How many of you want to be led by the Spirit of God?
In all the affairs of life.
In our parenting, married life, our business, ministries,
our church life and in everything that we do,
even in our relationships, we want to be led by the Spirit.
In my preaching and teaching, this is one of the things I pray.
That God will lead me even while I'm preaching and teaching.
That is what’s most important.
It's not my preparation but what the Holy Spirit
prompts me to say and what He leads me to say that
would be the most beneficial to the people.
And it says in Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led”
“by the Spirit of God are the ‘hyios’ sons of God.”
The adult sons of God.
We established last week, as we studied on Galatians 3 and 4,
how the apostle Paul says that:
“We are now sons and no longer infants.”
“But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son,”
“made of a woman, born under the law,”
“to redeem those who were under the law.”
Okay?
And now, we have received?
Sonship.
And the word for “sons” is no longer “nēpios”.
The word is now “hyios” in the Greek, which is
a full grown adult son.
And a full grown adult son does not need rules and regulations.
It doesn't mean that he is lawless,
but he keeps the spirit of what those things mean.
In fact, he keeps it with gladness.
It's like if he goes to a factory or company,
the father might be an owner of many corporations.
And when he goes in there and he works there,
it's a different spirit from all the workers.
He is conscious if they don't switch off the lights when they leave.
He is conscious that they don't unnecessarily waste money.
Why?
Because he has a stake.
He's going to be the heir of all these corporations.
So he serves in a different spirit.
It's not a matter of just keeping the law.
It’s a matter of keeping the spirit of it.
Which is love.
Love is the fulfilling of the law.
So when you're under grace, you don't become lawless.
But you will walk in the Spirit,
“that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.”
Notice, it is “in us” and not “by us.”
As we walk after the Spirit, the righteousness of the law
is fulfilled in us.
So here it says in Galatians 4: “Because you are sons,”
you are “hyios.”
“Hyios.”
Now, you are “hyios.”
Grace has come, you’ve believed the gospel
and now you are sons.
“God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,”
“crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’”
“Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son.”
“And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Wow! Praise God.
Notice that once you are a son, God sends His Spirit into your hearts
by which you cry, ‘Abba, Father’”.
The Father is most pleased when you approach Him as Father
because you are a son.
We can learn all about the names of God:
“El Elyon.”
“Elohim.”
“Yahweh Tsidkenu.”
“Yahweh Mekaddishkem.”
“Yahweh Rohi.”
All the names of God!
But the name that He wants to be known as is Father.
The name that Jesus came to reveal is Father.
And He prayed in His high priestly prayer:
“I have revealed to them Your name, Father.”
Amen.
“That the love by which You love Me may be in them.”
Isn't that beautiful?
So own this Spirit of sonship.
And exercise it more and more.
Actually this is how the Holy Spirit leads us.
The way we are led by the Spirit is this Spirit of sonship.
We need to be conscious of it.
Tune into it.
So that we can hear God's voice or leading, I should say.
Many a times, it's not a voice.
It's a leading.
There is a voice.
“My sheep hear My voice,” Jesus said.
But most of the time, it's the Holy Spirit bearing witness.
That's how the Holy Spirit leads us.
Adult sons can expect to be led by the Spirit.
“Nēpios”? No.
Under the old covenant? No.
They were led by laws, by rules and regulations.
But for us, we are led by the Spirit
and the Spirit will never tell you to violate the Ten Commandments.
No, no, no, no.
In fact, following the Spirit would cause you to fulfill even more.
Like the Ten Commandments says: “Don't steal.”
You will end up as a giver.
You'll be a blessing to others.
In fact, the law says: “An eye for an eye.”
But following the Spirit, you will be a blessing even
to those who curse you, those who persecute you,
those who do harm to you even.
You will pray for them, that God would bless them.
And then you find satisfaction when you do that.
Amen. Praise the Lord.
And look at the context again.
After verse 15, it says: “The Spirit Himself”
“bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
The number 1 way God leads us is to
bear witness with our spirit.
He bears witness with our spirit.
Hallelujah.
The phrase “bears witness” is the Greek word “symmartureo.”
It means “to witness together.”
Now, for the Holy Spirit to bear witness, means
there must be an action executed.
God does not guide a parked car.
The GPS does not work, the voice doesn't activate, right?
It does not give you directions when you are stationary,
When you do nothing, there's nothing to bear witness to.
It's only when you step out, He bears witness.
You don't feel that’s right.
You say something— that's not right.
Or you say something and you feel good.
The Spirit of God is telling you: “Go on. You're on the right track.”
All of you know this!
You are a child of God.
You have this witness.
And the number 1 area,
the first area that He tells us, that He bears witness with us
is found in this verse: “That we are children of God.”
“The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are”
“children of God.”
The word “children” here is not “nēpios”.
It is the word “teknon”, which is an affectionate term for children,
a general word for children.
Here we have the Holy Spirit bearing witness.
Likewise, if you want to make a purchase
or make a decision, even in your parenting.
You’re unsure when to discipline, when not to discipline your children.
At times, if I don't discipline, I feel frustrated inside.
I feel like there is no peace.
I need to discipline.
There are times when I discipline and there's a restraint.
I feel the Spirit of God saying:
“Okay, stop right there. Don't go any further.”
But there are times, the Spirit of God is like—
there is a frustration when you don't discipline.
Just like Eli.
He did not restrain his sons.
Like David, he never disciplined his son, Adonijah.
And they all died.
The sons all died in these stories.
You know, children want to be disciplined.
If they go astray, they want to know you care.
They want to know that you care enough to tell them: “No.”
And sometimes, if their friends want them to do something wrong
and they ask you, they want you to say: “no.”
So that they can use your “no” on their friends.
My father said: “No.”
You are actually helping them.
Praise God.
For children that are disciplined— invariably, I find that
even for my son, Justin, he always ends up
more affectionate towards me.
Don’t discipline with anger.
It has to be with a heart that is out to set things right, with justice
and a spirit of grace.
That is still disciplining.
Amen.
And the consequences are always in proportion to the deed done.
They will always know that you love them.
The overriding principle is love.
You can also apply this in any area of your life.
In your married life, there are times you about
to say something and the
Spirit of God says: “Don't say it. Don't say it.”
Many of us were there before, right?
Where you say it and there goes the peace,
and strife comes in.
This is the number 1 way that God leads us.
Child of God, we are not led by things based on
philosophy, the books you read, based on what this person says,
based on this rule or regulation about marriage.
No, we are led by the Spirit.
Every woman is also unique.
Your wife is unique and you need to follow the Spirit.
Can I have a good amen?
And before you sign anything, before you purchase anything,
listen to what the Spirit says.
Pray and ask God to lead you.
But how does God lead you?
By bearing witness.
Amen.
Bearing witness means like you're in court,
you bear witness with an action that has been executed.
If you find that you're not doing anything,
it's hard for the Holy Spirit to bear witness.
Amen. Praise the name of Jesus.
So even if you're not sure, take a step of faith.
Paul did this.
He determined to go to a place called Bithynia and the
Holy Spirit restrained him.
He tried to go somewhere else but the Spirit of God restrained him.
Then the Lord led him through a supernatural vision, in that case.
But there's this restraint.
And Paul was very sensitive to that.
Paul says he served God with his spirit.
You will find that deep down, that's how you know
you're a child of God.
Someone can come to you
and say: “You know what? You're not saved.”
Now your head may be troubled a little bit,
but deep down you have the spirit of a son.
Deep down, the Spirit of God says:
“You are a child of God.”
Amen.
Praise the name of Jesus.
Hallelujah.