How To Be Led By The Holy Spirit (Full Sermon)

This comprehensive summary, tailored to Google’s SEO standards, synthesizes core Christian truths concerning the nature and role of the Holy Spirit, the assurance of salvation through Christ’s finished work, and the practical keys to living a Spirit-led life characterized by rest, love, and freedom from fear. The teaching emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is Jesus in unlimited form, and true spiritual growth relies on understanding Christ’s work for the believer before focusing on the Spirit’s work in the believer.

I. Understanding the Person and Primary Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Divine Godhead—as divine as God the Father and God the Son. While He is not shy, His primary role is not to call attention to Himself, but to glorify Jesus.

The Role of Conviction and Righteousness

The Holy Spirit’s primary role is not to keep reminding you of your sins. Instead, He convicts the world of “sin in the great singular,” which Jesus explained as the sin of not believing on Him. Once a person believes, the Holy Spirit convicts them of righteousness because Jesus has gone to the Father, and He convicts them that the prince of this world (the devil) has been judged.

Jesus Unlimited: The Helper

The Holy Spirit is referred to as “another helper,” meaning another of the same kind as Jesus. He is essentially Jesus in His unlimited form. While Jesus on earth was confined to one place, the Holy Spirit is not, enabling the same miracles to happen simultaneously across the world.

The Greek word for helper is paraclete, meaning called alongside. He is a comforter who abides with believers forever. The Holy Spirit loves believers just as Jesus does, and the first mention of the Holy Spirit in the book of Romans (the Magna Carta of Christianity) is to reveal that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit”.

II. Assurance of Salvation: Christ’s Work For Us

God deliberately structured the revelation of salvation so that believers focus entirely on Christ’s finished work on the cross before introspecting on their inner feelings or the Holy Spirit’s activity.

The Priority of Christ’s Work

The Holy Spirit is not mentioned in the first four chapters of Romans because God does not want believers to “confound the work of Christ for you with the work of the spirit in you”. Many struggle with feeling “safe” or “empty” because they are looking inward when they should be looking outward, focusing on Christ.

The Unshakable Witness of the Holy Spirit

Salvation is secured entirely by God’s actions, not human performance or spiritual feelings. The Holy Spirit acts as a witness in the “court of heaven,” testifying to us, not in us.

The witness is this: At Calvary’s cross, the Holy Spirit saw God place all of the believer’s sins (from childhood to old age) on Jesus, who was punished in their place. Because Christ was rejected, believers are accepted. The Holy Spirit now righteously testifies that, under the New Covenant, “their sins and their lawless deeds, I will remember no more”.

This witness does not change regardless of whether a believer feels spiritual or “carnal”. Since the redemptive work was done outside the believer (by Christ), it cannot be undone by the believer’s subsequent failure or introspection. Accepting and believing this truth leads to perfect peace.

III. Living a Spirit-Led Life: Peace Over Performance

To be led by the Spirit is the way God wants believers to live. Being led by the Spirit replaces the bondage of legalism and reliance on willpower.

The Wavelength of Peace and Rest

The Holy Spirit leads on the wavelength of peace. Peace should be the believer’s default mode or “natural habitat”. The devil drives and pushes, leading to restlessness and anxiety, whereas God leads.

• Rest is Activity: Rest is not inactivity, but Holy Spirit directed activity.
• Red Light Guidance: The Holy Spirit often leads more with a red light than a green light. When a believer experiences a disturbance of peace or restlessness when about to make a decision (even a seemingly good one, like preaching in a wrong location), that is the Spirit’s red light.
• Avoiding Law: Being led by the Spirit means a believer is not under law. This frees them from rigid, dogmatic rules (like diet trends or traditions) that lead to self-righteousness and misery.

Practical Love and Correction

The Holy Spirit guides individuals in all areas of life, including parenting, marriage, and career. For example, instead of committing adultery (Law), the Spirit leads a husband to love his wife (Grace). This might mean listening to her needs instead of giving mandatory flowers, as the Spirit knows when and how to love best.

While the Holy Spirit’s primary role is glorifying Jesus, He does provide correction through the anointing of leaders when necessary.