Almost everyone now has a GPS device of some sort in their vehicles. If it isn’t built-in, then it is included with most cell phones or tablets. Or, it can even be bought as stand-alone unit. Most everyone would agree that having clear and concise directions to get where we are going is a big help and an invaluable tool when navigating unknown areas.
Likewise, we have an amazing resource available to us… a GPS for us to navigate every single turn in life and to guide us safely to our destination. Yet many believers do not know how to properly make use of this amazing benefit, or worse, they think they know how to discern the leading of God but are operating in error and being led astray without realizing it. So today we will be studying how to properly understand the leading of God so that we will never be led off-course again.
Back when I was a child attending Sunday school, I was taught some very dangerous false-doctrines by some well-meaning but very misguided teachers. The first was that when I accepted Jesus, that He would now come and live “inside my heart”, and the second thing is that if I ever wanted to hear God speaking to me, all I needed to do was listen for a “still small voice”.
Now these are actually very common ideas today, and you may have even been taught them or still believe them yourself, but it may surprise you to learn that neither idea is actually taught in scripture… in-fact both ideas are corruptions and twisting of scriptures that teach a completely different truth. Let’s begin today by taking a look at them because to truly understand how God directs us today, we first must destroy the common misconceptions. Most primarily quote Romans 8:9-11 to support their claims of Jesus living in our hearts, so let’s read it now:
“But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.”
On the surface, it seems as though my Sunday school teachers way back then were correct after all! Let’s be absolutely clear on this very important fact: The Holy Spirit is absolutely inside of each and every believer. This is a fulfilled promise directly from Jesus. The Spirit of Christ (again, the Holy Spirit) does dwell in us and quicken our mortal bodies just as the verses state. Even so we must understand a vital point of information here: that the name of “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name as many believe it to be, but it is a title that comes from the Greek word kristos, which means “anointed”. It is the equivalent to the Hebrew word mashiach, which means the Messiah, or the “anointed One of God”.
This is an important distinction because what these verses of scripture are truly saying is that if you truly have the truth of Jesus as the Messiah in you, then you are truly His and His Spirit is dwelling in you and quickening even your mortal body. You see, there are many people that know of Jesus and acknowledge His existence, but they do not know Him as their Messiah. They do not acknowledge Him as their Savior and Lord.
Now there is also another verse that some use to claim Jesus as “living in their heart” and this is in Ephesians 3:16-17:
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love”
We see that the context of this here is keeping the love of God demonstrated to us through the Messiah, in our “hearts”. It’s that word “hearts” that tends to confuse people here so we need to examine that a bit more closely. What makes it even more confusing is that the Greek word used there is the word kardia, where we get our English word “cardiac” which actually does refer to our heart muscle. But it is our English language that has actually corrupted the meaning, because in the Bible, kardia does not actually refer to the human heart at all; but to our mind and thoughts!
So what this verse is saying, is that the truth of Jesus as the Messiah, should continually be kept in our mind and thoughts by faith (which we learned in a previously study is information from God). In plain and simple language, this means keep the Word of God (Jesus) always in your mind and thoughts, don’t let it slip, don’t let the enemy distract you, guard it!
At this point some may say “James, you are nitpicking and being too literal. What’s the harm in telling people, especially children that Jesus lives in their hearts?”
I’m glad you asked. There are two big reasons why this is so dangerous. The first is that it is not Biblical. Jesus is not in our hearts, He is actually up in Heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19). And we should be glad that He is there. We should be glad He is there because where He is in that high place of honor and authority today is also where we are (Ephesians 2:6). We should be teaching people the truth of their high status in Christ and not some mystical idea that Jesus is osmosed into us.
The other big danger with this teaching is that it teaches people the same message of the world, to look inside themselves, and to follow their heart, for direction and guidance, rather than true leading from God, and this brings us to our main topic today, real divine-direction versus self-direction.
We have seen in multiple studies that Jeremiah 17:9 tells us in no uncertain terms that our “heart” should never be a source of counsel or direction. Let’s read this verse now:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Remember that the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, so the word for “heart” used here is the Hebrew word leb which translates to “the seat of emotions, passions and human desires”.
Your heart will always gravitate toward things that run counter to God, it is desperately wicked. We also see that it is deceitful. Your heart will deceive you into doing things and wanting things that gratify sinful desires and self, and you will be thinking that there is nothing wrong with it, or that it is okay.
On this point is where we need to bring in the second common misconception, that in order to hear God, all we must do is listen for a “still small voice”… and this is why that is very wrong. I have both experienced it myself and seen it in others, that when they listen for a still small voice, what they really end-up following is the voice of their wicked heart instead of God. Let’s examine that scripture now in 1st Kings 19:11-13:
“And he said, Go forth, and stand on the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice to him, and said, What do you here, Elijah?”
We see here that indeed there is a voice of God, though it’s not that still small voice (which in the Hebrew is properly translated as “the sound of silence”), but the Bible also makes a point to list three specific distractions that must be guarded against before hearing God’s voice. In verse 11 we see that the first distraction is a strong wind. Now the Hebrew word for “wind” there is ruach, which is the same word used for spirit. In this case however it is a false spirit because as we read in the verse “the LORD was not in the wind.” So these are spirits of the world. Worldly people, outside voices and distractions, terror, dread, voices of doubt and outside influences that would lead us away from Jesus.
