Let us turn to the Word of God
and to Romans chapter 8 verses 13 and 14. Romans chapter 8 verses
13 and 14. 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. For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Now we have on a previous occasion,
two weeks ago, looked at verse 13 and the doctrine or the practice,
the gospel precept of mortification. 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. I would remind those of you who
are here, and I would just mention these things for those of you
who are not here, that we considered the doctrine of mortification
under five heads. Firstly, what is meant by mortification
and what is to be mortified. Mortification means to put to
death. The word in the Greek is Thanatute,
means to put to death. And it is the flesh, the old
man, and his deeds which are to be put to death, as all that
proceeds from our fallen and corrupt nature, which we have
inherited from Adam. And secondly, we considered to
whom the precept is enjoined. This is a gospel precept. And
so it is for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The epistle
is addressed to those who are beloved of God, called to be
saints. It is addressed to those who
are not under the law, but under grace. It is written to those
who are in Christ Jesus. This is a gospel precept. It is for all those who are predestinated
to be conformed to the image of God's Son. Only those who
are born again of the Spirit of God can do this thing. As
John Owen says, to kill sin is the work of living men. And we
considered, in the third place, the necessity of mortification,
indicated by the if of consequence. 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. where there is the grieving of
the Spirit of God, there can be no joy and peace in believing,
no assurance of salvation. We consider the means by which
mortification is to be performed, that it is through the Spirit,
with a dependence on the Spirit of God to work that work in us. And we consider that some of
the means which the Holy Spirit has given to us, that we might
be able to mortify the deeds of the body. the Word of God
and prayer, for example. And then we consider fifthly
and finally the resultant end of mortification. He shall live. He shall live. And so we come
this evening to verse 13. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And we did note last
time the connection between these two verses. Through the mortifying
of the deeds of the body, through the slaying of the old man and
his deeds, the flesh and all his works, there is the manifestation
of the true sons of God. Those whom the Spirit truly indwells. And so John says, in this the
children of God are manifest and the children of the devil.
There are many in these days who claim to be filled with the
Spirit, to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and they claim to
have the gift of the Holy Spirit. But by their works, they manifestly
declare themselves to be the children of the devil. In mortification
there is the manifestation of true faith. There is the manifestation
of the sons of God. And there is the manifestation
of the work, of a true work, of the Spirit of God. 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. For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Well,
as we come to this 14th verse this evening, we shall consider
firstly, who they are who are led by the Spirit of God. And
secondly, who the Spirit of God is and the means and the manner
of his leading. And then thirdly, what it is
more particularly to be led by the Spirit of God. And then fourthly
and finally, the implication of this doctrine or the implications
of this doctrine. So firstly then, let us examine
from the words of our text who they are, who are led by the
Spirit of God. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Now clearly they are
men. They are the sons of God, yes,
but they are men. Now I'm using the word men here
in an inclusive sense. They are both men and women.
the sons of God here is to be understood in an inclusive sense,
men and women and so the word man is to be understood of course
in Genesis 1 verse 27 so God created man in his own image
in the image of God created he him male and female created he
them they are men then who are led
by the Spirit of God But it's not all men who are led by the
Spirit of God, it is many. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God. It is a limited number. And it
doesn't just say any. It doesn't say if any are led
by the Spirit of God, but as many as are led by the Spirit
of God. The words for as many as indicate
a certain definite number. For as many as. For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. They
are the election of grace. They are the elect of God. They
are the elect for whom Christ died, for whom He laid down His
life, for whom He bore away their sins in His own body on the tree.
