Romans 8:14: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

In October of 2003, I was drunk 29 of 31 days. During that time, life wasn’t about how I was doing in college, how I was preparing to graduate, and definitely not how I was following Jesus. My life was being led by “Where can I find another drink?” I crashed hard after that month. I was being led by my fleshly desires, and God was nowhere near the top ten desires of my heart. I am so grateful that I realized my identity was not to be found at the bottom of a bottle. When one submits to the Lord, they are submitting to new leadership.

To be led by the Spirit of God is to live under the active guidance, influence, and authority of the Holy Spirit rather than being driven by the flesh, fear, or mere human wisdom. In Scripture, it is not a mystical phrase reserved for a few, but a defining mark of the Christian life. 

Being led by the Spirit is an identity before it is a technique. 

The verse today shows us that being led by the Spirit is first about belonging. The Spirit leads God’s children, not strangers. This means a few things: First, we are adopted, not coerced. God’s offer to be in His family is open to everyone, but He doesn’t kidnap people. Humans still have a choice. Second, being led by the Spirit means that any guidance we receive flows from relationship, not pressure. As one grows as a child, they naturally want to please their Father and be near Him. We do this by asking for and following God’s guidance. His guidance is good, true, and beautiful. His guidance is holy and in our best interest. Third, being led by the Spirit means that our obedience grows out of trust, not fear. Yes, we are to have a healthy fear, a wonderful reverence for God, but in Scripture, there are 365 commands to “fear not.” Over and over again, we are shown how trust (a deep reliance upon) is central to our relationship with God. This trust is anchored in who God is and His repeated faithfulness.

The Spirit does not drive us like slaves, but leads us as sons. 

The Spirit’s leading often includes prompting towards repentance, courage to speak truth in love, and a willingness to suffer or sacrifice. The Spirit doesn’t merely comfort, He conforms us to Christ.

#IdentityTruths #100daysofidentity #WhoAreYou 

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

For the curious type, shortly after that horrible month in 2003, I slowed down drinking and quit completely in 2014. I couldn’t do it without following Paul’s advice in Galatians 5, the support of my bride, and the grace of God.