Led of the Spirit – Romans 8:14

 If I said, “I will give you a thousand dollars, if………………,” you might want me to finish the rest of the sentence. If I said, “You will live a long and healthy life, if you will make just one change in your lifestyle,” you might be interested in hearing what that suggested change would be. And if I said, “Here is absolute proof that you will spend eternity with the Lord in glory…………….,” again you might want me to finish the thought. But what if I said, “In order to go to Heaven, you have to believe?” You will never hear me say something as bland and generic as that. I might say something similar to it, but that kind of statement has to be more specific. A Roman Catholic priest might say the same thing, or a Muslim, or one of a thousand different heathen religions. Yes, you must believe, but you must believe in the right Person and in the right way.

For a couple of weeks now, we have been reading and re-reading verse 14 – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” What I haven’t done so far is spend any real time explaining what it is to be led of the Spirit. It’s sort of like the thought, “In order to go to Heaven, you have to believe?” One person might feel led of a spirit to join the Mormons, but that is not to what Paul was referring. It could very well be true, but that leadership came not from the Holy Spirit. Someone might feel led of the Spirit to steal the Lord’s tithe, but God doesn’t sin nor does He lead into sin. Has there ever been a serial killer who said that he felt led of the Lord to murder prostitutes? If just because he makes that statement was he actually led of the Spirit. Is a murderer of prostitutes a child of God because he carries out judgment upon them? “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Obviously, the last part of the verse is so important that it makes the beginning of the verse important.Is there anything more important than to be child of God? In the first chapter of the Gospel of John the Apostle makes a distinction between the two kinds of people in the world. Jesus Christ, the Word of God, “was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Only those who receive Christ become the sons of God. What happens to those who do not receive Him? As children of Satan, and children of the world, they are also children of God’s wrath. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

As John the Apostle begins the third chapter of his First Epistle, he got just a little excited. He said, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” Clearly, John considered it amazing that Jehovah should call us His children. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Somehow related to the fact that God has declared us to be His children, we shall one day be glorified and made like unto the Lord Himself in some special way. In other words, to be a child of God is important.

Important? Paul spends some time comparing servants and children in Galatians. In Galatians 4 he said, “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” The implication in Galatians is just the same as elsewhere – that to be child of God important. And Galatians 4:7 concludes with: “wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” To be a child of God is to be a joint-heir with God the Son. Is that important?

It appears that there are going to be only two kinds of creatures who will enjoy eternity besides Jehovah. There will be God’s holy, eternal angels. Their number is already fixed, and there will not be any more created. People never become angels. And the other eternally blessed group will be those who are adopted into the family of God. There is no other more important title for any human being than “child of God” or “son of God.”

So that means that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God” is extremely important as well.

“As many as” means every single person, without exception, who is led of the Spirit is a child of God.Can we lawfully turn the sentence around and be just as dogmatic? Can we say, “every child of God is lead by the Spirit of God”? Well, I don’t think that was what Paul was saying right here, but I believe that it is a true statement.

I suppose that some people might argue this next point, and I’m not sure that I can be really dogmatic on it – But it appears to me that Paul is not talking about the way that the Holy Spirit leads the lost to the cross. I am absolutely convinced that the Spirit of God is not just a participant in bringing sinners to Christ – He is the most essential actor in the process. I’ve said before that there are some who think that evangelistic work is an entirely human endeavor. But I believe that the best, the most articulate, emotional, persuasive and perplexing evangelist in all the world will never, ever see even one of his conquests in Heaven, if the Holy Spirit doesn’t give him more than special human abilities. It is the Spirit who reproves “the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” And if the Spirit doesn’t drive these three things into the soul of the wicked, they will forever remain wicked. But it seems to me that Paul is not referring to this initial Spirit leadership in bringing the soul to Christ. He is referring to His leadership following salvation.

Consider the word “led.” There is a sense in which the lost person is “drawn” to Christ more than he is “led” to Christ. I know that it really irks the proud hearts of man, but in some ways the unsaved man is brought to the Lord like a toy duck on a string, pulled behind a child. He seems to quack, and he seems to move his wooden wings, but it is only because his wheels are turning as he is being pulled to the Saviour. But on the other hand the leadership to which Paul refers assumes spiritual life, a spiritual mind, and spiritual desire and choice.

