In the book of Galatians, we are told,..”live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (5:16). “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (5:18).
The application of these exhortations may be misapplied by Christians in some ways that are not so obviously noted as “not being led by the Spirit of God”.
At the heart of living is decision-making; being led by God’s Spirit would imply making good and right decisions in the eyes of the Lord God. As ‘sheep’ of the Lord Jesus, we are to make decisions by moving through life under the guidance of The Good Shepherd.
Bad decisions however can take the form of following impressions -launches masquerading as messages from God through the Spirit. Here we must be fully conscious of spiritual warfare; much as we desire being led by God’s Spirit, the evil one is constantly working “dressed as an angel of light”. The devil may not attack in direct obvious ways, but he specialises in deceptions and one way he can do that effectively is to give impressions disguised as that coming from God through the Spirit.
Self-proclaimed holy hunches and impressions can be a source of real danger. True, our Lord does indeed sometimes gently nudge His sheep in one direction or the other – particularly those who know Him well and are used to recognising His voice within. But this is less the norm than many assume, and it is not the place to start when seeking guidance from God.
Healthy decision making is not a matter of thinking what we want to think, and then acting as if it were true. It is not a matter of following our feelings although if, by the grace of God, we make wise decisions for the living our our life, good feelings and even joy regularly follow. But the wise Christian, seeking God’s guidance does not start with impressions and subjective fantasies. Wise Christians start with the written Word of God, which they receive as their guidebook, as from the hand of Jesus Christ Himself. We make our decisions in the light of what Scripture actually says and then, following on from that, in the light of wisdom that comes to us as we soak ourselves in God’s Word, and in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Author of the Word. The Word, the Spirit, and the wisdom: these are the resources for good decision-making and being led by the Holy Spirit of God. These are the resources that promote and sustain wholesome spiritual health.
The study of Christian belief can help differentiate true belief (orthodoxy) from false teachings (heresy). Theology grounds us in the truth so that we are not “blown here and there by every wind of teaching (Eph. 4:14). Theology serves the crucial task of instructing believers in Christian doctrine. The Lord Jesus commands us not only to evangelise the world, but also to ‘make disciples of all nations.’ And this task includes “teaching them” (Matt. 28:19-20). God desires us all to become mature, stable disciples of our Lord (E[h. 4:11-14). Therefore, we must not outgrow the need for instruction.
What has this to do with being led by the Spirit? The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth, and as the Author of the Bible, He desires us to be instructed deeply on the ways of God and the revelation of God. The Word of God and the truths of God thus matter if we seek to be led by God’s Spirit and to live in the Spirit. Theology helps us differentiate true belief from false teaching; it helps us to gain a firm grounding in the Christian faith, and also helps us understand what the Bible teaches about God and the world. The study of theology is hence vital to every Christian and such a proper study should enhance our faith.
But a warning is in order. People who study theology sometimes allow theologizing to become a substitute for genuine, personal faith. We dare not and must not replace commitment to the Triune God with our doctrines about God. We must not allow our enthusiasm for our ability to formulate statements about Christ to diminish our love for Him. And we must resolutely avoid placing confidence in our abilities to develop a theological system. Our hope for salvation and our walk with God in the Spirit can only rest in the God in whose service we stand. The danger of substitution is real; yet when theology truly does it work, the result is positive.
To walk in the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit need our understanding, appreciation and fellowship of the Triune God; and the resources to help us avoid the dangers and pitfalls are God’s Word, Godly instructions and teachings on the Christian life and the Christian worldview. The devil can quote the Bible; he can throw ‘darts’ of deception, impression and hunches, and he specialises in arousing our fleshly desires and inclinations. He works constantly and He looks for ‘kinks in our armour’; we must constantly be vigilant as we seek to please God and to serve Him individually and together as a church.