The Holy Spirit (Part 11) - Being Led by the Spirit (Part B); Grieving the Holy Spirit

---

 

The Holy Spirit (Part 11) - Being Led by the Spirit (Part B); Grieving the Holy Spirit i. God leads us by teaching us to do His will (Psa 143:10). a. God teaches us to do His will by His word which is written in our hearts (Psa 40:8 c/w Heb 8:10-13). b. By reading the Bible, we hide it in our hearts (Psa 119:11). c. Therefore, God leads us by teaching us from the word of God in the scriptures which resonates with the word written in our hearts. ii. Wisdom leads us in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment (Pro 8:1 c/w Pro 8:20). a. God leads us in right paths by teaching us the way of wisdom (Pro 4:11). b. Wisdom is found in God's word (Pro 2:6; Deut 4:5-6; Ezr 7:14 c/w Ezr 7:25). c. Therefore, God leads us through His word. iii. God leads us by instructing us (Deut 32:10). a. God gave us the scripture for instruction (2Ti 3:16). b. Therefore, God leads us by instructing us with the scriptures. iv. God teaches us His way and leads us in a plain path when we dwell in the house of God and enquire in His temple (Psa 27:11 c/w Psa 27:4). a. The house of God is the church (1Ti 3:15). b. God's temple is the church (1Co 3:16). c. The word is preached and taught in the church by pastors (Eph 4:11- 12; 2Ti 4:2; Tit 1:3). d. God's way is in the sanctuary (Psa 77:13). (i) Sanctuary n. – I. A holy place. 1. a. gen. A building or place set apart for the worship of God or of one or more divinities: applied, e.g., to a Christian church, the Jewish temple and the Mosaic tabernacle, a heathen temple or site of local worship, and the like; also fig. to the church or body of believers. (ii) The sanctuary is the dwelling place (house) of God (Heb 9:1- 2; 1Ch 22:19; 1Ch 28:10). (iii)The NT church is God's sanctuary (house, habitation) (Eph 2:22). e. The Psalmist Asaph was led by the Spirit into proper thinking when he went to church and learned from God through His word (Psa 73:17-28). f. Therefore, God leads us through the preaching of the word in His church. B. How do we know when God is leading us versus when we are being led by our emotions? i. Men have a way of convincing themselves that their ideas are right and therefore must be the product of the Spirit of God leading them. a. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes (Pro 16:2). b. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes (Pro 21:2). c. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes (Pro 12:15). d. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man (Pro 14:12).  ii. Preachers and professing Christians often claim they are following the Holy Spirit's leading as an excuse to do what they want. a. This makes it hard for ignorant and unlearned believers to argue with them because they are made to feel like they are arguing with God. b. No Christian should ever accept a preacher's or a fellow believer's claim of being led to do something by the Holy Spirit if he cannot produce a Bible verse to support his decision. c. "The Spirit led me" is an invalid argument unless it followed up with a Bible verse. d. There are two ways to deal with a preacher or believer who claims the Holy Spirit led him to do something. (i) Ask him to give you a Bible verse which instructed him to do it. (ii) Answer the fool according to his folly (Pro 26:5) and tell him the Holy Spirit led you to believe that the Holy Spirit did NOT lead him. e. The Holy Spirit is not double-minded and therefore will not lead one man to do one thing and another to do something contrary to it. iii. If a man thinks he is being led of the Spirit to do something, he better be able to point to a Bible verse that supports his idea. a. If what he is being "led" to do is not in accord with scripture, he is not being led by God (Isa 8:20). b. If he cannot point to a Bible verse which is telling him to do the thing which he says the Spirit is leading him to do, then he is being led by his imagination rather than the Holy Spirit. c. Be VERY cautious about essentially putting words in God's mouth when you say "the Lord led me to…" when you don't have a verse of scripture to back it up (Jer 23:31). II. Grieving the Holy Spirit 1. We are commanded to not grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30). 2. Grieve v. – 1. trans. To press heavily upon, as a weight; to burden. Only in pass. Obs. 2. Of persons: To harass, trouble, vex, gall by hostile action; to oppress; to do wrong, hurt, or harm to. 3. Sinning grieves the Holy Spirit, as the context of Eph 4:30 makes clear (Eph 4:22-32). A. The Holy Ghost was grieved by the rebellion and hardheartedness of the children of Israel (Heb 3:7-11, 17). B. God was grieved at the wickedness of man prior to the flood (Gen 6:5-6). C. Jesus was grieved for the hardness of the hearts of the Pharisees (Mar 3:5). 4. Rebelling against God vexes the Holy Spirit (Isa 63:10). 5. Vex v. – I. 1. trans. To trouble, afflict, or harass (a person, etc.) by aggression, encroachment, or other interference with peace and quiet. 6. If you grieve the Holy Spirit, He will grieve you (Jos 7:25; 2Sa 22:27).