The Holy Spirit – Part 8
(2 Corinthians 13:14 TLB) May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May God’s love and the Holy Spirit’s friendship be yours.
(1 Corinthians 12:1 BBE) But about the things of the spirit, my brothers, it is not right for you to be without teaching.
(Ephesians 5:15-17 AMP) Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), (16) Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.
If the Lord through the Apostle Paul is telling us to understand what the will of God is, then it must be possible for us to know the will of God for our lives.
(Colossians 1:9 MSG) Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works.
The will of God for us can be divided into two categories:
- The general will of God that is made known unto us by His Word.
- The specific will of God for our individual lives
In the things that God has not given us direction for in His Word, He wants us to be led by His Spirit in our spirits.
Let’s establish three things in this:
- You are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV) (23) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- The spirit is made new when you are Born Again.
(2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT) This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
- We must renew our minds or save our souls with the Word of God.
(Romans 12:2 NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
(James 1:21 NLT) So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
- We present our bodies as a living sacrifice.
(Romans 12:1 NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.
- God lives in you.
(1 John 4:15 NKJV) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
God will guide us, enlighten us, and lead us through our recreated human spirits.
(Proverbs 20:27 NKJV) The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
- As a child of God, you have a right to be led by the Spirit of God.
(Romans 8:14 NKJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
How Does the Holy Spirit Lead Me?
✓ God will lead you first and foremost through the inward witness.
(Romans 8:16 NKJV) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
(1 John 5:10 NKJV) He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself…
His Spirit, God’s Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are His children.
There is a knowing that is right down on the inside of you.
If He will bear witness in our spirits about being Born Again, the most important decision that we could have possibly made, then surely, He will bear witness about all the decisions in our lives.
Colossians 3:15 AMP And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].
God will lead you in this way as you pursue a “peaceful knowing” in your spirit.
He will also warn you of impending danger or harm in the same way.
Acts 27:9-11 NKJV Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, (10) saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” (11) Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.
Paul had a knowing that the trip would not go well because the Spirit of God bore witness to that in his spirit.
Isaiah 28:16 NKJV Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.
Psalms 37:7 NIV Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalms 37:9 NKJV For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.
Psalms 37:34 NKJV Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.