God Led Me to Buy a Ford

One of our most frustrating experiences, when it comes to being led by God, is missing the point. We want to focus on circumstances. Which car do we buy? We fail to notice that Abraham's servant was led circumstantially because he followed God in terms of obedience - I, being in the way, God led me.

In the New Testament the statements "led by the Spirit" (Romans 8:14) and "led of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:18) occur in a context which emphasizes a change from sin to virtue. This separation was highlighted by Jesus Himself in Luke 4, where he was "led by the Spirit" into the wilderness to confront the devil's treachery. It is not difficult to make the connection. As the Spirit led Jesus to demonstrate His sinless credentials to be our Savior, so He leads us to confront and separate from sins in our lives for which Jesus died. When that is understood we come out of the fog with regard to two important truths.

One: SIN STILL EXISTS. The Holy Spirit does not lead us to a happy co-existence with wrongdoing in our lives. The verses around Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:18 leave no uncertainty to the identity of moral, ethical and relational sin issues. To suggest that Old Testament prohibitions against pork chops are the same as prohibitions against sexual immorality and the like is to stumble badly.

Two: sin affects our ability to make right choices. Being led by the Spirit has to do with allowing Him to confront our sinful disorientations which cloud our judgment. As we follow His leadership He will reorient us onto right  paths. It will not be easy, any more than Jesus' confrontation was easy. Nevertheless, we will make progress and He will finish the work when we see Jesus.

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