11th of September, 2022.


THEME:HOW TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD
LESSON:TWO
TEXT:Proverbs 20:27; Romans 8:14,16; John 16:7-8,13

MEMORY TRACK:

In our last lesson, we found grace to look at reasons why a believer needs to learn how to be led by the Spirit of God. We also emphasized some truths in God’s word that would help us undo some wrong mindsets about the leading of the Spirit that some of us believers have. As it has been stressed in earlier lessons, let’s all approach this series with a humble heart and mind which is required to have access and entrance in both teaching and hearing this. 

Introduction

The issue of how to be led by the Spirit of God is a broad subject that a believer would take a lifetime to understand, and keep understanding. However, there are some basic things that need to, and ought to, be understood at the elementary level of the Christian faith that would well position and fortify a person for to be properly disposed to always be led by the Spirit of God.

Majority of the teachings that have been taught on the leading of the Spirit (majorly in the body of Our Lord Jesus Christ), have been taught with “the eye and sight” that has not fully come to discern the inward man, which is the soul. This does not mean the church (with all humility and fear) has not acknowledged that man is tripartite, because she has; rather, the issue of the soul especially with regard to the faith of the Son has been illusive and hidden.

For this purpose, most of the teachings on the leading of the Spirit of God has not been holistic enough, particularly on the issue of the soul being led for to be saved (James 1:21; Romans 8:36; 1 Peter 1:5-9).

Today’s teaching is poised towards considering the leading of the Spirit from the very angle of the salvation of the soul. This is to give a holistic view and broad understanding of the issue of the leading of the Spirit, particularly for a “young believer” – one that is new in the faith.

It is good to stress the following

A. At the point of new birth, every believer’s soul is a baby in the Lord (just like a physical baby is born to physical parents). Though, the spirit is a new creation man, the soul is a baby (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17). This needs to be well understood pari-passu the issue of the leading of the Spirit. Many believers at their baby stage are ignorant and unaware of the issue of leading of the Spirit, which of course have begun in their spirit, however for their soul. If they are not helped and guided, they would end up following the wrong voice as a result of this ignorance.

Now this becomes imperative around the issue of the salvation of the soul. To assume that a new born babe would always get it right in the issue of the leading of the Spirit would be taking too much of a risk. This leads to the next issue. 

B. A new born babe needs to belong to a local assembly. Now this cannot be overemphasized! As simple as this might seem, it can make or mar the destiny of any saint (no matter the level of growth). Belonging to a local assembly helps sharpen the issue of the leading of the Spirit. This is because in a local assembly, the voice of the Spirit is overwhelmingly amplified (Hebrews 10:25). 

C. Submitting to, and maintaining a good shepherd-sheep relationship is key. This is the biggest help to a young believer’s ability to pick the leading of the Spirit (Psalm 23:1-3). It is on this premise the soul salvation message, by reason of properly and better discerning of the soul, places more premium on the issue of a shepherd/pastor’s (or five-fold minister) guidance and oversight for the sheep, so that they can end up in God.

Satan and evil spirits play a lot of tricks on the souls of us believers, particularly “those who have newly come to the faith”. Many of such tricks may be mistaken as leadings (many believers have mistaken them to be the voice of the Spirit) (2 Corinthians 11:2-3). This is where a shepherd/pastor (or five-fold minister), who has come to understand the soul salvation comes in, and renders tremendous help.

The soul salvation message recognizes and places premium on the leading of the Spirit but by the reason of discernment of the soul (by knowledge of God’s word) and different growth levels of the soul, such a pastor judges and appropriates the leadings of the Spirit in the life of a saint and sifts out excesses, deceptions and voices of idols which mimics and imitates leadings in the heart of a believer.

Goals of leadings of the Spirit for a child of God  

1. Leadings are meant to “birth and form” the nature and character of a child of God in our soul (Acts 4:30; 1 Peter 2:2). At the point of new birth, our old soul that was a “child of wrath/child of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2-3), was converted by being bought with the blood of Jesus, into a baby in the house of God (Acts 20:28). Though a baby in the house of God, the soul still has the nature and character of the adversary, which is sin (1 Peter 2:1, 1 John 1:8-9, Romans 12:2).

What the milk of the word of God is meant to do is to begin to reprogramme the soul of a newborn babe from the nature of sin that is in it, to coming into the beginning of the nature of God. However, the knowledge of the milk of the word alone has not been known to do anyone all the expected good without the leading of the Spirit around it. The milk of the Word and the leading of the Spirit is what turns a baby into a little child (I John 2:12-14).

2. The milk of the word plus the leading of the Spirit that a child receives around that word, is what imputes and imparts the name of the Holy Ghost on the soul of a believer (Matthew 28:18-20).

3. To paint “the true hope of the gospel” in the soul of a child of God (Ephesians 1:18).

4. To learn the Spirit in a measure, the way and character of the Spirit, which are summarized in faith and love (Ephesians 1:15).

5. To train the soul to discern and submit to spiritual authorities in the house of God (1 Peter 5:5).