Spirit Led # 3
We’ve been talking about being led by the Holy Spirit, and even being led by our own spirit, which is in union with the Holy Spirit.
I) The most common way that God leads someone is by that still small voice, some call it the inward witness. Even back in the OLD Testament God promised to put a new spirit in us.
A) In Ezekiel 36:26-27 (p. 1035), it says, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” (KJV) (cf. Ezek 11:19) (look at Ezek 37:14)
1) When the prophet said “A new heart will I give you” that has to do with the Human spirit.
a) The Bible says in (2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.”
b) It is the spirit of man that is the new creation.
(i) When a person is 1st saved, only his spirit is different.
(ii) His body is the same. He even looks the same. His soul or mind is the same. The Bible says that once we are saved we need to begin to renew our minds.
(iii) It’s only the spirit of man that is recreated. We’ve been given a new heart.
2) Then the prophet says, “a new spirit will I put within you.”
a) I believe that's also referring to the Holy Spirit.
B) JOHN 14:16-17.
1) This is Jesus speaking to His disciples.
2) What Jesus is referring to is when He is resurrected and ascended to heaven; He would give the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.
a) (1 John 4:4) Says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (KJV)
b) When he says, “Greater is He that is in you,” To whom is he referring?
(i) It’s the Holy Spirit. Thank God that we have the Spirit of God on the inside of us. In the Old Testament only the priest, prophets, and kings were anointed by the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit was not in them it was only upon them.
c) Today all who are born-again have the Spirit, but not just upon them but also in them.
C) ROM 8:16.
1) Wuest Translation says, The Spirit himself is constantly bearing joint-testimony with our [human] spirit that we are God’s children, [1]
2) Notice what he says in that V. That the Spirit bears witness with our spirits.
a) This is the primary way that God leads all of His children.
D) MATT 10:16-20.
a) In (V 20) he said that it was the spirit that was doing the speaking.
b) We know that when we are baptized in the Spirit, it is the Spirit that gives us the utterance, but we have to do the speaking.
(i) Jesus is saying the same thing here. The Holy Spirit will give us the words to say but you have to speak them out.
(ii) Well, how will we get the words?
(iii) As (ROM 8:16) Says, “He bears witness with our spirit.”
c) We need to rely on the Holy Spirit that He will give us the right words to say in every situation. (As long as it’s not sinful. He won’t give you the right words to say to cheat someone out of something.)
E) 1JOHN 5:10a.
a) There is what you can call a knowing on the inside.
(i) In this particular verse, it’s talking about salvation. A knowing that you have salvation.
(ii) When the Holy Spirit says something to you, and if you’re sensitive to Him, you have a knowing, you know that you know.
2) Jesus said in JOHN 16:13 that the Holy Spirit will shew you things to come.
II) Too often we’re to body conscious, more body conscious then spirit conscious. We’re not going to hear the voice of the HS that way.
A) ROM 12:1-2.
1) When God tells us to do something, He always tells us how.
a) He doesn’t just say crucify the Flesh, but he tells us what to do.
b) 1st He tells us to do what is holy, And then He says to do what is acceptable unto God.
(i) If it’s not acceptable to God, don’t do it.
2) Then He makes the statement, “Which is your reasonable service.”
a) He’s not giving us something that’s impossible to do.
b) He says this is “reasonable.”
(i) Listen to the voice of your spirit and the voice of the Holy Spirit He will show you things to come.
B) Look at what Paul said in 1COR 9:27.
1) The NASB says, “I discipline my body and make it my slave”
2) “I make my body a slave.”
a) In this verse, Paul is saying that he is making a choice.
b) Where do you make your choices?
(i) Your mind.
c) That’s why Paul said in (Romans 12:2) “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
(i) Our minds need to be renewed, renewed to the God kind of life, to God’s way of thinking, renewed to the Word of God.
3) If we want to be sensitive to the Spirit, we need to do more than just pray, though that is part of it.
a) We also need to get our minds renewed to the Word of God so that we will be able to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.
b) AND so that we can keep our bodies under.
III) We need to listen to our HEART.
A) Not the feelings or the emotions, but the human, born again spirit.
1) The born again human spirit is a good guide.
a) 1st of all our spirit is recreated, 2nd it’s in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
b) We are 1 spirit with the Lord.
B) 1John 3:14
1) How do we know?
C) Look at ACTS 27:9-10.
1) Paul said, “I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage.”
The word “PERCEIVE,” means many things but its best definition is “to see and know.”
a) theōréō has primary reference to spectators at a religious festival, and thus means “to look at,” “to view,” with such additional senses as “to review (troops),” “to discover,” “to recognize,” and figuratively “to consider,” “to contemplate,” “to investigate.”[2]
b) Webster Collegiate Dictionary says it means, “to attain awareness or understanding of to regard as being such.” [3]
2) Paul knew something by listening to the spirit, the human spirit.
D) There are 2 ways to perceive something.
1) 1st by the Spirit of God, or by the Holy Spirit revealing it to the human spirit.
2) 2nd by seeing something in the natural.
3) One way is by the Spirit of God, the other way comes just by being observant.
a) The Word of God has references to both types of perception.
b) I’m not going to deal with the natural type of perception, which any one can have.
c) But what I want to look at for just a moment is the perception that only comes by the Holy Spirit.
(i) In the verse we just read, Paul knew something that could have only come by the Spirit of God.
4) ACTS 14:8-10.
a) Here the word PERCEIVING means, “1 to see. 1a to perceive with the eyes. 1b to perceive by any of the senses. 1c to perceive, notice, discern, discover.” [4]
b) There is no other way to know if someone has faith to be healed unless the HS reveals it to you.
5) Mark 2:8.
a) Here we have another Greek word, which means, “have knowledge of,” and “know well.” 1 to know thoroughly. 1a to know accurately, know well. 2 to know. 2a to recognise.” [5]
b) Here we also see that Jesus perceived something, but this verse makes it very clear that He perceived it in His spirit not in His head.
c) The Holy Spirit is speaking to you but are you in a place where you can listen.
(i) Spend time with Him. Get into the Word, take the time to pray, crucify the flesh, and listen.
TFC 1/27/91 SUN AM & WOLCC 3/14/93 SUN AM Sunday, August 1, 1999 & WOLCC Sunday, November 09, 2003
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[1]Wuest, K. S. (1997, c1961). The New Testament : An expanded translation. First published in 3 vols., 1956-59, under title: Expanded translation of the Greek New Testament. (Ro 8:14). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
[2]Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1995, c1985). Theological dictionary of the New Testament. Translation of: Theologisches Worterbuch zum Neuen Testament. (707). Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans.
[3]Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.
[4]Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the test of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G1492). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[5]Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the test of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G1921). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.