Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Man is a traveller to the eternal world. Left to self-guidance he possesses vast and uncontrollable powers of self-destruction. What is he without a guide in the wilderness, a pilot on the ocean? Some recognise no other spirit, and are guided by no other spirit, than the spirit of the world — i.e., by the "god of this world." I. THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SPIRIT FOR THIS GUIDANCE. 1. He knows the path to heaven — all its intricacies and dangers: the sunken rock, the treacherous quicksand, the concealed pit, the subtle snare, the windings, and intricacy, and straitness of the way. It is utterly impossible, then, that He should mislead. 2. He knows His own work in the soul All its light and shade, its depressions and revivings, its assaults and victories, are vivid to His eye. Dwelling in that heart He knows where wisely to supply a cheek, or gently to administer a rebuke, or tenderly to whisper a promise, or sympathetically, to soothe a sorrow, or effectually to aid an incipient resolve, or strengthen a wavering purpose, or confirm a fluctuating hope. II. WHAT IS IT TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT? 1. It assumes — (1) The existence of spiritual life in those He leads. He does not undertake to lead a spiritual corpse, a soul dead in sins, The leading of the Spirit, then, is His acting upon His own life in the soul. (2) Entire inability to lead themselves. What can we see of truth, of providence, of God's mind and will, of ourselves? 2. It involves leading as — (1) From ourselves — from all reliance on our own righteousness, and strength. But this divorce from the principle of self is the work of a life. And who but this Divine Spirit could so lead us away from self, in all its forms, as to constrain us to trample all our own glory in the dust? But more: He leads us from an opposite extreme of self — from a despairing view of our personal sinfulness. How many walk in painful and humiliating bondage from not having thus been sufficiently led out of themselves! Thus from sinful self, as from righteous self, the Spirit leads us — (2) To Christ. Are we guilty? — the Spirit leads us to the blood of Jesus. Are we weary? — the Spirit leads us to abide in Jesus. Are we sorrowful? — the Spirit leads us to the sympathy of Jesus. Are we tempted? — the Spirit leads us to the protection of Jesus. Are we sad and desolate? — the Spirit leads us to the tender love of Jesus. Are we poor, empty, and helpless? — the Spirit leads us to the fulness of Jesus. The holy Spirit is our Comforter, but the holy Jesus is our comfort. (3) To truth — "He shall guide you into all truth." Though many claim Him as their Teacher, He disowns them as His disciples. Tossed from opinion to opinion, perplexed by conflicting creeds, are you anxiously inquiring, "What is truth?" commit yourself to the guidance of the Spirit. He can harmonise apparent contradictions, reconcile alleged discrepancies, clear away overshadowing mists, and place each doctrine, precept, and institution clear before your mind. (4) To all holiness. As the "Spirit of holiness," it is his aim to deepen the impress of the restored image of God in the soul, to increase our happiness by making us more holy, and to advance our holiness by making us more like God. All His unfoldings of Christ, views of God, rebukes, joys, have this for their object — the perfection of us in holiness. (5) To all comfort. If sorrows abound, consolation much more abounds, since "the Comforter" is the Holy Ghost. He comforts by applying the promises — by leading to Christ — by bending the will in deep submission to God — and by unveiling to faith's far-seeing eye the glories of a sorrowless, tearless, sinless world. (6) To glory. There He matures the kingdom, and perfects the building, and completes the temple He commenced and occupied on earth. In conclusion: Beware of being guided by any other than the Spirit of God. The temptation is strong of being biassed by the profound research, the distinguished talents, the exalted piety, and admired example of men. But this must not be. It is inconsistent with the honour that belongs, and with the love that we owe, to the Spirit. "Thou shalt guide me by Thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory." (O. Winslow, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.WEB: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. |
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