December 2, 2024 LED BY THE SPIRIT
Romans 8:12-14 “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death, the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
There are many verses in the Bible dealing with the flesh and the Spirit; and certainly understanding what is said is crucial to our spiritual health. Very briefly, the flesh refers to that part of man that is contrary to the ways of God; it is the old sin nature that man is born with. The flesh, the old sin nature, has not been redeemed but is alive and active. When one receives Christ as Savior, he or she receives the Holy Spirit to permanently dwell in them. Thus, the battle ground is set-the flesh and the Spirit. Many believes wrongly conclude that since we have these two opposing forces at work in us, we will always be struggling with sin-sometimes sinning and sometimes not-perhaps even using the fact that we have an old sin nature as an excuse for sin. There is good news for us; we are not doomed to spend our life struggling with this flesh issue. A key truth to understand is that we can yield ourselves to the Spirit, and by doing so, we do not yield to the flesh. This ‘yielding’ power we have is a great power. Paul says that if we are living according to the flesh, we must die. His point is that if we are living according to the flesh, we must die to ourselves-the flesh. I say all that to get to the main point for this blog. There is a tendency for us to ‘strike out on our own,’ instead of being led by the Spirit. Some might think that being ‘led by the Spirit’ sounds sorta weird or mysterious and unrealistic. Yet, it is clear in scripture that us being led by the Spirt is just what God desires. His Spirit did not come to reside in us with no purpose! What does being led by the Spirit look like and how do we know how He is leading us, are good questions. I certainly can’t answer those questions in a few sentences or even in many pages-and I do not have an exact answer. Here are a couple things I believe. We must develop our hearing of what the Spirit is saying-learning to hear His voice. What He says never conflicts with the word of God. We need to spend time listening to the Spirit-not talking. As we read His word, listen for His voice. We need to have our hearts turned to the Lord and seek what He desires. We must be willing to adjust ourselves to line up with the ways of the Lord. A vital truth to live out is that we have been made new creations, not refurbished. He has given us a new nature and a new spirit that wants to do the things that are pleasing to the Lord. Let me conclude with a couple examples of what it looks like to follow the leading of the Spirit. If I am impatient or harsh with someone, I should yield to the Spirt and be patient and kind. If I think that I must be about getting what I want, I need to adjust and start being a cheerful giver. If I am not forgiving someone, the answer is to yield to to the Spirit and extend forgiveness. You get the idea. Now, the Spirit does not direct us in every minute detail of life; He likely does not tell us what color of shirt to wear; and we are not like robots. We are stewards in the kingdom of God who are to be about demonstrating the ways and the character of God. Wow! And here is a great promise: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Romans 8:5 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Blessings, Buddy
Romans 8:12-14 “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death, the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
There are many verses in the Bible dealing with the flesh and the Spirit; and certainly understanding what is said is crucial to our spiritual health. Very briefly, the flesh refers to that part of man that is contrary to the ways of God; it is the old sin nature that man is born with. The flesh, the old sin nature, has not been redeemed but is alive and active. When one receives Christ as Savior, he or she receives the Holy Spirit to permanently dwell in them. Thus, the battle ground is set-the flesh and the Spirit. Many believes wrongly conclude that since we have these two opposing forces at work in us, we will always be struggling with sin-sometimes sinning and sometimes not-perhaps even using the fact that we have an old sin nature as an excuse for sin. There is good news for us; we are not doomed to spend our life struggling with this flesh issue. A key truth to understand is that we can yield ourselves to the Spirit, and by doing so, we do not yield to the flesh. This ‘yielding’ power we have is a great power. Paul says that if we are living according to the flesh, we must die. His point is that if we are living according to the flesh, we must die to ourselves-the flesh. I say all that to get to the main point for this blog. There is a tendency for us to ‘strike out on our own,’ instead of being led by the Spirit. Some might think that being ‘led by the Spirit’ sounds sorta weird or mysterious and unrealistic. Yet, it is clear in scripture that us being led by the Spirt is just what God desires. His Spirit did not come to reside in us with no purpose! What does being led by the Spirit look like and how do we know how He is leading us, are good questions. I certainly can’t answer those questions in a few sentences or even in many pages-and I do not have an exact answer. Here are a couple things I believe. We must develop our hearing of what the Spirit is saying-learning to hear His voice. What He says never conflicts with the word of God. We need to spend time listening to the Spirit-not talking. As we read His word, listen for His voice. We need to have our hearts turned to the Lord and seek what He desires. We must be willing to adjust ourselves to line up with the ways of the Lord. A vital truth to live out is that we have been made new creations, not refurbished. He has given us a new nature and a new spirit that wants to do the things that are pleasing to the Lord. Let me conclude with a couple examples of what it looks like to follow the leading of the Spirit. If I am impatient or harsh with someone, I should yield to the Spirt and be patient and kind. If I think that I must be about getting what I want, I need to adjust and start being a cheerful giver. If I am not forgiving someone, the answer is to yield to to the Spirit and extend forgiveness. You get the idea. Now, the Spirit does not direct us in every minute detail of life; He likely does not tell us what color of shirt to wear; and we are not like robots. We are stewards in the kingdom of God who are to be about demonstrating the ways and the character of God. Wow! And here is a great promise: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Romans 8:5 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Blessings, Buddy
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