Guidance from the Holy Spirit
Last Sunday, I pointed out Jesus’ faithfulness in John 7:8 to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit even in the gray areas of life, including the timing of his attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles. His obedience testifies to the truth of John 8:29, “And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
As Christians, we aspire to obey our Heavenly Father in the same way by discerning and heeding the internal voice of the Spirit. We want to “walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:4) so that we might bear the fruit of godliness in our lives (Gal 5:22). The first and most important way we do as much is by obeying all the commands in God’s Word. Rest assured, the Spirit of God will never compel you or anyone else to do anything that violates Scripture. That’s comforting and really helpful. Discerning the voice of the Spirit begins with knowing the Word of God.
But what should we do in all the gray areas of life where we don’t have an exhaustive list of biblical commands or prohibitions telling us exactly what choice we should make? Are my actions led by the Spirit? Or am I making something up in my own imagination to justify what I want to do?
Greg Allison and Andreas Köstenberger acknowledge this challenge in their book, The Holy Spirit (p. 403). There is an inescapably subjective element to the Spirit’s personal guidance. Distinguishing his leading from our natural desires as we make decisions is hard work! Thankfully, we aren’t left without some “objective” criteria. Here’s a list of questions they encourage Christians to ask, which I have lightly edited for readability.
Scripture: Is such guidance in accordance with the Word of God? Though a specific passage may not be invoked, is there biblical precedent or a biblical pattern for such a course of action?
Jesus: Does such direction exalt Jesus Christ? Or will the alleged guidance wrongly foster one’s own reputation and/or promote one’s own fame?
Holiness: Does such guidance stimulate progress in holiness? Does it lead to walking in the way that Christ walked?
Mission: Is such guidance directed at engaging others with the gospel so that they may become disciples of Jesus Christ?
Church: Does the church community – especially those members who know the person well – confirm this direction of the Spirit? Is one’s tendency to dismiss the church’s authority in such matters… and is such rejection not due more to personal frustration of not getting one’s (wrong-headed) way?
Spirit: Does such direction bear the fruit of the Spirit, which clearly consists of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23)?
Try to use some of these questions the next time you’re making a significant decision in a gray area of life where it’s not easy to immediately determine what would please the Lord. And as you do, trust the Spirit’s faithfulness to “instruct sinners in the way” and “lead the humble in what is right” (Ps 25:8-10). He is eager to help us apply God’s Word in the smallest details of life.