HOW TO OBTAIN GUIDANCE

Rom 8:14

Morning Meditation 3/7/16

If you are like I am, this is a subject on which I am constantly seeking help. Well, first of all guidance is essential for the Christian.

Paul said in Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” This is not stating a condition to salvation but an evidence of it. The words “are led” (ago) translate a word that means according to Strong, “to lead by laying hold of, and this way to bring to the point of destination.” It is used of one leading an animal. It is a present passive indicative verb. The present tense represents continuous action in the present tense. In other words, a person who is saved is experiencing continuous leadership of the Lord. I can just hear someone say, “Well, I must not be saved then. Because I am not experiencing that leadership all the time.” I simply ask. Do you believe in the infallibility of the Scripture? Verse 14 is a statement of Scripture. How is this explained? If this is true, does this mean that those who are not experiencing the leadership of the Lord are unsaved? No. It does not mean that. Let’s go a little further in our exposition. The passive voice of this verb means that the “sons of God” are being led by a source outside themselves. The passive voice means that the subject is the receiver of the action not the originator of it. So the guidance is coming to “the sons of God” from the Holy Spirit. It does not mean that you are following that leadership. It means that God is constantly attempting to lead His children. He never gives up. The guidance is always there. We may not recognize it because of distractions or sin in our lives that is interfering.

If I have his guidance in my life continuously, how do I recognize it? First of all, we need to learn to recognize God’s voice. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” (John 10:27). We run into these phrases all the time: “The LORD said unto Moses” (55 times), “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to the chariot,” (Acts 8:29), and speaking of Paul, “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me,” (Acts 9:4). Then Jesus said in John 14:10: “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

The Father lived in Jesus and spoke to him not in an audible voice but in a discernable voice. I believe we will have to agree that Jesus was guided by an indwelling voice. Jesus stayed tuned to the Father continually and lived out that guidance so that he could say, “the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” Jesus said in John 5:17 “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

But can we have this kind of guidance? Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” This verse definitely teaches that there is communication between the Holy Spirit and our regenerated spirit. That is the voice. That is the guidance.

Realizing that guidance is obtained from an indwelling Person, the Holy Spirit, and is the privilege of all believers, lets examine how it is obtained.

Someone has said: “First, we make as sure as possible that we approach the subject upon which we desire light as God’s servants seeking the fulfilment of His will in His way; this, of course, should not and does not take long, for it is the normal attitude of Christ indwelt lives.”

Then we should utilize the mind and it rightful position. We can make mistakes here. Some confuse “common sense” with the Lord’s voice. They put too much emphasis on human reason. Others put to little emphasis on reason and try to obtain guidance by emptying their mind. (I don’t have to try to empty mine). The truth is that our mind is a servant to serve us. But it is not the final arbiter of truth. Someone has said, “The exaltation of the human reason to the throne of authority in life is the sin of ‘the wisdom of this world.’” Reason is the sorting house but not the Sorter. Its function is to investigate and to think things through using Scripture to direct along the lines of the revealed will of God and to eliminate unscriptural things. Moses said in Numbers 16:28: “And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.” The mind is to be used but only as a servant.

We should thoughtfully examine our situation, know all that we can about it, let the Scripture throw light on it, but then we must not as a result of those reasonings and investigations make the ultimate decision. The ultimate decision must come from the Inner Witness.

In order to know his voice, we now change our approach. Now we must get quiet before the Lord. For Elijah it was the still small voice. Isaiah put it this way in Isaiah 30:21: “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Psalm 4:4 says: “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.” David said in Psalm 16:7: “I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.”

While our hearts are disturbed and our minds exercised with the situation, his voice will probably not be heard. This is the reason many have gone to some secluded spot to get alone so that they can quieten themselves to hear the voice of God. When we reason we concentrate on the problem. Now we must concentrate on him, the Solver, the Guide. We must remain as little children before him and refusing to act until we know.

Then the conviction comes. Often circumstances arrange themselves so as to make a certain course obvious. This is probably the most common way guidance comes. One of God’s greatest miracles is his providence. He is the Master of arraigning circumstances. Sometimes a Scripture will be personalized to you. It will just rise up off the page and put its arms around you and plant a kiss on your cheek! Have you ever had God personalize a verse to you? He communicates to our spirits through a mind stored with the facts that eliminate the unscriptural and aims at his glory alone. The final arbiter of the will of God is stated by Paul in Colossians 3:15: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” The word “rule” (brabeuo) and means “to be an umpire.” It is a present tense which means that it is to be a constant in the present tense of our lives. It is an imperative mood which is the mood of volition. We must decide. Seeking his guidance is a choice. The imperative mood is also a command.. We are commanded to operate by this principle. The imperative mood also expresses urgency. It is urgent that we have his guidance. Decisions made without his guidance can mean disaster for the Christain.

I trust that we will seek his guidance and maybe this Meditation will help us along the way..

God bless you.

In Christ

Earl White