Led by the Spirit
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton
Text: Romans 8:1-17
I. We have spoken at length in the past about the exactly who is the Holy Spirit
A. We have shown that he is a being who is a part of the Godhead, just as the Father and the Son.
B. He is made more mysterious by men because of our lack of understanding. Perhaps due to our lack of a name, such as Jesus or Jehovah, to attribute to him.
C. People often pick out keywords and begin attributing actions to the Holy Spirit that the Bible never intended.
II. What is the Holy Spirit’s work?
A. The Spirit reveals the mind of God to mankind - I Peter 1:10-12
B. He insured that the revelation was accurately related to man without error. The process of inerrantly revealing God’s mind to man is called inspiration - I Corinthians 2:7-13
C. The Spirit then confirmed the revelation to be divine truth. - Hebrews 2:3-4
D. As a result of His work, he convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement - John 16:7-13
1. How is this done? By the product of His work - the Word of God
2. It is a powerful weapon - Hebrews 4:12
3. Ephesians 6:17 - Sword of the Spirit is the word of God
4. II Timothy 3:16-17 - The inspired word is able to reprove the world of sin
5. Titus 1:9 - A person using the word is able to convict
6. An example is seen when Peter preached in Acts 2:37
III. Let us compare the work of the Spirit with how the Spirit accomplishes His work (See Chart)
A. Many people attribute a special direct operation on a person when they are told that the Holy Spirit does something.
1. This is not necessarily true. An indirect operation is still from the same source.
2. We don’t have to search for a mystical event to explain what the Spirit does for us, though many people have a preference for the mystical.
B. Leading of the Spirit
1. Romans 8:14 - The Spirit leads us
2. During the first century, the Spirit did directly tell some Christians were they needed to go.
a. Acts 8:29 - The Spirit directed Philip to the eunuch
b. Acts 10:19-20 - The Spirit got Peter and Cornelius together
c. Acts 16:6-10 - The Spirit directed Paul to travel to Macedonia
d. But even in the days of miracles, these direct messages were regarded as exceptional.
e. There is no implication that every Christian’s movements were guided by the Spirit by direct revelation.
3. The question is not who does the leading, but how does the Spirit lead mankind?
4. So how are we led by the Spirit? Or perhaps we should ask the other side of the question, how do we follow the Spirt?
a. Isaiah 48:16-18 - God leads when we follow His commandments.
b. Psalms 119:105 - It is done with the word of God, showing us a pathway to walk
c. Galatians 5:16-25 - Walk in the Spirit
(1) How does the Spirit produces things like love, joy, patience, etc in our lives if not through the Word that He has given us?
(2) Surely it doesn’t take a miraculous intervention in a person’s life to follow the Spirit into these things.
d. Hence we walk by the same rule - Philippians 3:16
5. We walk according to the Spirit because the law of the Spirit freed us - Romans 8:1-2
6. People who pursue spiritual things, pursue the things of the Spirit. - Romans 8:5-6
a. The worldly minded is not subject to the law of God - Romans 8:7-8
C. The Spirit dwells in you - Romans 8:9-11
1. Note the two way street: You are in the Spirit if the Spirit is in you.
2. The Spirit gives life - that is the who, but how is it accomplished?
a. Psalm 119:93 - Made alive by the precepts of God
b. John 6:63 - The words of Jesus are spirit and life
c. Romans 6:4-5 - By baptism we are raised to a new life
D. By the word of God, the Spirit is our guarantee of salvation - Ephesians 1:13-14
1. Saved by baptism (water) and the Spirit - Titus 3:5
a. Or as Jesus stated, we are born of the water and Spirit - John 3:5-8
2. The gospel contains the power to save - Romans 1:16
a. It is able to save our souls - James 1:21
b. We are saved by the gospel - I Corinthians 15:1-2
3. The gospel causes us to be born again
a. Born through the gospel - I Corinthians 4:15
b. II Peter 2:22-25 - It is the Spirit’s work, the Word of God, that purifies us and causes us to be born again.
E. The Spirit witnesses - Romans 8:16-17
1. The Spirit bears witness of Jesus coming by water and blood - I John 5:4-8
2. Witnessed by what the Spirit previously recorded - Hebrews 10:14-17
3. The word testifies of Christ - John 5:39
F. By the Spirit we are comforted - Acts 9:31
1. Wherein do we find comfort? In these words - I Thessalonians 4:18
2. It is our comfort in trials - Psalm 119:50
G. By the Spirit we are strengthened - Ephesians 3:16-17
1. Being built for a dwelling place of God by the Spirit - Ephesians 2:21-22
2. Established by faith - Colossians 2:6-7
3. Built up by the word - Acts 20:32
IV. These are not restrictions on God, but a recognition of what the Bible plainly teaches.
A. The Spirit is not the same as the Word of God. The word is a tool used by the Spirit.
B. By words, the Spirit conveys the thoughts of God to the mind of men - I Corinthians 2:13
C. The source of our Bible is the Spirit of God
1. II Peter 1:21 - The Spirit is the one involved in inspiration and the delivering of the written word.
2. II Timothy 3:16-17 - The Scripture is from the breath of God.
D. When we allow the teachings of the Bible to work in our lives, the Spirit (the deliverer of that word) thereby changes us for the better.
The Holy Spirit's Work
| The Who | The How |
|---|---|
| Eph. 5:19 - Be filled with the Spirit . . . | Col. 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you . . . |
| Gal. 5:22 - Faith is a fruit of the Spirit | Rom. 10:17 - Faith comes by hearing the gospel |
| John 3:5-8 - Born of the Spirit | I Cor. 4:15 - Born through the gospel I Pet. 1:23 - Born by the word of God |
| II Cor 3:6 - The Spirit gives life | Jn 6:63 - The words Jesus spoke are spirit and life |
| Rom. 8:11 - Made alive by the Spirit | Ps. 119:93 - Made alive by God’s precepts |
| Rom. 8:2 - The law of the Spirit has made me free | Jn 8:32 - Word makes free |
| Rom 8:14 - Led by the Spirit | Ps 119:105 - The word is a lamp to my feet Isaiah 48:16-18 - God leads through commandments |
| Titus 3:5 - Saved by baptism and the Spirit | I Cor. 15:1-2 - Saved by the gospel James 1:21 - The word is able to save your souls Rom. 1:16 - Gospel is the power of God to save |
| Rom. 15:16 - Sanctified by the Spirit I Cor 6:11 - Sanctified by the Spirit | Jn. 17:17 - Sanctified by the truth |
| Heb 10:15 - The Spirit witnesses I Jn 5:6 - The Spirit bears witness | Jn 5:39 - The Scriptures testify |
| Gal 5:25 - Walk in the Spirit | Phil 3:16 - Walk by God’s rules |
| Eph. 3:16 - Strengthen by the Spirit | Col. 2:7 - Established in the faith |
| Eph 2:22 - Built through the Spirit | Acts 20:32 - The word is able to build you up |
| Acts 9:31 - Comfort of the Spirit | I Thess 4:18 - Comfort with these words |
| I Cor 6:11 - Washed by the Spirit | Eph 5:26 - Washed by the word John 15:3 - Cleansed through the word |
| Jn 16:8 - Convicts the world | Tit 1:9 - Able to exhort and convince with the word |
