Follow the Leader

Speaking to a large audience, D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, “How can I get the air out of this glass?”

One man shouted, “Suck it out with a pump!”

Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass.”

After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass.

“Here,” he said, “all the air is now removed.”

He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by “sucking out a sin here and there,” but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.

We have been looking at our victory we have in Christ from Romans 8 in my recent blogs.

This blog will look at 8:12-14, and we will see our new leader for victory.

“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

We are free to choose the Holy Spirit to be the leader of our life instead of the flesh.

In vs. 12, it says we are no longer under any obligation to the flesh.

We don’t have to live according to the flesh anymore.

In vs. 13, it shows us the two choices we have as believers.

If we choose to live according to the flesh, we will die.

The idea here is that we will live an unproductive, fruitless and defeated Christian life.

We are cutting ourselves off from experiencing Christ’s resurrection life through us.

But, if we choose to yield to the Holy Spirit as our power source and put to death the fleshly desires, we will live.

The idea is we will really live a genuine, abundant life, which is Christ’s very life flowing through us.

If we do this consistently, we will experience more victories and grow spiritually.

This way of victory over the power of sin working through our flesh is described in vs. 14 as being led by the Spirit.

The Spirit leads us through His Word and by His power.

The more we yield to Him; we will grow to maturity as God’s sons.

The phrase “sons of God” is literally “adult sons.”

As we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives, He will empower us for victory and mature us in Christ.

Let’s yield to Him!

Blessings!

Pastor Ken Keeler, Director of Church Ministries