I had already dressed up to go to church on a particular sunday and was actually on the way there when I suddenly felt “led” to go to a different church.I didn’t know why but I just followed anyway.
A friend asked why I wasn’t in church and when I told her the above experience, she said “It’s a lie jare,the Spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet”.
And I was sad…
(1)Because she has quoted Apostle Paul out of context.That verse in 1Corinthians 14:32 was referring to prophesies in the Church.
(2)Because I personally long for the day when I would have absolute clarity/feel led from God on where to go/not go and also for days when this would seem like a normal part of the life of all Christians because we all experience this from the Holy Spirit.
But that aside though, my conversation with her gave me a hunger to indeed know what it means to be led by the Spirit of God.
And yes the Spirit can lead us on places to go-He led Jesus into the wilderness remember? But I felt like it was more. So I decided to study on what the Bible was indeed referring to in Romans 8:14. (So whip out your Bibles dears, this is a Bible study!)
Now, for us all to fully get what this is, you’ll have to read from Romans Chapter 7, yeah, don’t just pull out a verse out of the Bible and focus on only that.
As I also read this Romans chapter 7 and 8 though, I felt “led” to also study Galatians 5. (side note,its amazing what happens when you ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand whatever you study in the Bible.your eyes will be open like never before)
I have never seen the correlation with both chapters(Galatians 5 and Romans 8) before. I mean, what does the fruit of the Spirit have to do with “being led by the Spirit of God”?
But follow me on this trail sweeties…
So Romans 7 talks about life of sin under the law and Paul(and our) struggles with sin… How the law though good and spiritual, could not save him from the power of sin but Halleluyah! The power of the life giving Spirit did what the law could not do.
Romans 8:5 says that those who are controlled by the flesh think about things that gratify the flesh.
What are these things?
Enter Galatians 5:19…
Now, the sinful nature is still under obligation to do those things that gratify the flesh in that picture above and worse still, has no power to free itself from the power of those sins that lead to death.
And what does this have to do with being led by the Spirit?
This is it… Those who are led by the Spirit are led to put to death the works of the sinful nature and to do what pleases God.
So first, the Spirit leads those who follow Him to please God – Romans 8:8
This in no way denies the fact that the Spirit can lead us on places to go and all that but how do we REALLY know one who is led by God’s Spirit?
It’s the fact that that person isn’t controlled by His sinful nature anymore.
Now don’t get me wrong, Galatians 5:17 says that the sinful nature may still want to do evil/tempt that person but Halleluyah! Because the person is directed by the Spirit He is not under obligation to the law-to the law that does not free him from the burden of sin.
So this person being led by the Holy Spirit is not short circuited by the works of the flesh, He can live above them. His sinful nature may fight with the desires with the Spirit but He let’s the Spirit win this war because He is led by the Spirit of God!
Who is excited by this good news like me? You should see my face as I type this, this knowledge is powerful to me.
Meaning that these terrible addictions we have… the urge to envy/be jealous of one another… selfish ambition…all can be overcome just by being led by the Spirit!
But that’s where the deal is. For one to be led by someone, one has to follow and the Holy Spirit won’t force you to follow Him. He can lead you out of this sinful nature but you have to follow Him.
So how do you know that you are following/being led by the Spirit?
Galatians 5:22 to the rescue. It contrasts the deeds of the flesh with that of the Spirit…
“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness, (benevolence), faithfulness…
So I guess we can see clearly what shines through when someone is led by the Spirit of God now? He produces the fruit that the Holy Spirit gives and not the deeds of the flesh.
It is however important to note again, that just like Galatians 5:17-18 says, the sinful nature might rear it’s head up, so don’t damn a person who’s being tempted as a “fake Spirit filled person”… The sinful nature may wrestle with the Spirit, but we don’t have an obligation to fufill the desires of the flesh anymore. We can live above it.
I think that this is a daily battle we actually fight. You rebel and go your own way even for a day and all sorts of stuff that shouldn’t have their way in your life starts coming in.
But if we follow the Holy Spirit and let Him have His way in our lives..let Him lead us, then we can experience the same freedom that Apostle Paul found from the bondage of sin.
Oh how sweet life would be? That we don’t have to please satan anymore by living in sin/acting on every sinful thought we have… that our addictions can all leave if we crucify our sinful nature to the cross and leave it there.
Prayer – Lord help me to indeed nail my sinful desires to the cross and crucify them there. Help me to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in my life ALWAYS in Jesus Name, amen.
Hope today’s Rhema for today made sense?
Do leave a comment behind, I’d love to learn from you. It’s a Bible study so let’s discuss.
PS: I had Hillsong’s “I surrender” plugged in as I edited this and I couldn’t help but think that there’s more than I’m getting now, there’s more to know of God, there’s more, more to learn in the word of God… Like Tessa said in one of her comment, the above are just snacks. To get the main meal of today’s gist in the word, get into the word for yourself…study the Bible also… There’s more.
God help us all.
Love,
Frances.
14 Comments
Ugochi
October 8, 2014 at 1:13 pmSo true Frances, a proof of being led by God’s Spirit is a lifestyle that produces and exhibits His fruit.
Frances Okoro
October 8, 2014 at 4:26 pmVery true ma,its not just about knowing where to be/what to do, it’s also more of exhibiting and living forth a life controlled by the Spirit of God in us.
Myss Lafunky
October 14, 2014 at 7:39 pm“A lifestyle that produces and exhibits the fruit of the Spirit.” I like that!
