You can develop your conscience into the pursuit of obedience without guidance.
You can follow as best you can the Ten Commandments. But when it's a simple thing like, Lord, should I go to the left or right? You might not be in the habit of asking Him with the determination to go either in either direction or to go to that left or right, whichever He says, contrary to maybe what you say. In other words, don't already make up your minds when you get on your knees. It doesn't serve anyone well. You're supposed to set the pace through righteousness, and that has not changed for the Christian and the Christian church.
We're not supposed to ask the world, how should I thus be? We're supposed to say, thus says the Lord and I'm throwing everything I've got. Against the sin of my own life.
And now we have man-made laws legalizing things that should be crimes. They have fallen, but they're spiritually untrue. How will they know that? This is why our witness is so important, because we're the ones that are supposed to tell them. If you follow them, as what Paul is saying, you will die. The life in the flesh at the end is death. The life in the spirit is eternal life. And that death for those in the flesh is not the end of an existence.
It's a miserable, unending existence. And thus Paul's words again, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade all men. We are fighting two spiritual wars. At the same time, all of us, we fight to reach the laws. We fight to know our Bible so we can rightly divide the word of truth. We fight to be loving, because the Bible tells me, which is God tells me, if I have not love, what am I? Go ahead, you can get in this one.
Nothing! If I have not love, I am... Yeah, we're getting there. We're getting there. So listen, this is uncomfortable. Can you just preach? Well, this is karaoke day at the... Everybody's a good singer now. I want that point to drive home for us all, because you have to know, when God says, if you do not have agape love, you are nothing.
And there's no way to dodge that. You cannot say, yeah, but did I not prophesy in your name? Look at all my skills and talents.
Look how much I give to the poor. Look, I've given my body to be burned. Yeah, but if you don't have love, it's nothing, because other people do the same things in rejection of Christ, and they end up dead spiritually, because that's where the flesh goes. So the fight is still ours. So the first part, the first part of the fight is to reach the lost. The second part is to fight our own disobedience, that rebel that lives in our own heart. That's our flesh, and we are to fight that fallen nature all the time. And the Holy Spirit helps us in war against both, but it's only help. He doesn't always just come in and give the total victory.
The fight is still ours. And if it weren't so, you would not have to study to show yourself approved a worker, because he'd just do it all for you, but you do have to study. What happens if you don't? Then you're caught flat-footed. And when you need to move into the area of wise spiritual counsel, you don't have it.
This is the problem. You know, the scripture said, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me into green pastures. That means he feeds me, not only the things I need for life, but his word. When it comes to scripture, God is not in habit of leading his children into dirt fields where there's nothing to feed on.
He wants us healthy. And you know, what happens if you don't fight the good fight? You see, it's not automatic. It is a knock-down, drag-out affair, and by the time it's done, we can't wait to get out of here. But we do have to wait to get out of here. And anybody who comes to Christ because of my contribution makes it all worth it. So he says here in verse 13, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you fight to restrain the deeds of the body. He's already mentioned that he himself has struggles that he can't get the upper hand on in chapter 7. A critical difference between the saved and the lost is in the Spirit versus in the flesh. They don't get it, and hopefully we'll be able to bring this to them because the Christian's lifetime quest is to defeat their flesh and to develop their strength. So as you sit there and you say, well, you know, I'm good at this, and this is a virtuous thing, are you developing it?
Are you putting any of it to use? Is it getting stronger? Because your flesh will get stronger, and it doesn't even have to practice. It doesn't have to train. The flesh does not have to study to show itself approved. It's already strong.
Well, if I'm going to meet these challenges, I better start investing myself. This used to excite men into the ministry. And oftentimes you get men, they don't want the ministry, they just want the limelight, and that is a tragedy. But good Bible teaching should send Christians to their knees. They should hear things in sermons that strike them. And not necessarily in a hard way, sometimes it's just a glorious way, but it sends them to God. You know what I've learned? I've learned a lot of things.
