:I’ve been considering the concept of “being led by the spirit.” I’ve noticed that some people have a mistaken understanding of what that means in the context of Christianity. They think that being led by the spirit means performing grandiose works and receiving specific directions from the spirit. But in reality, being led by the spirit has everything to do with Jesus Christ and nothing to do with behavior modification.
In John 15:26, Jesus says, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ. His role is to lead us into all truth, as Jesus promised in John 16:13. The truth is not about perfecting our flesh or modifying our behavior.
The truth is all about Jesus Christ. John 2:1 tells us we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. It is through faith in Him that we are justified and find peace with God. It’s not about what we do, but about what He has done for us. The Holy Spirit reminds us of this truth, and through Him we are comforted and guided.
When we focus on Jesus, we are freed from the burden of trying to earn favor with God through our own efforts. Galatians 3:11: “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.'” We don’t need to strive to keep the law or commandments in order to please God. Our focus should be on Jesus Christ who is our righteousness and our sanctification and our life (1 Cor 1:30, Col 3:4)!,
In fact, the Holy Spirit is not concerned with our behavior or trying to perfect our flesh. Paul sayas in Galatians 5:16, ” Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and rely on Him, the desires of the flesh lose their power over us. Lets remember that being led by the spirit is all about Jesus Christ. Let’s keep our focus on Him, and rely on Him for grace and comfort. We don’t need to strive to perfect our flesh or earn favor with God through our own efforts. It’s all about faith in Jesus Christ, who has done everything for us.
Romans 8:1 declares, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Let’s walk in the Spirit, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is our advocate, our comforter, and our Savior. Let’s trust in Him and rest in His grace.
Nolan Wheaton
Nolan Wheaton is a young preacher. We are fully in synch in what we express, but he has a gift for encouragment and evangelism, especially for younger people who struggle with issues of assurance, condemnation, legalism, etc. His channel has tons of great content! This article is based on the video he made: Being led by the spirit has everything to do w/ Christ and nothing to do with behavior modification: https://youtu.be/VEViH2u_dRs
Keywords: Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, faith, grace, justification.
Meta Description: Being led by the Spirit in Christianity has everything to do with Jesus Christ and nothing to do with behavior modification. Our focus should be on Him and rely on His grace and comfort.