Galatians 5:16-18 (TPT)
Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life. When your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit you hinder him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your self-life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is one of the most vital aspects of your life as a believer. He is also widely considered the most mysterious member of the Holy Trinity. Christ certainly wanted to reinforce the importance of the Holy Spirit when He was telling the disciples about His impending departure back to Heaven. In John 16:7, He told the disciples that it was better for them that He was leaving because when He left, the Holy Spirit would take up His abode in them.
Can you imagine being told that there was something better than living every day in the presence of Christ? That’s exactly what Jesus told the disciples. His declaration that their lives would be better when the Holy Spirit came should encourage us.
Today, the same Holy Spirit who moved into the lives of the New Testament believers after Christ’s return to Heaven lives within each and every one of us. However, for us to enjoy all of the benefits that Christ was telling His disciples about, we must allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit in the way that Paul was talking about.
While it’s difficult for us to understand the Holy Spirit and all He does and wants to do in our lives, we can learn more about Him through understanding what it means to be led by the Spirit.
1. Being Led by the Spirit Defines You
Romans 8:14 (NIV)
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
One of the greatest things you can ever know is exactly who You are. We live in a world that tries to get us to identify ourselves by any number of things. Many people find their identity in their jobs. While there’s nothing wrong with working hard, God doesn’t want us to define ourselves based on our careers. Others choose to identify themselves by family relations, marital status, societal status, or any other number of things.
According to Paul’s letter to the Roman Church, when we are led by the Spirit, we are the children of God. Your position as God’s child should be the most important aspect of your identity. When you’re God’s child, you don’t have to be afraid of anything because you know that your Father will protect you. When you know you’re God’s child, you don’t have to worry about provision, because you know that He will meet all your needs. When you’re God’s child, you don’t have to stress about eternity because you know that your forever has been sealed.
2. Being Led by the Spirit Sets You Free
Romans 8:15 (NIV)
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
When you are led by the Spirit, He leads you out of captivity to a number of things, including fear. Before you gave your life to Christ, the Bible says that you were a slave to sin. One of the natural byproducts of sin is fear. When we do what is wrong, and we know that those wrongdoings drive a wedge between us an God, we become afraid. We are afraid of the future, we are afraid of death, we are afraid of eternity because we know that there is something between us and God.
When we are led by the Spirit, we are led out of that fear. No longer a captive to fear, the Spirit-led Christian embraces the peace of God.
3. Being Led by the Spirit Means You Produce Fruit
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The Fruits of the Spirit that Paul wrote about are found in a few verses after today’s opening passage. Take a look at the things that Paul wrote about coming from the life of a Spirit-led individual. How much better would your life be if those things were the more prevalent in your daily interactions with others?
What if you loved people the way that God has called us to love others? What if you were more patient with others? Wouldn’t your relationships thrive? How much less stress would you experience if you had more joy, peace, and self-control?
The fruits produced by the leadership of the Holy Spirit do nothing but make our lives better. Not only does this result in you feeling better about yourself, but it also improves your relationships with others, and your relationship with God. The Holy Spirit always leads us into deeper relationship with God.
4. Being Led by the Spirit Changes Your Decision Making
John 14:26 (NIV)
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Every day, your brain makes more than 35,000 decisions. Some of those decisions don’t even require a lot of thought, and they don’t have any far-reaching effects on the rest of your life. However, others can have a significant impact on your future. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you knew what God wanted you to do in those times where you’re making a difficult decision? Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you can!
According to Christ, one of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to teach us and remind us of the things that Christ has said. When we remember the teachings and words of Christ, we can make better decisions. Allowing yourself to be led by the Spirit can alleviate a lot of stress, as you realize that you’re making decisions based on Christ’s teachings.
5. Being Led by the Spirit Gives You Victory Over Sin
Galatian 5:16-17 (NIV)
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
In closing, let’s go back to the verses that we read at the beginning of today’s study. Every day, you are engaged in spiritual warfare. The Holy Spirit is urging you to do good while your flesh pushes you towards evil. The side that wins is the side that you submit to.
When we choose the things that please our natural flesh, we cannot please God. Conversely, when we choose the things of the Spirit, we cannot please the flesh. Over time, the side that you stop pleasing loses hold on your life. When you’re led by the Spirit, pleasing God becomes a more natural reaction.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, show me any areas in my life where I have not fully submitted to Your authority. Help me to embrace the leadership of the Holy Spirit so I can reap these five benefits. I know that the Holy Spirit’s leadership is the right choice for my life. In Christ’s name, Amen.