Posted: 06/13/07

(Part 2)

The Sovereignty of the Spirit of Christ

An answer of hope on hearing God

      My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me
                                                                                                Jesus the Messiah

(John 10:27)

Luke 11:13
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

And in this same understanding of the heart of God how then can we believe He would leave us without personal direction?  Part of the lessons the Spirit of Jesus teaches is how to hear His voice.  Elizabeth Gren, the former widow of Jim Elliot, would have some interesting responses to the notion that God did not personally lead her in the jungle, and all the days since she Believed God. The Spirit of God Himself guides, teaches, directs and corrects.

God uses others and His scripture to confirm what He tells you, but it is by His Spirit He gives you that you are taught. After all, He enabled your understanding that you would repent and be rescued from your just reward. Why do you think He would abandon you afterwards? He wouldn't, doesn't and can't; His character shows He would never do so.

So do not deny the Spirit of God can direct your life; do not try to take back that which you willingly and gladly surrendered; do not try to take back your will.  It was never yours in the first place. Man is either a slave to sin or a slave to love.

God will direct you as He sees fit.  Be willing to let Him. Listen to His voice.  Learn to hear the voice of your King. With Godly counsel and Yahweh's Scriptures you will know whether what you have heard is of God or not…or are still trying to be "in control?"

Consider carefully...

1. Psalm 95:7
      For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:

2. John 10:3
      To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

3. John 10:4
      And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

4. John 10:16
      And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

5. John 10:27
      My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

One of the things men do that try to control others with the Christian religion is to deny the Spirit of Christ can lead, can speak, can comfort.  Our hearts are so wicked that we will deceive ourselves in order to have what we want.  In so doing we have believed Satan's lie and have tried to be as God, knowing what is good and what is evil.  That must not be so.  God will do as HE chooses.  Or will you now command God?

If we can only know and understand God through Scripture, if we can only be directed through Godly counsel, if we can only know what to do by what we ourselves work out, then we are still "in control", not God.  Jesus is either LORD or you still think you are.  Use the Scripture for what it was meant, as confirmation of what the Word has already told you.  The Scripture points us to the Truth.  But the Scripture is not that Truth, Jesus is.

"IAM the way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me" –Jesus, John 14:6

Romans 8:9
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.

Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Find out for yourself and then Trust Jesus, not in man.  I am no one, Steve is no one and neither are any of those he quoted.  Listen to God and learn wisdom from Him first.  Then you will know who is who and whether what you have heard is a lie or not.  Don't think I am telling you the Scripture is not to be used exactly for what it says of itself, no.  But the scripture is NOT God, Jesus is.  No book can save you.  You must surrender to Jesus, whom the Scriptures point to, for your salvation and sanctification.  Jesus must be LORD, not in your  own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in Yahweh with all your heart,

and don't lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight."

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me
                                                                                                Jesus the Messiah

(John 10:27)

Patrick J Burwell
Evangelist and Author
Click here for bio and archived articles
Evangelist@OnlyJesusSaves.com
Biblically Evangelizing Street Preacher
Minister of Evangelism for the Church of Living Faith in Newton, NJ
Founder and president of OnlyJesusSaves.com

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By Patrick Burwell Click here for bio and archived articles