Led by the Spirit

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." (Romans 8:9-11).

In performing my daily Bible reading (and a number of blogs I frequent), I was struck with an interesting question, "How do you know if the Spirit is leading you?"  That question has lots of layers. There are those who would give the obvious answer, "is it in harmony with Biblical teaching," but that begs the question in many cases. I may have alternatives or choices that all could be in harmony with God's revealed will. Paul was specificallly called to the churches of Macedonia, but on other occasions his free-will allowed him to pursue different paths. Would preaching in Corinth be less of God's will than preaching in Philippi?

This is a dangerous question because men have a tendency to project their own will onto God. The many years I spent in singles ministry I remember hearing men and women say, "God wants me to be happy." Their answer to that "revelation" was to engage in sexual intimacy outside of marriage. Is that really what God wanted for them, or where they projecting their own desires as God's will. Yes, this is a practice that can be clearly defined by Biblical truth (I Cor. 6:12-17), but it illustrates our human nature can over-ride our spiritual path.

I have friends who are convinced that God spoke to them in dreams, others who have boldly asserted "I know this is God's will for my life." With me its not quite so clear. I know the Bible says I am led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14), but sometimes I manage to miss the road sign along the way. I can look in my rear view mirror and see what God intended, or the course we have travelled together, but I have more difficulty in reading the map to where I am supposed to be going.

God has blessed me with lots of great opportunities in life. I have worked with great organizations, served in leadership in churches and community groups, but like many I stand at a crossroads of life and ask, "God what is next?"  I have settled on a formula that works for me. Whether it is the best approach I cannot say, but here it is.

1. First, commend yourself to the right things. Read your Bible, study daily, pray often, but most importantly try to translate the things you learn into your daily living. I find when I truly make the effort to "walk in the Spirit" things seem to come together for me.
2. Second, be attuned to what is going on in your life. I believe that the Spirit works through other individuals and circumstances. We have to believe that God makes intercession or why do we pray? If we slow down and listen we may better understand the message He is trying to communicate.
3. Wait on the Lord. We all seem to want quick answers. God I need this problem solved and I need it now. I believe patience and long-suffering are two of the life skills God is constantly trying to teach us. I see it in my own life and the lives of those around me.

Am I led by the Spirit? I know the Spirit is doing His part, sometimes I fall down on mine. Yes, God, Christ and Spirit live in me, but I don't always know how they are interacting with my life.

What HE said.

Jesus reminds us, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32). Far too many in our society view the idea of absolute truth as confining, restrictive and legalistic. The idea that someone would suggest there is an absolute right or wrong, good or evil, truth or error is offensive to many.

For just a minute look at the end of this verse! The truth shall make you free. Freedom, liberty, release from the bondage and oppression that plagues our lives - now that is an appealing concept. Why do some death row inmates finally confess, just before their lives are taken? They are seeking freedom from the guilt, pain and in many cases looking for insurance against the unknown.

Consider the sports world. Andy Pettit confesses to using performance enhancing drugs and the country quickly forgives him. Roger Clemons on the other hand has lost the respect of many and may find himself serving time in a Federal Prison.

There is a clarity that comes when we acknowledge there is an absolute set of standards that we should live by. Understanding truth frees me from the worries of political correctness, religious ambiguity and moral terpitude. I don't have to apologize for how I live, for I walk according to a higher standard.

I believe what HE said! The Bible is the standard for absolute truth. It is not subject to the whims of society, or the imposition of governments. I don't view it as a book of thou shalts, or thou shalt nots - I see it as the key that unlocks the shackles of sin and made me free.

Free at Last

I can't imagine what life was like for the former slaves following the Civil War. They had been set free from bondage, oppression and in many cases the harshest of conditions, but now what would they do? Where would they go? Where would they find work? How would they provide for their families and deal with the prejudice, anger and hatred of so many?

On the surface freedom sounds like a great thing, but it comes with a really high price. We watch our children struggle as we cut the apron strings and let them begin experiencing life on their own. They are thrust into a world of responsibility (for their jobs, their rent, their car payment,etc). Suddenly, the oppression of parents may look good compared to this new-found freedom.

Now draw that parallel to being free in Christ. Sounds great, the shackles of sin have been removed and I am free to live as I want.  Oops, not to live as I want, but as I should and as I must. Suddenly there are expectations for my life, I have to set an example, some of those who loved me most may even have unreal expectations for how I live. There are classes to teach, worship services to attend, the hungry to feed. WOW, maybe freedom isn't such a good thing after all. Those old chains of sin can start looking pretty appealing.

There is a gap that exists for many between the freedom they experience in Christ and their departure from the world. Just like our children who will crash land the first time they spread their wings to fly, so will our newly born brothers and sisters in Christ.

True freedom only comes when we understand the corresponding responsibility that goes with it.