How important is it that we eat from time to time? Without the imposition of medical skills, people who won’t or cannot eat, soon die. All right then, now important is it that we be able to taste and smell our food? It is not essential at all, but it is helpful. Assuming that the desire to eat is there, and the ability to taste our favorite food is there, when the chicken is sizzling away on the grill, along side the corn on the cob, and since we can see the fresh salad and the iced tea, doesn’t our natural desire for food begin to intensify? The leadership of the Holy Spirit is somewhat like the aroma of that BBQ chicken, taking the super-natural desire which God has given to us and using it to lead us to the back deck where the food is to be found. Or maybe another illustration would be that of an orator, who can so stir our hearts that we consent to do that which we knew should have been done anyway. This leadership of the Spirit is not because we are stupid or lazy; dead or insensitive. It is simply the blessing of God, drawing us into a closer, more intimate and obedient relationship with Him.

What about the qualifications of the Holy Spirit to do this leading.What a foolish thought to have to bring up. Fortunately, I don’t have to bring it up – I just want to.

As a “member” of the God-head, the Holy Spirit knoweth what is in the mind of the Father. His desires and movements are in perfect accord with that of God the Son. The Holy Spirit is the author of the Word of God, the written revelation of the heart of Jehovah. Furthermore, since He indwells the soul of the child of God, He is more intimate to us that even our own minds and hearts (if that makes any sense at all). He knows our every weakness and the sinful propensities that each of us have. And He knows exactly what the Lord has implanted into our hearts and souls with salvation. There is a sense in which He knows which buttons to push and whether we should be lead through some things or around them.

And in what things does He lead us?Well, in some ways the Holy Spirit is the chief of the Spiritual armed forces. Who was it that said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them”? I can’t say that Paul and Barnabas took every turn and every step that the Spirit intended for them to take. Just like ourselves, we can get so full of ourselves that we make quick decisions without reference to the Lord’s leadership. But generally speaking, Paul’s three missionary journeys were generally as the Lord directed them. And at one point they were on the verge of turning right when the Lord wanted them to go to the left. “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.” Why did William Carey travel half way around the world to preach the gospel in India? And why did Adoniram Judson go to Burma? It is because just as He has done with thousands of others, the Holy Spirit led those me to their particular place of service. Last week I referred to Peter’s decision to visit the house of Cornelius. That was not a choice that he would have made if the Holy Spirit had not made it clear. The Supreme General over the armies of God, was directing some of His most elite troops to enter a battlefield that they wouldn’t have considered otherwise.

And perhaps the word “particular” is a point that we need to make. I won’t say that the Spirit doesn’t lead the children of God in general ways towards holiness and truth. John 16:13 certainly applies to this subject – “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” But beyond this, I think that Paul is referring to more specific and particular things. He is talking about the sort of thing to which the Christian can point and say, “There is something in which the Lord gave me His direction.” Let’s say that a young man has been watching two or three young ladies in his church. They are all in their early twenties, and it’s time for him to settle down, marry and start a family. All three of those young ladies appear to be godly, spiritual, capable and worthy. After much prayer the man makes his choice and she agrees – a new family is formed. Ten years later, he looks back at that decision and says to his wife that he has no doubt that it was the Holy Spirit who guided him in his choice.

But this leadership doesn’t have to be in something major or spectacular in order to be the Spirit’s leadership. Perhaps the simple choice of a certain car might some day be a part of sparing his life in an accident. Perhaps it’s the choice of a road less traveled which provides him with something that he wouldn’t have had if he had stayed on the Interstate. Because that child of God was willing to be lead of the Spirit, and because he often prayed for that leadership later he could look back and clearly see it.

Something else in this leadership, besides the Lord’s omniscience, is the Lord’s omnipotence. I hope that I’m not getting into muddy waters here. Should a Christian smoke tobacco? Although the words “tobacco,” “cigarettes” or “cigars” cannot be found in God’s Word, I believe that the arguments are there forbidding the Christian to smoke. But as has been the case for some of you, you were smoking for years before you became a child of God, and sometimes even after you were saved. There came a day when the conviction, the leadership of the Holy Spirit, became so severe and convincing, that you could not lite up another cigarette or put another chunk of that garbage in your mouth. Despite the fact that nicotine is an addiction, and despite the fact that using it had been a habit in your life for years, you put it down and never picked it up again.

Doesn’t the Lord’s leadership also mean the Lord’s ability? Brother Ted Tweet told his pastor, his church and his parents that the Lord was leading him to Honduras to become a missionary. And where is he today? In Honduras. And what if the Spirit subsequently said, “Your ministry here is finished. I want you to return to the United States to pastor a church there”? Then the Lord is going to provide a church, a passage and the ability to remove him from the place that he has loved and served for so many years.

Of course, the Holy Spirit ultimately leads toward holiness, righteousness and service. The leadership of the Spirit is practical, positive, personal and in some ways permanent. That leadership is something which eventually becomes obvious and apparent. And it is also real enough to be used as evidence of our relationship to the Lord.

When the leadership of the Holy Spirit is obvious, that is an indication that person is a child of God.