Led By The Holy Spirit
Romans 8:6 (Amplified Bible) 6 Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].
At the fall, relationship was broken between man and God. Man had given up his free will to the Devil, and now they had no Divine guidance, so sin grew worse and worse, until the flood. Though the flood looks cruel to us, I do believe it was God’s mercy on the people, as he wanted to deliver them from the enemy, the Devil, sin and from themselves. The 10 commandments had not been given before the flood, so I think God knew that they did not know what they were doing and He had mercy on them.
Romans 4:15 (Amplified Bible)
15 For the Law results in [divine] wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression [of it either]. Before the law people were not conscious of their sin, especially not having the law or the Holy Spirit to reveal it to them.
But we are not under the law; we are under the Grace purchased for us by the Blood of Jesus. And so, through baptism we died to sin in Christ 2000 years ago, He has risen in us and has become our new life by the Power of His Holy Spirit granted to us since Pentecost. A good way of picturing this is to see yourself pregnant with the seed of Christ in your heart.
In John 14, 15 and 16 we see that Jesus leaves us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who comforts us and teaches us:
John 14:26 (Amplified Bible)
26 But the Comforter (Counsellor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.
If we know that God is love, and that He sent His Holy Spirit to comfort us and teach us, we can trust the Lord to have love and compassion in the way He deals with us. God is not the parental figure that some of us have learned to dread, but He is a loving, caring Father, who provides for our every need, providing we are willing to receive His help.
Who, in this stressful world would like to choose another way than the way of peace and comfort?
If we are in Christ and we follow the teaching and the leading of the Holy Spirit, most of the messes in our lives will become unraveled as we walk in God’s love, He heals our broken relationships for example by the power of His love in us.
We start to perceive more clearly God’s way of doing things, we start to appreciate the laws that have been set up, because these very laws break the power of the enemy in our lives, and bring life and peace. These laws do not seem logical to us, because they often go against the very way we would like to deal with these particular situations.
I pray that you may come to really value the Ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life, and to really come to know that He is there to help you, to comfort you, to defend you, to strengthen you and to teach you.
- What do you thing the mind of the flesh means?
- Why should we trust the Lord?
- What does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit?