Spirit-Led, Spirit-Governed
Today let’s discuss spirit-led, spirit-governed lives. Recently I have been speaking that I am led by the Spirit of God and have been having you confess that as well. We all are to be led of the Spirit of God.
If we look up the word “lead” or “led” in the dictionary we find these definitions (1828 Webster Dictionary).
To guide by the hand; as to lead a child.
To guide or conduct by showing the way; to direct.
To conduct to any place.
To precede.
To guide showing the method of attaining an object.
We see that when one is led, someone takes him by the hand, leads him, guides him, conducts him to a place and precedes him on the path. The Holy Spirit leads us; He guides us.
In John 16:13, Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and He will guide us into all the Truth. He is our Guide.
In Rom. 8:14 we see that as many as are led by the Sprit of God are sons of God.
In Gal. 5:18 we read that if we are guided, led by the Holy Spirit, we are not subject to the law.
From all these definitions and these scriptures, we see that it is important to be led, to be guided by the Holy Spirit because He will guide us into Truth; He will lead us by our spirit man and we will not be subject to the law. What is the law? Rules and regulations for the flesh to follow. Rules and regulations are easy because they put us within parameters and we don’t have to think for ourselves. Rules and regulations are especially necessary for children. Children need to be regulated. But when we grow up, we are regulated by our inner man, where the Holy Spirit dwells. Being led of the Spirit is not always as absolute as rules and regulations are. There is that element of trusting that rules do not require. If there is a rule, you either obey it or you don’t. When we have to depend on our inner man, our spirit, where the Holy Spirit dwells, there is more of a letting go of control over our lives and relying on Him.
Governing is the word for our overall life 24-7. It is the word for direct, steer, regulate. Being led is part of governing. But governing is for the mature in Christ. It is the word for Jesus being the Lord of every area of our lives, no closed doors anywhere to Him. He has charge of all--- spirit, soul, body, socially, financially. There is no one area He is not allowed to be over. It is a place of surrender and trust for the Spirit of God to be in charge because we trust Him completely.
In Rom. 8:4-6 in the Amplified Bible we see that we are not to move in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit, our lives governed and controlled by the Holy Spirit and not by the standards and according to the dictates of our flesh. Those who are controlled by the flesh set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who according to the Spirit of God are controlled by the desires of the spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the Holy Spirit. The mind of the Holy Spirit is peace. Follow your pathway of peace. In verse 2 and 3 we see that the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. The power of the law is strengthened by the flesh, the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit. The power of the law is overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit living in our spirits and governing our lives.
In Colossians 2:6-10 in the Amplified Bible we read that as we have received Christ Jesus the Lord we are to regulate our lives and conduct ourselves in union with and conformity to Him, having the roots of our being firmly and deeply planted in Him, fixed and founded in Him, being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as we were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving. We ourselves are to see to it that no one makes us captive by their co-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit, idle fancies and plain nonsense, following human tradition, men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world, just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding the teachings of Christ. Paul goes on to say in this chapter that we are not to let anyone defraud us by their sensuous notions and inflated by their unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceits. But we are to hold fast to the Head, Christ, and not indulge in practices that have indeed the outward appearance popularly passing for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh, the lower nature, which serves only to indulge the flesh.
The bottom line is this: When we allow the Holy Spirit of God to govern our lives, He will direct our every action and thought. What we have to do is trust Him enough to totally submit to His will for our lives, regardless of what our flesh may be saying to us. It is not always the easiest thing to follow the spirit rather than the flesh, especially when those around you are following their worldly wisdom, which disguises itself as Godly wisdom. Yes, there will be times when we make mistakes, but I would rather risk making a mistake following the Spirit of God than to follow a set of rules that control me only outwardly but never deal with my heart issues. Heart issues are hidden issues that must be brought to the surface and dealt with. Many people do not want to do that because it means we have to swallow pride; we have to admit when we make mistakes; we have to admit that we have wrong attitudes; we have to admit our inadequacies and most of all, we have to admit total dependence on the Spirit of God. I want my life governed by the Holy Spirit and not my flesh. How about you today? Let’s allow Him to do a heart assessment for us.