They are the as many as whom the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of
in prayer to the Father. as thou hast given him power
over all flesh that he should give eternal life, to as many
as thou hast given him. They are the as many as that
John speaks of in the beginning of his gospel. But as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name, which were born not
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man. but of God they are the as many as spoken
of by Peter in Acts 2 verse 39 for the promise is unto you and
to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as
the Lord our God shall call they are the as many as spoken of
in Acts 13 verse 48 and when the Gentiles heard this they
were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were
ordained to eternal life believed. There are the as many as that
Christ speaks of in the book of the Revelation. As many as
I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore and repent. they are those then who are given
to Christ they are those who receive Christ they are those
who are the called of God they are those who are ordained to
eternal life they are those whom Christ loves they are the elect
for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons
of God now think for a moment what a wonderful word is that
word many Oh, that God should so love any of Adam's fallen
and sinful race is wonderful enough, isn't it? Oh, but that he should love many
of Adam's sinful race, that's even more wonderful. Psalm 103
verse 8 says, The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger,
and plenteous in mercy. The margin gives us the literal
Hebrew. The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and great of mercy. Great of mercy, yes, the Lord
is great of mercy to many, a great number of undeserving, even hell
deserving, sinners. And when this present time state
is over, in the new heavens and the new earth, it will be fully
revealed how great is that love and mercy of our God. Revelation 7 verse 9, after this
I beheld and lo a great multitude. Mark the words, a great multitude. We sang it in our hymn, didn't
we? In hymn number 69. Countless millions shall in life
through Jesus reign. What a blessed truth that is.
Countless millions. After this I beheld, and lo,
a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in
their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our
God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Oh, there are many then, many
who are led by the Spirit of God and who are the true sons
and daughters of the living God. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Though now we see only
a few of them, and we come across but a few of them in this life
and in our life's experience. There are many There are many,
and their characters are delineated for us in the Holy Scriptures,
that we might know them when we come across them, when we
see them. And that we might know that we are of that blessed number. Psalm 25, for example, describes those whom God will lead. good and upright is the Lord
therefore will he teach sinners in the way they're sinners and
they are brought to know it they're brought to feel it if they were
not sinners they would not need to be taught they would not need
to be led by the spirit of God And if they did not feel themselves
to be sinners, then they would not feel the need to be led and
to be taught by the Lord. Though all are sinners in God's
sight, there are but few so in their own, says the hymn writer.
Those who are sinners in their own eyes and know that they are
so in God's sight have learnt the first lesson in the school
of Christ. Oh, are you a sinner? This is
the first lesson in the school of the Spirit. And if it's a
real work of the Spirit of God in the heart, it won't stop there. You see, they are blind. They're ignorant by nature. And
they are brought to know and to feel that as well. But they're blind and ignorant.
They're brought to know and to feel their spiritual blindness.
And so Isaiah says, or rather the Lord by the prophet Isaiah
says, and I will bring the blind by a way that they know not.
I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make
darkness light before them and crooked things straight. These
things will I do unto them and not forsake them. There are those who profess to
see, but they are left in their native darkness. such were the
Pharisees mentioned of course this morning by our pastor John
chapter 9 verse 39 and Jesus said for judgments I am come
into this world that they which see not might see and that they
which see might be made blind and some of the Pharisees which
were with him heard these words and said unto him are we blind
also Jesus said unto them if ye were blind ye should have
no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth. The reformer John Calvin says
he is blind who aware of his own blindness seeks a remedy
to cure his disease. Yes, those who are too proud
to acknowledge their disease or who are ignorant as to their
true spiritual state will not seek the help of the physician.
So it was with the Pharisees. Again Calvin says the disease
may easily be cured when it is truly felt. But now ye say we see, therefore
your sin remaineth. What an awful judgment! to be
left in a state of ignorance and to be ignorant even of that
ignorance. And what a great mercy to be
led by the Spirit to see our blindness. We could go on to
speak of their meekness. Again in Psalm 25, the meek will
he guide in judgment and the meek will he teach his way. We
could speak of the fear of the Lord which is implanted in their
hearts by the Spirit of God. What man is he that feareth the
Lord? Him shall he teach in the way
that he shall choose. Now all this presupposes that
there is life, of course. The dead feel nothing. Only the
living can feel. Only those who are made spiritually
alive can feel anything spiritually. Only those who are quickened
by the Spirit will be led by the Spirit. They are the sons
of God being born from above. Well, we've looked at who they
are who are led by the Spirit of God. Let us go on in the second
place to consider who the Spirit of God is and the means and manner
of His leading. The Spirit of God is, of course,
the Holy Spirit. who is co-equal and co-eternal
with the Father and with the Son, and who eternally proceeds
from the Father and the Son. He comes to the hearts of all
God's elect, to the as many as are given to Christ in the eternal
covenant of grace, and that in accordance with the promise of