Alphabet's one, but sorry I didn't mean to do it like that, I just felt like I'm talking to a friend. When I pray to have a pen and pad close by, we're going to Leviticus now, and God summons Moses to the temple. Do you think he had a pen and pad with him? Because he then gives him the law. There's no way he's going to memorize this. He's writing away. Because we want to hear from God, we want to remember what we've heard from him.
We want to do something with it. I remember once praying to God and he gave me something and I thought, this is great. I didn't write it down.
I'm still kicking myself. So I try to keep a pen and pad with me whenever I'm in my quiet time talking to the Lord. The quest to defeat the flesh, develop the strength. I charge you, well let me reread that, this charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. Timothy, we prayed for you and it was identified in the spirit that you had a particular gift.
I'm telling you, Timothy, to work that gift, to develop it, to make it stronger. Fight the good war, fight the good fight. He says again, repeating it, that by them you may wage the good warfare.
So yeah, we have two fronts to fight on. We fight to save the lost and we fight to be strong as the saved. He says here in verse 13, and you will live.
That's the prize. I love this verse from Philippians chapter 3, verse 14, I press toward the mark. That's the old King James, the new is gold, but I like the mark better. I press toward the mark for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. You see, this is high preaching. Would you like low preaching?
Would you like to be encouraged to fail? Would you like to have your flesh fed or your spirit challenged? Because you got to feed the spirit more than the flesh.
If that dog's going to get the upper hand in that dog fight, he's got to be fed more. So you will live, and evidence of that life is we will confront sin even in ourselves. You ever come across somebody who tells you they're Christian? Maybe they are, and they've committed some sin, and they won't own it.
Yeah, but what? The only thing you can do when Nathan says you're the man is repent. There's no hemming and hawing.
Well, let's look at this from a different angle. These are marks of the true Christian. The true Christian says, I have sinned. Forgive me, Lord.
What do I need to do to get this fixed? Verse 14, for as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God. You see this use of the word spirit in this 8th chapter? This is a voluntary act. It is by consent for as many as are led by the spirit. You don't have to be led.
You can choose not to follow Christ. He's a gentleman. He's not going to kick the door in. Behold, I stand at the door and I knock. I don't kick it in and force you.
I love that about him. This is said by one who suffered harassment and hardship and heartache. Which is the worst one of those three? To be bullied? To have things that are just, you know, just exhausting?
Or to have your heart broken? Well, they all go together if you're serving Christ long enough. The twofold meaning of this 14th verse, which is a kingpin verse. Every Christian should memorize this verse. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are the children of God. The twofold meaning is, yeah, my salvation. When I give my life to Christ, I'm led by God. I'm a child of God.
But the primary application I think Paul is giving us here is my sanctification. My guided life. What happens after I'm saved? I don't just say, well, I'm saved, Lord. See ya when I get to heaven.
It's I'm saved, Lord. Can you guide my life? Can you lord over me? Can you lead me?
Can you take me under your absolute authority? And when he doesn't, we're disappointed. Lord, why didn't you do more? In John's Gospel, Jesus talking about the good shepherd himself. He talks about this shepherd. He says when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him, but they know his voice. That's what a shepherd does.
What's the Latin for shepherd? Pastor. Christians lose sight of that sometimes. Pastors lose sight of that sometimes. Can't beat the sheep.
That's not the way it goes. You'll step into the pulpit. Let's find all the things wrong with you. Life under Christ lordship. The concern is that we can be saved and make carnal and spiritless decisions without being led by him in his name. We should all be afraid of that.
I don't mean spooked, but aware. Who do you live under? Who's authority? Who's guiding your life?
You know, we love to have this on refrigerators and coffee mugs. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct your path.
Really? I'm saying it doesn't happen, but it does need to be put into question form, Matt. The dominant influence of our lives.
