The Leading of the Spirit.

What does it mean to be "led by the Spirit"? Have you wondered? Does it seem like a rather occult (meaning "hidden" or "obscure" in this case) business, a vague, mysterious subject? Certainly, some corners of Christendom have turned being led by the Spirit into a paralyzing "what do you want me to do next?" way of living that becomes fearful and highly superstitious (these two things often go together).

Since the Spirit doesn't deal with us in a manner where he directs every single thing we do - directing our choice of socks, or how many bags of garbage to carry out to the garbage cans at once, or at what speed to brush one's teeth - those who expect such micro-management of their lives by the Spirit begin to look for "messages" from him in coincidences within their environment: I've seen the same colored car three times in the last half-hour so the Spirit is trying to tell me something; I've noticed the same word appearing on signs, and newspapers, and on t.v. today, so the Spirit is trying to say something to me; when I burped at supper, a robin warbled in a tree outside, so the Spirit is speaking. Since it is impossible to know in such circumstances what the Spirit is saying (because, of course, he isn't saying anything) one must make one's best guesses about his message. From this point, things often get really crazy, believers imagining the Spirit is saying all sorts of bizarre things to them and through them to others.

This isn't how the Spirit leads. Instead, God's word indicates that he leads us in the three basic ways:

1.) Into all truth. (John 16:13)

The Holy Spirit leads (or guides) us into all truth. When we pick up our Bible and prayerfully study it, he teaches us from it, illuminating its eternal, divine truths to us. (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-15) This illumination is progressive, not instantaneous, the truth revealed over time to us as we study Scripture and apply it to our daily living in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We will benefit from the Spirit's teaching, though, only so far as we are in the word of God, meditating upon it (Psalms 1; Psalms 119:99-100, 105, Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) believing it to be what it claims to be: the eternal truth of God. (Hebrews 4:2; Hebrews 11:6; 2 Corinthians 5:7)

If we doubt that God's word is God's word, and neglect its contents, we should not be surprised when the Spirit falls silent in our lives. Most of the Spirit's leading is accomplished as he "brings to remembrance" (John 14:26) what God has said to us in His word, the Bible, and shows us how to apply it to the situations in which we find ourselves every day.

It has been my experience that the wildest "Christians" I've met, the ones with the kookiest, most unbiblical beliefs and behaviour, are those who have the most superficial knowledge and understanding of His word and who have not been careful to apply sound reason and proper methods of study to their investigation of Scripture.

2.) Into righteous, holy living. (Ephesians 5:8-9; Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 3:18)

This leading of the Spirit into holy living is predicated, of course, on the believer's knowledge of God's word, in which they discover what a holy life is. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 119:9-11
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to your word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought you: O let me not wander from your commandments.
11 Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Always the HOLY Spirit desires to make of us holy people whose "ways are clean," who are honoring to God in all we do. He will lead us into such living as we study God's word and so know how we ought to live and then submit to the Spirit (James 4:7; Romans 12:1; Romans 6:13, etc.) who conforms us to the holy standard of God's word, and enables us to live out his transformation of our thinking and desires (Philippians 2:12-13).

3.) Into proper worship of God. (John 4:24; John 16:14)

The ultimate end of the Spirit's leading is to bring us to the place where our lives in every aspect are pleasing to the Lord and glorify Him. (1 Corinthians 10:31) It isn't only on a Sunday morning that we worship God but throughout each day, joyfully living to His honor and glory in everything we do. The holy life into which the Spirit directs us is just the means to reaching this end. We aren't holy for the sake of being holy, but in order that we might fully "see God" (Hebrews 12:14), deeply delight in Him, and, as a result, naturally and enthusiastically glorify Him.

Sadly, much of modern "worship" of God has nothing of the Spirit's leading in it, evidenced by the profoundly self-centered and sensual nature of the "worship" in which Christians are participating. True worship of God is Spirit-guided, above and apart from the flesh, which is to say, not sensual, not appealing to the physical, to our senses and bodily impulses. The pagan pounds the drums, and dances wildly about, chanting and yelling in a frenzy of sensual hyper-stimulation, burning incense, lighting fires, inciting the basest physical human impulses to sex and violence.

In sharp contrast, God calls His children to rest and peace, to quietness and stillness, to a focus upon Him, not upon their bodies and the sensations and impulses of them. When the Spirit is in control, the things of the flesh are set aside in worship of God, peace and order, arising from a spiritually-minded, Spirit-led life.

Sound and Fury or Peace and Rest?

There is much, of course, that could be said on this topic - more than I can offer in this OP. But the three things I've just described are a good starting point for living a life that is truly led by the Holy Spirit.

God's blessings upon you, reader of this post!