This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Click here to read Part 1.
A couple weeks ago, we looked at three ways the Spirit guides us.
- The Spirit guides us by calling us into relationship with Jesus.
- The Spirit guides us by purging our sinful urges and growing his fruits.
- The Spirit guides us by the truth of his written Word.
So, have you been seeking the Spirit’s guidance? Have you been looking to him, listening for him, keeping in step with him?
Let’s look now at three more ways the Spirit guides our lives.
4- The Spirit guides us by the process of godly discernment.
Psalm 119:125 says, “I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes” (NIV). To be discerning means to have sound judgment, to be wise, to think about the world as God does. This means thinking, reasoning, testing, trying, asking, learning, growing by the Spirit’s guidance. Johannes Kepler, 17th century German scientist, believed that every discovery in biology, mathematics, chemistry, psychology, sociology just means learning something God already knew. Kepler didn’t want to be original. He believed that true knowledge and discernment was “thinking God’s thoughts after him.”
And so, we need to pray that the Spirit will give us good discernment, sound judgment, and solid reasoning. The proverbs say living with discernment according to God’s wisdom, means not being foolish. Not all issues in life are right or wrong – some are wise or foolish. And so, faced with any particular life choice, we can pray and ask God, “What choice makes sense? What response would be wise? How can I live in a way that honors you?”
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The Holy Spirit renews our mind and enables us to discern the will of God. Examine the issues, test the possible outcome, and use Spirit inspired judgment to “discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10).
5- The Spirit guides us by bringing consensus with other believers.
True Spirit-led wisdom and discernment shouldn’t be pursued solely on your own, but with other wise, godly people. We see this in the early church in Acts 15. A disagreement had arisen about whether or not Gentile Christians, had to be circumcised and follow the Old Testament Laws. Paul and Barnabas debated with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this (vs. 6-7). Then James speaks, quoting from Amos 9 (they consulted their Bibles!), and says, “Therefore my judgment is that…(vs. 19).” His best judgment is that the Gentile Christians should have a few basic restrictions, but they should not be burdened with the entire law. Everyone agreed and that first church counsel found consensus: “it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church… (vs. 22).
In fact, through the process of hearing testimony, discussion, debate, and consulting the Word of God, the Holy Spirit was leading them. The letter they wrote to the Gentiles says, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements” (vs. 28).
As we seek the Spirit’s guidance, we need to do so with other believers. Consult godly friends, family, your spouse, and church leaders. Ask for their wisdom and input. Don’t make important decisions or seek God’s guidance in isolation. The Spirit guides us through the counsel and unity of our brothers and sisters.
6- The Spirit guides us by aligning our thoughts with his thoughts.
This can be one of the more direct ways that the Spirit guides us. The Spirit leads us in life, so that our thoughts are in line with the heart of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 says this:
“But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’ – these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God…‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
Through the Spirit, God has revealed to us what no human mind could even imagine. The Holy Spirit is the only one who knows and understands God’s thoughts, and since we have the Spirit of God, we can understand all the wonderful things given to us by God. Of course no one fully knows the full depth and complexity of God – no one can instruct God – but we do share in the mind of Christ!
In the most fundamental sense, this means that we can think about life from a godly perspective. If we want God to guide us, we need to know God and know how he thinks about the world: what he values, what he loves, what he hates, what he desires, what he thinks is good.
And since the Spirit of God is in us, we can understand God’s thoughts, not just in a general sense, but at times in very specific ways. The inner voice of the Holy Spirit can direct, steer, and point our thoughts to align with his. He can align our thoughts, so we know what is righteous in a broken world, how to comfort someone in grief, how to pray in the midst of a dilemma, how to love someone in need, how to speak truth to an unbelieving friend, etc. To do so, we must humbly seek him and quietly listen.
- The Spirit guides us by calling us into relationship with Jesus.
- The Spirit guides us by purging our sinful urges and growing his fruits.
- The Spirit guides us by the truth of his written Word.
- The Spirit guides us by the process of godly discernment.
- The Spirit guides us by bringing consensus with other believers.
- The Spirit guides us by aligning our thoughts with his thoughts.
Brothers and sisters, these are six fundamental ways the Holy Spirit guides our lives. Know him, seek him, follow him. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”