Is it the Lord Jesus Christ? Is every decision filtered through him? Do we lean on our own understanding? Say, I'll take it from here. Or do we think an ambition is sufficient? Well, I really want that job.
Well, I want to really live there. Yes, but did you talk to God about this? Well, you know, you can develop your conscience into the pursuit of obedience without guidance. You can follow as best you can the Ten Commandments. But when it's a simple thing like, Lord, should I go to the left or right?
You might not be in the habit of asking him with the determination to go either in either direction or to go to that left or right, whichever he says, contrary to maybe what you want. In other words, don't already make up your minds when you get on your knees. It doesn't serve anyone well. And if you get away with this, it's because God is merciful and God is gracious, but you're still being shortchanged. And it will offend people. If you are led by the Spirit, you will offend people. Christians!
Of course, not the world. They have other issues. But Christians, you know, well, let me pray about this. What's to pray about? Your behaviors.
One is the question, why would you ask that question? If I say I want to go talk to God about it, why are you standing in my way? Why do you make me feel uncomfortable? Why are you pressuring me? I can call fire down from heaven.
It won't come, but I can ask. Alright, stay serious. So, should we genuinely encounter someone, genuinely led, don't butt heads with them.
Lift their arms up in support. In the wilderness, Israel was led by what we know to be the Shekinah, the presence, the visual manifestation of the presence of God. It was a theophany. That's a created thing representing God's presence. And for them, it was a cloud in the daytime.
That would help shield them from the sun. And it was fire at night. They followed that Shekinah wherever it led them. Not a Christophany. A Christophany is when Christ appears in the Old Testament in human form.
But a theophany is when He uses a created thing to mark His presence, like the bush that burned but was not consumed. And Moses said, I got to go see this. And what an experience that was, the whole Moses thing. Don't forget, Moses is one of the greatest men that has ever lived.
Be nice if his name was more appealing, like David, but he is a dynamo. Anyway, back to this, numbers nine. At the command of Yahweh, they remained encamped. And if your name is Moses, I'm sorry. It's just one of those things I'll be thinking about tomorrow.
Anyway, numbers 923. At the command of Yahweh, they remained encamped. And at the command of Yahweh, they journeyed. They kept the charge of Yahweh at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses. God spared Moses. God said, Moses, I'm going to spare you grief. I'm going to lead the people because if I just tell you, Moses, go into Moab now. Oh boy, why are we going there? How long before we get there? Why don't we go this way? So God says, you know what, I'm going to give you a little break and you can just follow the cloud and follow the fire. Now that is my take on how it went. Anyway, the road to Ishmael's.
If you know the story of Hagar and Ishmael, you know he's a problem. And that road can still be paved to this day. And it is paved by not following the Lord. We're talking about being under his Lordship, leaning not on your own understanding, being led by the Spirit of God and not doing whatever you want to do. Maybe sometimes God often leads us to do what we want to do. He's not a meaning pants up there. You really want to do that?
No, you can't. He's like, I put that desire in your heart. Yeah, I want you to do that. I'll come back to him when we get to Isaiah. But back to Ishmael. What makes Ishmaels in our life is lack of devotional time with the Lord. Lack of trust in the Lord and what you get out of your devotional time if you have it. Lack of agreement with God. You know, you can say yes, Lord, but secretly be saying, I'm not doing that.
No. Lack of obedience is the outcome. May Christ-centeredness dominate over our self-centeredness. That's what the believer wants. Ezekiel 13, verse 3. Thus says the Lord Yahweh, woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing. Wow, that kind of verse is the kind of thing that's supposed to resonate with the believer. You don't say, well, that's the Old Testament. Well, so as thou shall not kill. How about Jeremiah 23, 21?
I love this one. In fact, the whole 23rd chapter of Jeremiah's work. Anyway, I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I've not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. Now, that's Bible language. It's like, I didn't send these guys, yet they went anyway. I didn't give them anything to say.
