Led By the Spirit of God

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Led By the Spirit of God 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

Romans 8:13-14

Perhaps most true believers are familiar with Verse 14, above, where the word "sons" is the Greek huios, which means a more mature son. Everything that we do or say must be led by the Spirit of God. There is no other fixed rule or procedure that we can use that will avoid wood, hay, and stubble. Note from Verse 13, above, that the natural man cannot mortify the deeds of the body; that too must be done through or by the Spirit. It also goes without saying that it is not sufficient to be able to quote the above Verses ... the word must become flesh. (May we say that the Word must replace flesh?)

Undoubtedly, many charismatic/Spirit-filled believers, particularly those in leadership positions, would declare that they are led by the Holy Spirt. Most of those would also state that their church is led by the Spirit. That may be true doctrinally, but in practice? Many pastors would say that they always ask the Lord what they should teach/preach the next Sunday. Many music leaders may also say they ask the Lord what songs to sing at the next gathering. But that pre-conceives that in every meeting we must sing some songs and someone must teach or preach. Even Moses, the man of the law, said,


25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.

26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither. Exodus 10:25-26

Does that Verse no longer have any application for us because it is in the Old Testament? How can any church be led by the Spirit when the same routine is followed religiously every Sunday? Many years ago a good brother said that he stopped having meetings in his home every week because the same people came every week, they sat in the same chairs, they sang the same songs, followed the same pattern, and nothing was happening. So he said, Why have the meeting? We have longed for 50 years to see a church where the gatherings did not follow any fixed pattern but where there was spontaneity and a freedom for the Holy Spirit to move as He wills. That of course must be balanced by, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11).

24 And He [Jesus] said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias [Elijah], when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus [Elisha] the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29 And rose up, and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong.

30 But He passing through the midst of them went His way, Luke 4:24-30

There is much of significance in the above verses (for another word) but one immediate truth is clear ... Even Elijah and Elisha of Old Testament times were led by the Spirit.

Few believers would disagree that Jesus should be our example. And no believer would deny that Jesus was always led by the Spirit. Now some may say, "But brother, I am not Jesus." True, neither am I. But do you and I have the same Spirit that Jesus had when He walked the face of the earth? Jesus said,

But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me. John 5:36

28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things.

38 I speak that which I have seen with My Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. John 8:28, 38

So Jesus never did anything of Himself. He only did and said that which He saw and heard from the Father.

The first, specific miracle effected through the early apostles is recorded in Acts, Chapter 3. Everyone is familiar with the essence of what is recorded about that specific healing of the lame man. Most likely, when some (perhaps most) believers read those verses, the reaction is, "That is wonderful! Peter and John healed a lame man! Great!" And that is the end of those verses, as if it were only an historical event that occurred. However the verses about Peter and John healing the lame man are loaded with spiritual truth for us today (which we will not here go into). Further, the Lord almost always has something greater in mind than a physical healing. Scripture is clear that Peter and John were led by the Spirit to heal that lame man.

What follows in Acts 3 is Peter's second message to the people, the first being on the day of Pentecost. The immediate result was that about five thousand men believed the truth about Jesus as spoken by Peter (Acts 4:4). Therefore, because Peter and John, through their obedience, healed one lame man of his natural inability to walk, five thousand men (males) were healed spiritually. And through the spiritual healing of those 5,000 males, all of their families were also saved. Talk about evangelism! Peter and John did not have to "beat the bushes" to make new converts! The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved! And all because Peter and John were obedient to the leading of the Holy Ghost with respect to one lame man! Do you think that same prescription might work for us today? Or should we just pray for everyone and hope the Lord heals one or two? (I have actually heard two different Spirit-filled believers say just that!)

But perhaps the most significant truth about the healing of the lame man is something that is NOT recorded in black and white in the Bible. Jesus, of course, was brought up as a Jew. We know that He perfectly fulfilled the law. One of the requirements of the law was that Jewish males were to appear three times each year in Jerusalem at the feast days. We do not know how many days Jesus was in Jerusalem in His life on earth. But we can be certain that He must have been in Jerusalem at least two dozen or more days in His three and one half years on earth. Therefore Jesus must have passed by that same lame man many times as He entered the temple. I doubt, for several reasons, that Jesus gave that lame man some money. But the significant question is, Why did not Jesus Himself heal that lame man, who was laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called Beautiful? The answer must be obvious ... that was not a work given to Him by the Father. Out of compassion, Jesus had many occasions to have healed the lame man, but He only did that which He saw the Father doing. He was led by the Spirit. The Father had reserved the healing of the lame man by Peter and John for a later time. And look what happened! The greatest salvation of souls from any event recorded in the Bible!

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! Romans 11:33

The very first principle of the doctrine of Christ is repentance from dead works (Hebrews 6:1). Dead works are works of the flesh ... works that are not led by the Spirit. Until that part of the foundation is laid within us, we can never go on to perfection. Lord, may each of us be more sensitive to the leading of Your Holy Spirit! Amen!