The next distraction also in verse 11, is an earthquake. The earthquake represents the shaky foundation of false-doctrines, bad counsel and wrong beliefs. It is impossible to stand on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ if you do not have a good and true scriptural foundation from the Word of God (Christ Himself). Without solid ground, every attack and push of the enemy or worldly influences will knock us off of our feet because we are on shaky ground.
The third distraction which is listed in verse 12, is a burning fire. This fire represents the fire of human passion, desire and lust (sexual or otherwise). Human cravings. These come from self, and are oftentimes the greatest barriers and distractions between us and God.
I can list many examples of times when people have missed the leading of God because they were misled by one of these three distractions instead. Here’s a very common case… We have been studying today the importance of keeping Jesus in our mind and thoughts, and Jesus perfectly demonstrates the will of God in all things. We know that God wants us to honor Him with our personal life, our professional life, in our homes, and when we are out there in the world. We are ambassadors for Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:20). Therefore the Old Covenant Law tells us how to behave in all things. Here’s the trap…
You’ve probably heard it before that in order to “honor God properly, we need to follow those behavior guides in scripture. “Keep the Law of Moses” that’s what it’s there for! But is that divine direction or self-direction?
Well James, obviously it’s divine direction, after-all God wrote the Law!
Aha! But how does Christ fit in to all of this? What did He accomplish? Did Jesus fulfill the Law? For what purpose did He fulfill it?
You see, each of us needs to make a choice. One either based on our flesh and self, or one based on the divine truth of Christ. One which will either lead us down a path of works, of our own strength and fear and doubt — or one based on the finished work of Christ and what He has accomplished for us, leading to life and peace.
James! Stop! I know all this! But I have real decisions in my life which I need divine guidance on!
Friend, I understand that. But first we must actually settle the matter of Grace! This is the root and the foundation for every other decision in life; because if we do not settle Grace, then every other decision will be made from the faulty foundation of works-righteousness and legalism.
If we do not understand what Jesus has accomplished for us, and that He has given us a new identity, tore the veil and opened the way to unrestricted access to Him and the Father, by His sacrifice alone, and placed His Spirit forever inside of us, then we will go off in search of other methods, other ways, and open ourselves up to deception because we do not truly believe what He has made available to us.
People listen to all of these other voices because they do not actually believe that Jesus accomplished what He said and gave them His Spirit. They tend to call these other things, “urgings”, “promptings”, or they say “I just felt led to do this…”
My dear friends, nowhere in the Bible is it ever taught to follow urges, promptings or feelings. In-fact we are actively told in the Bible not to follow such things (Colossians 3:5-6). This is why these misconceptions are so dangerous and have actually destroyed souls.
So is there such a thing as genuine leading of the Holy Spirit? Absolutely! Let’s allow Jesus to explain to us Himself how we can have genuine leading from Him, in John 10:1-9:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.
And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
This parable spoke Jesus to them: but they understood not what things they were which he spoke to them.
Then said Jesus to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
In these verses, Jesus is painting a picture to help us understand true leading from His voice via the Holy Spirit. Let’s examine His words here.
Starting at verse 1 we see that anyone (or any voice) that does not come through the door of the sheepfold, but comes in through some other way, that person or that voice is a thief and a robber; in other words a false leading or a false voice.
In verses 2-5, it is made absolutely clear that he which does enter through the door, that is the true Shepherd, and the real voice of God. And the porter (the Holy Spirit) will open to him, and the sheep (believers) will hear his voice and be led by the genuine Shepherd. This is what we want, and so in order to distinguish between the true and false voice, we must now answer the question of “what is the door of the sheep?”
Jesus answers this question for us in verse 7, Jesus says amen, amen –
a double-affirmation – I am the door of the sheep.
Now we know from John 1:1, John 6:63 and many other places in scripture that Jesus is the Word, and so when Jesus says that He is the door here in verse 7 and confirms it in verse 9, His point becomes clear as we put these pieces of information together.
Any voice that does not come to us through Jesus, His Truth, His finished work (the door) opened by the porter (the Holy Spirit) is a false-voice.
The Holy Spirit has a role, but the Holy Spirit is never the star; the Holy Spirit only points people to Jesus. The job description of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of all the things which Jesus has said (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit never gives Himself glory, but merely helps us to understand and remember the words and the truth of Jesus.
So the proper way to receive the leading from God is to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth and then meditate on Christ, read your Bible and see His finished work; communicate with Him in prayer — because you can! And listen! You can not separate the Holy Spirit from this because this is His function in your life, as Jesus defined it. The very words of Jesus are spirit and life. And if you have any doubt at all about the leading of God, this is what true God-given Jesus-centered ministers are for, under-shepherds of Christ are there to help and feed the sheep.
We live in a microwave culture where everything is wanted now! However when I counsel people I always say, never let anyone or anything rush you into a decision without seeking the true word of God on the matter, and if someone demands an answer immediately from me, I simply decline the proposal. If someone tries to keep me from seeking advice from my CEO (God) then it is not a good proposition to begin with. And I operate that way in every area of life, because God is the owner and adviser of it all.
The enemy and even our own flesh will try to push us the same way with cravings and desires which scream to be satisfied immediately, but the same advice above for dealing with life and business decisions can even apply to the most personal of issues. Seek the true leading and guidance of God from the scriptures, and you will always be standing on the solid foundation of Christ Jesus, knowing that you are not being self-directed, but divinely-directed. This is a benefit for every believer because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.