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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Pressing Toward the Mark, #9
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:13,14)
Following the Spirit
What does it mean to be "led by the Spirit of God"? Are the Christian churches being led by the Spirit of God? Are the individual Christians being led by the Spirit of God? Does being led by the Spirit refer to the average kind of Christian experience most of us have?
Some Christians say, "The Lord told me this; the Lord told me that." Are they the ones who are being led by the Spirit?
The experience of being led by the Holy Spirit of God is an important one, according to the eighth chapter of Romans, and is part of the working out of the redemption that is in Christ. A study of Romans 8:1-8 will indicate that our appropriation of the righteousness that flows from the shed blood of Christ depends on living each day in disciplined obedience to the Spirit of God.
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)
To live in the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit, to be led of the Spirit require that we be disciplined, Scripture-reading, praying Christians. Much experience is needed if we are to learn to distinguish between the many false voices and impulses with which we are besieged each day, and the guiding and prompting of the Holy Spirit.
We must begin to give time to cultivating our spiritual life. Learning to live and walk in the Spirit of God is a lifelong program and makes increasing demands on our devotion as we grow in the Lord. The final result—that which the Spirit is seeking—is that we be conformed to the image of God and that we come into perfect oneness with the Father and the Son.
Oneness with God is not brought about in a moment, although we can be "perfect" each day if we will be obedient and cooperative with the lessons that are presented to us one at a time.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)
Each true child of God is learning to be led by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God guides and empowers us in three areas of personality and activity:
The ministries and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Internal conquest.
External conquest.
The ministries and gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed among all the members of the Body of Christ. The result of the operation of the ministries and gifts of the Spirit is the creation of Christ in the believers and the eventual assembling of the perfected saints into the unified, fully mature Body of Christ, the Body of the Servant of the Lord who is to bring the blessing of Abraham to the peoples of the earth.
To be continued.