By Elmer Ellsworth Shelhamer
Text: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God." Rom. 8:14.
There is another passage a little like this, recorded in Gal. 5:25, which reads thus: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Mark the Divine order: Here we find that life precedes activity. It does not say, If we walk, then let us live, but rather, "if we live, then let us walk." God's order always puts first things first while the human order reverses this plan. The human says, "Be intensely active, do, DO, DO this and that, in order to be spiritual." But the Divine plan is, first be spiritual, take time, "tarry until endued," and then be intensely active.
If we live in the Spirit and are led by the Spirit, we will do certain things and avoid certain things: this will make us different from the generality of professed Christians. In what respect?
I. We will sing with the understanding. 1 Cor. 14:15.
II. We will avoid doing rash things. 1 Cor. 13:4.
III. We will be saved from worry. Ps. 37:1-3.
IV. We will be saved from hurry. Isa. 28:16.
I. We Will Sing With The Spirit And With The Understanding
If we could always keep in the Spirit what glorious singing we would have! Instead of singing a number of songs with perhaps only an occasional one catching fire and bringing supernatural blessing, we would save this wasted time and energy and sing the Spirit-inspired-song at the beginning. We would not sing it too high, nor too low, too fast, nor too slow, but keep step with the blessed Holy Ghost. For, sometimes He may lead to sing very softly, while at the next moment it may sound like a mighty army charging the foe. Sometimes He may lead to omit several verses and at other times to repeat the same verse, or chorus again and again. Now, if we are trying to sing according to order, or at the direction of a fastidious leader, the Holy Spirit's leadings are likely to be set aside. Human leadership may sound nice to musical ears, but there is no thunder-clap from the upper skies. No doubt if we were always able to sing in the Spirit, we might not need so much preaching, for we would be able to sing a revival down.
II. We Will Avoid Rash Things
To always mind the checks and leadings of the Spirit is a fine thing. Many times one is about to say, or do a certain thing, when the Holy Spirit gently checks him. Now, if he is blinded by lust, or love of praise, he will disregard these gentle misgivings and like a mule, plunge ahead, saying or doing the thing that temporarily pleases, but the after-effect will be, leanness of soul.
Paul says that the characteristic of love is freedom from rashness -- "vaunteth not itself." If we live in the Spirit we will avoid doing rash things. There are multitudes of good people, who, as they review the past, deplore many places where they marred God's original plan and did something out of the Spirit. They can see where they drove some one away who might have been reached. They can see where they wrote a hasty letter and broke fellowship with a brother beyond reparation. One hasty step may require a thousand other steps to recover the lost ground -- if ever it is recovered.
We read, "Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God." Many a man has said one rash word to a loving companion from which she never fully recovered. Forgiveness may have been sought and received, the wound may have been healed, but the scar ever remained. We have known individuals who would have gladly parted with their right hand, or a large sum of money, could the hasty and unkind word have only been recalled, but it was too late. All this can be avoided if we will but "live in the Spirit."
