Spirit-Led Life
John 16:7-8
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
I am amazed at how many people say the Spirit of the Lord is guiding them, when what they are doing has nothing to do with how the Spirit leads. I hear people often say, “I feel led of the Lord.” They may feel led, but they are not being led by the Lord. The problem is that they are relying on feelings. The Holy Spirit rarely leads someone who relies on feelings. In the book of John, God shows us how the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
First, the Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin. The Holy Spirit shows us that we are sinners and that we need to get saved. The first work of the Holy Spirit in anyone's life is for them to see their need to get saved.
Second, He reproves the world of righteousness. To reprove the world of righteousness means the Holy Spirit guides us to what is right in life. No believer has an excuse for not knowing better when the Holy Spirit lives within them. The Holy Spirit reproves you of which way is right or wrong; the only reason you do wrong is because you choose not to follow the Holy Spirit. If a person truly follows the Holy Spirit, they will know what is right because the Holy Spirit reproves them of righteousness.
Third, He reproves them of judgment. The Holy Spirit helps you to make the right decisions in life. I must make judgment calls all the time, and when yielded to the Holy Spirit, He will guide me to make the right judgment calls. Do I feel the Holy Spirit guiding me in these times? Most of the time, you will not feel the Holy Spirit guiding you, but you will be able to look back and know that He guided you to make the right judgment calls about how to handle a situation.
Fourth, the Holy Spirit guides you into all truth. The Holy Spirit will show you what is and is not truth. The Holy Spirit will guide you to His Word, or to the person who will point you to His Word so that you will know what you ought to do in life. John 17:17 says, Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. In John 1:1 and John 1:14, we learn that Jesus is the Word. In John 14:6, we learned that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. In other words, the Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus through His Word. You will always know what God’s Word teaches is the right thing to do when you're being led by the Holy Spirit in His Word.
Now, there are two things that are very necessary for this to happen. First, you must spend time in God's Word if you are going to know truth. There are many times the Holy Spirit will teach you something today in God’s Word that you will need tomorrow, and this is why it is critical for you to read God’s Word daily.
Second, you must listen to the Holy Spirit for Him to do His work in your life. We often call it a gut feeling, but it is not a gut feeling; if you're saved, it is the Holy Spirit leading you. Listen to the Holy Spirit when he prods you, even though you don't understand it, because He is leading you to the right way of doing something and to making the right decisions in life; however, you must listen to His prodding if you will do the right thing.
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