Holy Spirit: Leading; Internal/External
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Being led by Holy Spirit?
Being led by Holy Spirit?
The Christian is to be led by the Holy Spirit (Rom8:14) and is to walk in the Spirit Gal5:16; Gal5:18); so this is an important subject that we are looking at tonight so it is not misunderstood or misapplied.
Lead by the Spirit, you are sons of God
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
We are called to walk by the Spirit
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
and when you walk by the Spirit, you are not under the Law
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
So, how does the Holy Spirit lead the Christian?
Is it by the Word only?
Is it through feelings, impressions, visions, dreams, etc.?
May we come through this lesson and not be confused but be educated to what the scripture has to say for there is much confusion. But God is not the God of confusion is He?
“The Spirit led me to do this. . . .”
Or people withing Christiandom who claim to be operating
“under the Spirit of God by revelation”
May the scripture speak (Jn16:13; 1Cor14:33)
13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
The Spirit will lead (did lead, will expand more in a few minutes) into all truth and all truth is not confusing.
33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
As we continue there was a concensus of most commentators and I will bring in some of that to help us along.
How the Spirit Leads the Christian
How the Spirit Leads the Christian
Both externally and internally, what the scholars say, externally and internally what the Word says, and what about that indwelling?
David Lipscomb speaking on Rom8:14 says this
“The leading is both internal and external. To whatever extent the Holy Spirit by its indwelling strengthens the human spirit to enable it to control the flesh, to that extent the leading is internal;”
He goes on to say
“When brought to bear on the heart in the New Testament, enlighten and strengthen, and so enable it to keep the body in subjection, to that extent the leading is eternal.”
So, it seems that the Spirit works internally and externally working together in the Christian.
He is not alone, Moses Lard in his commentary on Romans, using 8:14 and again only will give partial quote for the quote itself is too long.
He starts with some good questions and let’s stop on those just for a minute before moving on to his thoughts?
Before replying to the overall question, external/internal first we must ask
Who are led? (something to ponder; why you believe what you believe)
Certainly it is not the unconverted is it?
Christians receive the Holy Spirit upon conversion (Act2:38) it is by the work of the Spirit (1Pt1:2)
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
at conversion and the power for the conversion
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
We can agree that is the Christian who has the Spirit and it is the Christian who is led by the Spirit and is to walk in the Spirit. Again, God is not a God of confusion, so no confusion here.
Now to get to what Moses, Moses Lard deduces.
“Holy Spirit by its indwelling strengthens the human spirit, to enable it to control the flesh, to that extent the leading is internal.”
“To whatever extent the motives of the gospel, when brought to bear on the mind in the written word, enlighten and strengthen it, and enable it to keep the body in subjection, to that extent the leading is external.”
“The leading, then, consists of the whole of the influences of every kind, spent by the Holy Spirit on the human spirit. . .”
I know we have not used a lot of scripture yet, we are really just expounding on Rom8:14, but before moving on, just one more, and I think it was the most simplistic one. This one by J.W. McGarvey on the same passage.
“The Spirit leads both externally and internally. Externally the Spirit Supplies the gospel truth as set forth in the New Testament.”
Gospel truth for salvation, for sanctification for maturing the body and holding the body together in unity.
“Internally, the Spirit aids by ministering strength and comfort to the disciples in his effort to conform to the revealed truth and will of God.”
We know the Spirit helps us in our infirmities (Rom8:26)
Strengthens us in the inner man (Eph3:16)
Produces fruit in the believer (Gal5:22-23)
Now we have some commentators views, but let’s see what the scripture shows about external and internal.
The Spirit leads externally through the Word
The Word is the instrument used by the Spirit to instruct and convict
To convict the world (Jn16:7-11)
7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
To lead the apostles into all truth (Jn16:12-13; Act20:27; 2Pt1:3)
Need to keep things in context so let me give a couple more verses.
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
Add to that what Paul had to say, that He proclaimed the whole purpose, counsel of God.
27 “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
Then what Peter said.
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
What they received by the Words of Christ, the preached (1Cor2:9-13; Eph3:3-5; Eph6:17)
9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
Paul speaking of what was given to them, the apostles, what Jesus said was going to be given to them back in Jn16. They preached it so we may understand it.