the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14 verse 16 and I will pray the father and
he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever
even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because
it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth
with you and shall be in you he is the spirit of christ Well,
the Lord goes on there, He continues there in John 14, I will not
leave you comfortless, I will come to you, He says. It's the
Spirit of Christ. This is how the Father teaches
His heaven-born sons. This is how Christ, who is our
Master, teaches His disciples, by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of
Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth. And the principal
means by which the Holy Spirit leads, teaches and guides the
sons of God is the divinely inspired Word. All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works. Jesus said in prayer to the Father,
sanctify them, through thy truth thy word is truth. It is by means of the God-breathed
Holy Scriptures that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, who
is the Spirit of truth, leads and guides the people of God
into all truth. As to the manner of his leading,
the Spirit of God does not merely point out the way and leave the
poor child of God to go on in his own blindness and ignorance,
leaving him to his own devices. No, the Lord our God does not
leave the salvation of any of his blood-bought children in
their own hands. He doesn't merely begin the work
and then leave them to themselves to carry on the work. No. For
this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even
unto death. The Lord promised his disciples,
remember, concerning the Spirit, and I will pray the Father, and
he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever,
even the Spirit of truth. You see, he does not merely point
out the way in which the sons of God should walk. He is with
them every step of the way. And he's a gentle teacher and
guide. He teaches his people as they're able to bear it. Again,
as we heard this morning. It's just as Christ taught his
disciples. Remember how the Lord said to
his disciples in the upper room, in his valedictory discourse,
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear
them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. There is
a gradual teaching and leading. A gradual teaching and leading
and guiding into all truth. As the child of God is able to
bear it. Isaiah again says, Isaiah 28
verse 9, Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he
make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the
milk and drawn from the breasts, for precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a
little and there a little. There is the gradual teaching
of the Spirit of God in the heart of the elect sinner. And although
the work of the Spirit of God is irresistible in the hearts
of the elect sons of God, yet He will not lead His people against
their wills. He will not force them to go
where they would not go. No, they are made willing by
the gracious work of God in their hearts. As the Apostle says in
Philippians, For it is God which worketh in you, both to will
and to do. of His good pleasure. And that
of course is in accordance with the promise of the Father to
the Son, which we read of in Psalm 110, Thy people shall be
willing in the day of Thy power. Indeed it is the desire of their
hearts to be led by the Spirit of God. Surely a desire implanted
in them by the Spirit of God Himself And that desire of their
hearts is expressed in the prayers that they pray. Again, for example,
in Psalm 25, Show me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths, lead
me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation. On thee do I wait all the day. And Psalm 143, At verse 10, we read, teach me
to do thy will, for thou art my God, thy spirit is good, lead
me into the land of uprightness. Now sometimes those prayers are
answered in unexpected ways. As John Newton says in his hymn,
I asked the Lord that I might grow in faith and love and every
grace, might more of his salvation know and seek more earnestly
his face. It was he who taught me thus
to pray. And here I trust has answered
prayer. But it has been in such a way as almost drove me to despair. It's a great hymn. The whole
hymn is well worth reading. I commend it to you. The last
two verses, Newton says, Lord, why is this? I trembling cried,
will thou pursue thy worm to death? Tis in this way the Lord
replied, I answer prayer for grace and faith. These inward
trials I employ from self and pride to set thee free and break
thy schemes of earthly joy that thou mayest seek thy all in me. Well, we've considered the Holy
Spirit and a little of the manner and the means of his leading.
Let us go on in the third place to consider what it is more particularly
to be led by the Spirit of God. To be led by the Spirit of God
is to be led from self-righteousness and self-reliance to a dependence
on the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. is to
be led from Mount Sinai and the curse of the law to Mount Zion
and the blessing of the gospel for as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse Paul says in Galatians and the
sons of God as they are led by the Spirit of God are brought
to feel it but just as Paul felt it for I know that in me that
is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing We are fallen creatures
and there is nothing in us by nature that can ever fulfill
the holy law of God. So far is the law from being
the believers rule of life it is rather, as Paul calls it,
the ministration of death and the ministration of condemnation. The law condemns us. It does
not justify us, it cannot sanctify us. No, as many as are of the
works of the law are under the curse. The law discovers our
sin and that is the purpose of the law. For by the law is the
knowledge of sin. Paul says in chapter three of
Romans. And so we are led from Mount Sinai with its blackness
and darkness and tempest to Mount Zion and to Jesus, the mediator
of the new covenant. and we see in Jesus the righteousness
which we stand so much in need of. So Paul writes in Galatians,
wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that
we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come
we are no longer under a schoolmaster, for ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. You are the true sons of God
who are brought from Mount Sinai to Jesus. You who by faith have
laid hold upon Christ's righteousness, you are the true sons of God.
