Adventure with the Spirit(Part 2)

Follow the Spirit’s Leading

So, if Christians are meant to take risk in obedience to God, it is important to know what He is commanding us and how He is leading us. The best way to know what God commands is through His word, the Bible. Nothing God commands us will ever go against His Word. If we know the Bible well, we will not be led astray by voices, ideas, or desires that are not of God. For most decisions in the Christian life, all we need is to live in a way that is in line with Scripture in each of our decisions.

We are also told in Scripture that each Christian is supposed to be led by the Holy Spirit, and each person will have unique callings from God throughout their lives. I’ve known and spoken with many Christians who have “heard” from God or been led by the spirit in unusual ways, but in clear conscience. If God was glorified or the gospel shared as a result, I don’t choose to question too much. However, while there are rare testimonies of guidance from dreams, angels, or audible voices, these can just as often lead a person astray. Paul and the early apostles did sometimes receive directions in dreams or from angels, but these are experiences that are rare for us. So what does the guidance of the Holy Spirit look like for an average Christian?

Practice Obedience

What Jesus said on this topic and how Paul lived it out, are two good ways to answer it. The first answer is, it looks like walking in obedience. When Jesus first talks of the Holy Spirit in John 14, He pairs the conversation with “If you love me, keep my commands”. Before we are saved, we are powerless to obey God’s commandments, but through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to live righteously. When Paul writes about living in the Spirit, it is usually in a context of living in the Spirit rather than gratifying the flesh (Galatians 5:13-26, Romans 8:1-17, 1 John 3:24). Though it may seem obvious, the most common way the Holy Spirit leads us, is in our growth in righteousness and pursuing what God desires.
Paul lived this out in the books of Acts. Each time we are told, Paul was led by the Spirit, it was for the sake of the Gospel. Most times when Paul came to a crossroads, it was during a time in which he was already ministering. When Paul was already being faithful, the Holy Spirit led him into his next steps. If we want to learn how to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, practice being obedient to the Spirit leading us in everyday choices of righteous living.

Abide in His Presence

Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit in John 14 and John 16. In chapter 15, right in the center of the conversation, Jesus talks about abiding in Him. If we want to be led by the Spirit, we have to spend time abiding in God’s presence. If the Holy Spirit is God’s presence in us, but we never acknowledge that presence, we are not going to be aware of how the Spirit is trying to lead us. Most of the time Paul or the early church prayed, it is not only for petitions to be answered, but also for strength to be obedient and faithful and also for the guidance and direction for knowing God’s will for them. James 1:5-6 tells us to pray for wisdom so that we may receive it.

James 1:5-6
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

Living a Costly Life

Jesus also speaks a lot about suffering and persecution in the second half of chapter 15 and through chapter 16. Paul’s life of Spirit-led obedience led him into tons of hardship and persecution. If we want to live a life led by the Spirit it is going to lead to some kind of persecution or hardship in our lives.
This is where Christians are commanded to take risks, and this is where our lives can become a wonderful yet difficult adventure. We are meant to walk with God through the fire, trust Him in the lion’s den, walk on the waves in the storm, and see Him break open prison doors with earthquakes. However, all our heroes in those situations, were taking steps of faith among danger, or being faithful despite persecution. Oftentimes, as Christians in America, we value comfort and safety so much, we tune out the Spirit whenever He commands us to step outside our comfort zones. Then we complain that we never hear from God or feel like we are being led by the Spirit. We are, we just might not be listening or obeying. To know where the Holy Spirit is leading, be willing to face and expect opposition.

The Greatest Risk

Lastly, we are called to take risks to share the gospel. Not every Chrisitan will be led by the Spirit to minister in the same way, but every Chrisitian is called to share the gospel. We are given the Holy Spirit so that we can be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:9
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The encouragement Jesus gives alongside the Great Commission Matthew 28:18-20 , is that He will be with us always to the end of the age. Be open, be seeking, to see how you can take a step of faith and take a risk in sharing the gospel.

Matthew 28:18-20
"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus, as always, set the example in taking risks in obedience to God. Jesus prayed if there was another way rather than going to the cross, but in knowing God’s will, he was faithful in the most costly choice ever made.
The Son of God humbled himself, leaving behind heaven for earth, embracing the hardships of human life, and eventually dying for all of us. The hero of the story gave His life to save and redeem the villains. In a way, it was the riskiest choice ever made, but like any good risk, it was for faith in a goal and it blessed humanity.