They didn't stop flapping their gums. Well, we want to bear fruit for the Lord. And this is the other side, when you are led by the Spirit, and you can be led by the Spirit. It's the Father's pleasure to give us the Spirit, Jesus said. Isaiah said, here am I.
Send me. He wanted to do this. Jonah, on the other hand, resisted, but he did submit the very, very hard way.
And you guys just love Jonah and love that God put his story in the Scripture. So I can go ahead and resist God as his child, but I might have to pay for that. Being led by the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit never means losing self-control. You can be overwhelmed, but that does not mean you're out of control or free to be a distraction. Well, the Spirit just came over me.
I couldn't control myself. Well, that's not the Holy Spirit. Because the gift of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. He continues self-control. I don't know why this is missed.
1 Corinthians 14 verse 32, and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. You have a right. Well, I just couldn't. I burst out into tongues. Well, we burst out into going upside your head, because we lost control. You see where that could go? It's just like, if you can lose control, we can lose control.
What gives you the right? Now, maybe you don't like those examples. I don't do good farmer ones. I come from an upbringing, not as hard as some others, but there was a lot of knuckle fistfights growing up. Anyway, I won them all.
The rule is to fight people that are half your height. Anyway, do these verses mean anything to you, or do they interfere with your self-will? The verses that I've been reading, they're creating you, yes, yes, Lord.
I want to get to that place. Or does it just bounce off of you? It doesn't do anything. Well, remember, the Holy Spirit is our breastplate. The priest had the ephod, that was the vest, and over that vest he had this breastplate, and in that vestplate he had the lights and the perfection that would tell the Jews which direction to go in. Zechariah 4.6, not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. That used to be a central verse in the Calvary movement. I fear it's not so much anymore. It should be a central verse for all of us because it says what Paul is saying here in Romans chapter 8, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God. So in our zeal to be led, let us remember others are also zealous to be led, and let's not be, you know, a drag on them.
There are three primary features to being led. Hearing God say something to you about, Lord, what should I do? Well, you can get no, and that's the way it's got to be.
And you'll be, boy, it would have been so nice, you know, but he said no, and no opportunity arises. It could be wait but work. There's no waiting without work in Christ. If you're going to be waiting, you better be studying, you better be serving, you better be doing something. Maybe you're praying about serving, so you've got to wait, and while you're waiting, do something like stay in the Word. And then, of course, there is yes.
Sometimes, oftentimes, God says yes. Acts chapter 16, this is Paul wanting to take the Word into Asia. Luke tells us they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia. The Holy Spirit said, I don't want you preaching over there.
They're not getting the Bible from you. Somebody else could do that. You're not doing that.
That's how it was. That's no. Then the church in Philadelphia, one of the seven churches in that region, modern day Turkey, Revelation 3a, Jesus said to this church what he couldn't say to Ephesus, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Laodicea. He could not say this.
He also couldn't say it to Smyrna because they were busy being hunted down, but the other five, because they weren't behaving, he says to them, I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it. For you have a little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied my name. To that kind of church, he can open doors. To those kind of Christians, doors can open.
But to the others, not so much. By the Spirit of God, he says here in verse 13, not self, you know, again, to be led by the Lord, he often uses, very often uses, people to lead other people. We're not free to be vigilante Christians. Those are the ones that forsake the assembling of ourselves, that are rebuked for that behavior. Yeah, they're still going to heaven and not questioning their love for the Lord, but they're out of formation. These are the sons of God who are led by the Spirit of God. Children ought to obey their parents, are they not? Yes, they are.
Well, unless they're trying to get them to rob a bank for them, there are exceptions. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast, too, so you'll never miss another edition. Just go to your favorite podcast app to subscribe. On our website, you'll be able to learn a little more about the ministry of Cross Reference Radio, so make a note of it, crossreferenceradio.com. That's all we have time for today, but thanks so much for listening. Pastor Rick will be back next time in the Book of Romans here on Cross Reference Radio.
