The Holy Spirit
Our Guide
We find that God has given us (Saints/Christians) His Holy Spirit.[ 1 Th 4:8, 1 John 3:24.] And if we do not have the Holy Spirit we do not have Christ. [Romans 8:9]
If we then have the Holy Spirit what are we to do? The New Testament tells us we are to use the Holy Spirit as our guide; to allow Him to control and direct us and to follow His leading. In the passages listed below we find the following phrases:
- Live by the Spirit
- Live in accordance with the Spirit.
- Walk in the Spirit
- Be led by the Spirit
- Be Filled with the Spirit
- Live in accordance to God with regard to the Spirit.
- Guard with the help of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray in the Spirit.
- Mind controlled by the Spirit
- Serve in the new way of the Spirit.
- Serve in the newness of the Spirit.
If we are to use the Holy Spirit as our guide we have to come to know him. We have to take time to listen to him. And we have to submit our wills, plans and agenda's to His.
As an example if we have a church service planned and the Holy Spirit suggest a different topic for the Sermon or a different agenda for the service we must abandon our agenda and follow his.
Verses from the NIV and NKJV to back up the above statements:
- Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. (1 Th 4:8 NIV)
- Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. (1 Th 4:8 NKJV)
- Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. (1 John 3:24 NIV)
- So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Gal 5:16 NIV)
- I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Gal 5:16 NKJV)
- because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Rom 8:14 NIV)
- For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Rom 8:14 NKJV)
- And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, (Eph 5:18 NKJV)
- Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Eph 5:18 NIV)
- We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit(1 John 4:13 NIV) .
- For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. (1 Pet 4:6 NIV)
- For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Pet 4:6 NKJV)
- Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?(James 4:5 NKJV)
- Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? (James 4:5 NIV)
- Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Tim 1:14 NIV)
- And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Eph 6:18 NIV)
- I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (Eph 3:16 NIV)
- that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, (Eph 3:16 NKJV)
- And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Eph 2:22 NIV)
- in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:22 NKJV)
- And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, (Eph 1:13 NIV)
- In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (Eph 1:13 NKJV)
- Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:25 NIV)
- If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Gal 5:25 NKJV)
- So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Gal 5:16 NIV)
- I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Gal 5:16 NKJV)
- You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ(Rom 8:9 NIV) .
- But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. (Rom 8:9 NKJV)
- The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; (Rom 8:6 NIV)
- in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Rom 8:4 NIV)
- that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Rom 8:4 NKJV)
- But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. (Rom 7:6 NIV)
- But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Rom 7:6 NKJV)
- God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. (Acts 15:8 NIV)
- We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." (Acts 5:32 NIV)