thy will may indeed be the rule of my life. Amen.