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
How did we come to understand it? By the Word, the Word of Christ given to the Apostles and recorded us in which we chose to know, believe and study.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
I mentioned that the Word was the instrument that the Spirit used, one more scripture comes to mind (Eph6:17)
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Danger in resisting, rejecting the Spirit through the Word too (Act7:51-53; 1Cor14:36-37)
51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;
53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
When we reject the word from the prophets, from the apostles we are rejecting the Spirit.
36 Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? 37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.
Not the words of man, the words, commands of the Lord! . So, we need to set our mind on the things of the Spirit, through the revealed Word of God.
We will live according to the Spirit (Rom8:5)
We will experience life and peace (Rom8:6)
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
Setting your mind (eternally) leads to the walking in the Spirit (externally)
Will not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Gal5:16)
Will be lead by the Spirit (Gal5:18)
Let me give it in context not just a couple of verses
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Will produce fruit of the Spirit (Gal5:22-23)
You want to be led by the Spirit, let Him lead you through His Word!
Now that brings us to another internal item the indwelling.
Works internally by strengthening the inner man (Eph3:16)
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
Works so we can work out our salvation (Php2:12-13; Php4:13)
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
and add to that
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Again, it is the Spirit that God’s instrument to strengthen the Christian and to put to death the things of the flesh (Rom8:13-14; Rom8:11)
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Led by the Spirit are the ones that have life given to them by the Spirit.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
So working hand in hand with the Word the Spirit aids us in
Supplying what strength we may need
So fruit of the Spirit maybe produced (Gal5:22-23)
And it will produce Christ like character (2Pt1:5-10)
So, externally by the Word; internally by the strengthening as shown through the scripture. But don’t be mislead or have any misconceptions about the lading of the Spirit so may we look at how the Spirit does not lead us (according to the scripture).
How the Spirit does not lead the Christian
How the Spirit does not lead the Christian
As we look at this next section, it maybe very unpopular in a society that lives and breathes on emotions and feelings as well as intuition, but what does God, who is not about confusion, have to say?
Don’t get your feelings and your intuitions confused with the leading of the Spirit for that is contrary to the Word after the whole counsel of God was given (the Bible)
The Spirit does not lead through subjective means (Act16:6-7)
6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;
In this passage we see the Spirit forbad them, the Spirit did not permit them.
We do now know if it was by vision, or by some audible way, but this was a time when the miraculous was still happening to the Apostles. The apostles were not led by their feelings or they would have gone into Asia.
What we can know about feelings and the heart (Pro28:26; Jer17:9)
26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.
Don’t be a fool, and don’t be deceived
9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
What may seem good, what may seem right, may not be right (Pro14:12; Act26:9)
12 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
And how about this one
29 And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”
Again remember God is not the God of confusion (1COr14:33) - God is not subjective, but has given us the objective by which to know the truth (2Tim3:16-17)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
The standard is the Word of God that fully equips all men who follow the teaching (doctrine) of the Holy Spirit that was given to the Apostles and Prophets.
Another subjective way the Christian is not led by the Spirit is through visions and dreams; and I need to cover quickly if you want to make it home at a decent hour this evening.
At one time by visions (Act16:9-10)
9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Even coupled with signs and wonder s s (Heb2:3-4)
3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
These were temporary things that where complete when God’s Word was complete (1Cor13:8-10)
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
I know this may be a little long, bear with me a little longer, let me bring in one more point about how the Spirit does not lead the Christian
Through enlightenment
Don’t be confused or misapply 1Cor2:14
Know where the enlightenment to the Apostles came from 1Cor2:6-14
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
The natural man, the carnal man does not want, does not desire, does not understand the things of the Spirit. But the Christian does, for everything we need has been given to us to understand (Eph3:3-5; 1Jn5:13)
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
We don’t need the Spirits help to understand what the Spirit Himself reveals! The Apostles were lead into all truth (Jn16:33) ; so they would be witnesses (Jn14:26-27) and Paul tells us we have the full counsel of God (Act20:27) and Peter says we have all things (2Pt1:3) and Jude tells us we are delivered by our faith (Jude3). And finally may we remember we are equipped by the Spirits leading internal and external (2Tim3:16-17)