2 Corinthians 1:17 “Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No?”
The second example that we will look at of being led by the Holy Spirit, is the apostle Paul. Paul never did anything unless he was led by the Holy Spirit. When he wrote to the church in Corinth as quoted in the passage above, he told them that his plans were never done in the flesh. By implication he was saying that all of his plans were done in the spirit as he was led by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 20:22-23 “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, (23) except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul reveals to us that he had been led by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem. The term he uses, is that he was going as one who was bound in the Spirit. And so even though the Holy Spirit had warned him that chains and tribulations awaited him in Jerusalem when he got there, he was still being obedient by going. Some have thought that Paul missed God by going to Jerusalem on that occasion, but that is not the case at all, for after Paul was arrested in Jerusalem the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul to encourage him that he was in God’s perfect will (Acts 23:11).
Galatians 2:1-9 “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. (2) And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. … (7) But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter … (9) and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.”
Paul followed the leading of the Holy Spirit in every area of his life. We have already seen in an earlier account, how Paul sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit as to where he should preach the gospel. In the above quoted account Paul and Barnabas knew that their time was drawing near to when the Lord would send them out as apostles for the first time. Up until this time Paul and Barnabas stood in the offices of prophet and teacher. The Holy Spirit then revealed to Paul that He wanted Paul and Barnabas to go up to Jerusalem to compare the gospel he was preaching with the gospel that Peter, James and John were preaching, to make sure that both ministry teams were on the same page, so to speak. And so Paul and his team went up to Jerusalem and met with Peter, James and John. It was in that meeting that it was recognised by the leadership in the church that the Lord had specifically called Paul to preach the gospel to the gentiles. And so we can see from the above accounts that it is clear that both our Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul were led by the Holy Spirit in every area of their lives, and as believers we should follow their example. Walking in our Father’s perfect will for our lives carries not only a blessing in this life, but also for all eternity. All believers should desire to know the Father’s perfect will for their lives, and be obedient to walk in it. Having said that, we will now look at just how we can expect to be led by the Holy Spirit in this life so that we can fulfil His perfect will for our lives.
Michael E.B. Maher
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