If we look up the word “lead” or “led” in the dictionary we find these definitions (1828 Webster Dictionary).
To guide by the hand; as to lead a child.
To guide or conduct by showing the way; to direct.
To conduct to any place.
To precede.
To guide showing the method of attaining an object.
We see that when one is led, someone takes him by the hand, leads him, guides him, conducts him to a place and precedes him on the path. The Holy Spirit leads us; He guides us.
In John 16:13, Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and He will guide us into all the Truth. He is our Guide.
In Rom. 8:14 we see that as many as are led by the Sprit of God are sons of God.
In Gal. 5:18 we read that if we are guided, led by the Holy Spirit, we are not subject to the law.
From all these definitions and these scriptures, we see that it is important to be led, to be guided by the Holy Spirit because He will guide us into Truth; He will lead us by our spirit man and we will not be subject to the law. What is the law? Rules and regulations for the flesh to follow. Rules and regulations are easy because they put us within parameters and we don’t have to think for ourselves. Rules and regulations are especially necessary for children. Children need to be regulated. But when we grow up, we are regulated by our inner man, where the Holy Spirit dwells. Being led of the Spirit is not always as absolute as rules and regulations are. There is that element of trusting that rules do not require. If there is a rule, you either obey it or you don’t. When we have to depend on our inner man, our spirit, where the Holy Spirit dwells, there is more of a letting go of control over our lives and relying on Him.
Governing is the word for our overall life 24-7. It is the word for direct, steer, regulate. Being led is part of governing. But governing is for the mature in Christ. It is the word for Jesus being the Lord of every area of our lives, no closed doors anywhere to Him. He has charge of all--- spirit, soul, body, socially, financially. There is no one area He is not allowed to be over. It is a place of surrender and trust for the Spirit of God to be in charge because we trust Him completely.
In Rom. 8:4-6 in the Amplified Bible we see that we are not to move in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit, our lives governed and controlled by the Holy Spirit and not by the standards and according to the dictates of our flesh. Those who are controlled by the flesh set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who according to the Spirit of God are controlled by the desires of the spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the Holy Spirit. The mind of the Holy Spirit is peace. Follow your pathway of peace. In verse 2 and 3 we see that the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. The power of the law is strengthened by the flesh, the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit. The power of the law is overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit living in our spirits and governing our lives.
In Colossians 2:6-10 in the Amplified Bible we read that as we have received Christ Jesus the Lord we are to regulate our lives and conduct ourselves in union with and conformity to Him, having the roots of our being firmly and deeply planted in Him, fixed and founded in Him, being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as we were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving. We ourselves are to see to it that no one makes us captive by their co-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit, idle fancies and plain nonsense, following human tradition, men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world, just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding the teachings of Christ. Paul goes on to say in this chapter that we are not to let anyone defraud us by their sensuous notions and inflated by their unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceits. But we are to hold fast to the Head, Christ, and not indulge in practices that have indeed the outward appearance popularly passing for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh, the lower nature, which serves only to indulge the flesh.
The bottom line is this: When we allow the Holy Spirit of God to govern our lives, He will direct our every action and thought. What we have to do is trust Him enough to totally submit to His will for our lives, regardless of what our flesh may be saying to us. It is not always the easiest thing to follow the spirit rather than the flesh, especially when those around you are following their worldly wisdom, which disguises itself as Godly wisdom. Yes, there will be times when we make mistakes, but I would rather risk making a mistake following the Spirit of God than to follow a set of rules that control me only outwardly but never deal with my heart issues. Heart issues are hidden issues that must be brought to the surface and dealt with. Many people do not want to do that because it means we have to swallow pride; we have to admit when we make mistakes; we have to admit that we have wrong attitudes; we have to admit our inadequacies and most of all, we have to admit total dependence on the Spirit of God. I want my life governed by the Holy Spirit and not my flesh. How about you today? Let’s allow Him to do a heart assessment for us.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 9:36 AM
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