Frances Okoro
October 15, 2014 at 3:50 pmAmen to that miss lafunky, the fruits, the pruning in our character.we need it
Nichia L.
October 8, 2014 at 9:52 pmThis is beautiful. Thank you so much, for sharing this. I learned a lot. Thank you again.
Frances Okoro
October 9, 2014 at 3:25 amYou are welcome Nichia.I’m glad this spoke to you.
eloho
October 9, 2014 at 11:31 amLovely piece.
I think religion is one thing that can limit us from being led by the Spirit. Infact it is one of the biggest challenges to spirituality. Going to church can become a religious activity like many other things we do for God and then limit us from really knowing and walking with God. I celebrate the fact that the Holy spirit could break you out of that mould to hear Him. . God bless you daughter of God, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. And for your friend, I think she quoted that completely out of context. Paul was referring there to the prophesying (see as gifts of the Spirit) and order in ministration. Just makes me more thirsty for the word, to study and understand context before I too am guilty sometime of probably misinterpreting the scriptures. One thing I’ve learned is that to be led by God requires me to not caught up in ‘traditional type, this is how we do it’. He is never bound in tradition and our norms. Thanks for sharing. God bless you.
Frances Okoro
October 9, 2014 at 12:29 pmThank you Eloxie…that’s something I’m also learning too, if i’m too stuck up in my OWN ways, in my own routine “this is how it must be done”..then it will be all too difficult to hear when the Spirit is really speaking
I’m learning that more often than not,i need to surrender and let the Holy Spirit take charge.surrender for as many times as it takes for me to get it…
@MrpossibleX
October 9, 2014 at 7:19 pmNice Frances. When we walk after the Spirit of truth then we can experience freedom. A freedom from the carnal/adamic nature which binds us not just to sin alone but also the laws of the universe, and it is my firm belief that it is the will of GOD for us to keep seeking knowing Him by the Holy Ghost until all of our being is completely ‘Ghosted’ (Matt.13:33 NKJV) and there is no more of flesh/self left.
These days all i desire is the Spirit. We are in the Seasons Of The Spirit.
P.S: That Hillsong music ‘strikes cords’ huh? 😀
Frances Okoro
October 10, 2014 at 10:33 amAha, mr Possible, I too desire to get to the point where I let the Holy Spirit take over,take over completely…
and yes, that song is Pow wow! Thank you for sharing.
Theresa Doghor
October 10, 2014 at 9:36 amLol
I watch ‘Scandal’ so let me quote something ‘Sally Langston’ the Vice President (VPOTUS) of the US told her campaign manager. “I didn’t kill my husband, the devil came into my body and killed my husband”. I laughed when I heard this but I understood what happened maybe better than the writers of that series.
Sally didn’t intend to kill her husband. On a good day, you wouldn’t imagine her killing her husband. The fact of the matter is that Sally lifted up an envelope holder and killed her husband because of a motive. Her selfish desire was her political career. She killed her husband because his scandal would have destroyed her political career.
What does that have to do with what we are talking about? The devil doesn’t make us do things, he just offers us options. From those options we decide which actions to take. It might be a selfish action, ‘kill your husband’ or the unselfish action ‘forfeit your political career’.
We are faced with different actions daily and the actions we carry out show who is motivating our actions, the devil or the Spirit of God. We are the ones with the power of choice and daily we surrender it to the devil or to the Spirit of God.
Cheers
Frances Okoro
October 10, 2014 at 10:06 amThank you Tessa, you just summed up all the above comments in yours…
I have a choice not to act on every silly thought that comes into my mind but mould my actions after that which the Holy Spirit leads me to do…
ADE+Taiwo
October 13, 2014 at 11:24 am*raising up my hand* can I add something ma? *Clears throat*
Thank you so much for this Bible Study. I actually whipped out my bible (bibles actually- I had to compare versions!)
I found more from Rom 8:14- For αℓℓ who are led by the spirit of God are children of God (NLT).
So I came to understand that a proof of your ‘sonship’ is God’s Leadership of your life!…so God’s children are God Led!
Gal 4:6 “and because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “Abba! Father!””(RSV)
Now what does it mean to be spirit led?
I see it as being able to communicate with God -through his spirit- as our father, not as slaves… To hear him guide,speak to, & instruct us lovingly and we can also get to ask him questions too-cos He’s our dad!
Now…allow me to rephrase your words
“I also long for the day when I would have absolute clarity & feel led by God (not by logic or rationalising) on where to go/not go and also for days when this would seem like a normal part of life for me & all fellow Christians.”
…that and more we can achieve through prayer!
Lemme pause here… I guess I have a lot to say about this than I could write in a comment box. Maybe I’ll write a post about it someday.
SHALOM
☺
Frances Okoro
October 13, 2014 at 11:49 amCan I say something Uncle Ade Taiwo?
I have been so blessed with your comment…it just goes to show that there’s so much more in the Bible that we can learn when we come to it with open hearts..the Holy Spirit can teach us a lot with one Bible passage,so much that it blows my mind everytime like you just did.
I am also reminded as to why this column is on the blog, it’s to learn from each other, to learn from you and me and that I just did.
I will be looking out for your post on this, I’m interested in more,more and more!
Thank you.
And it’s also soo true about prayer, everytime I need direction on where to go,what to do,even in times of temptations,prayer always help, prayer in the Spirit, now if I start writing on praying in the spirit, I won’t end that so I’ll just also do a study on that and let my thoughts be written down and not all over the place.
Again, thank you.