And just as the Spirit of God works that true and living faith
in the hearts of the elect sons of God, so he works a real repentance
too. Or despisest thou the riches
of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Paul says
in chapter 2 Jeremiah says they shall come with weeping and with
supplications will I lead them I will cause them to walk by
the rivers of waters in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble
for I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn Oh, the
blessed sons of God are led from the paths of sin, which can only
lead to destruction and eternal misery, to the paths of righteousness. He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness, for his name's sake, David says in the Psalms. To be led by the Spirit of God
is to be led from error, and from self-deceit to the truth
if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as
the truth is in Jesus. And so we said earlier the Spirit
teaches the heaven-born child of God by degrees as they are
able to bear it. He will teach them by degrees
all the glorious truths of the gospel even those high and glorious
and sublime truths of election and predestination. Again in
Psalm 25, the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him and
He will show them His covenant. To be led by the Spirit of God
is to be led out of the tents of wickedness into the house
of God. I would rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. A house, of course, is a permanent
structure. A tent is but a temporary structure. The worldling delights himself
in that which is temporary, and there are those places which
will offer him temporary pleasures, even his own home. But the child of God as he is
led by the Spirit of God delights himself and rejoices in those
things which are eternal and those things which are eternal
are set before him in the ordinances of God's house the sons of God are said to be
planted in God's house and there they flourish Again in the Psalms, Psalm 92,
which is a song for the Sabbath day. The righteous shall flourish
like the palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in
Lebanon. Those that be planted in the
house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They are the planting of the
Lord. as Isaiah says that they might be called trees of righteousness
the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified and so
we read in the book of Acts and the Lord added to the church
such as should be saved yes the Lord's people are led
from the tents of wickedness to the house of God Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever. To be led by the Spirit of God
is to be led from earth, and this veil of tears, to heaven. All the sons of God are led forth
by the right way. They might go to the celestial
city, to heaven above. Let the redeemed of the Lord
say so, whom he had redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and
gathered them out from the lands, from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness
in a solitary way. They found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried
unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of
their distresses, and he led them forth by the right way,
that they might go to a city of habitation. For this they pray, and for this
they cry to God that they might be led in the way to everlasting
life and to heaven itself. And so the psalmist prays, and
lead me in the way everlasting. And that prayer is graciously
answered. So he bringeth them unto their
desired haven. And what is the way to that celestial
city? What is the way to their desired
haven? Well, it is a person. It is the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Jesus saith unto him,
that is to Philip, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man
cometh unto the Father but by me. And so the sons of God are
said to follow the Lamb. These are they which follow the
Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among
men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And so they
are brought to glory and to everlasting felicity, to everlasting happiness. Father, I will, Jesus said in
his prayer to the Father, that they also whom thou hast given
me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which
thou hast given me for thou lovest me before the foundation of the
world and so thou brought to be with
Christ which is far better than this miserable veil of tears but note this It is the way of the cross. The
sons of God are to be conformed to the image of Him, who is the
only begotten Son of God. For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. He went the way
of the cross, and so must they. Remember how Paul confirmed the
souls of the disciples and exhorted them to continue in the faith
and that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom
of God. Oh, but grace is given, grace
is given. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. Again, Paul says here in Romans
chapter eight, and if children, then heirs. heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that
we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us. All the way to the crown
is through the cross. It was so with Christ and so
it must be with all those who are predestinated to be conformed
to his image. Well let us consider finally
the implications of this doctrine. Firstly we must deal with the
negative, what is not implied by this doctrine. You see a question may arise
in the minds of some, If we have the Holy Spirit for our leader
and our teacher and our guide, then what need do we have for
pastors and teachers in the church? After all, doesn't Isaiah say,
and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. In answer
to this, we would point out that there was a great outpouring
of the Spirit of God in the days of the apostles. And yet the
apostles, we read, ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Paul writes to Timothy, Thou
therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus, and the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,
the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach
others also. pastors and teachers are among
the gifts which the ascended Christ has given to his church
and he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists
and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ This is the principle means by
which the Spirit leads and teaches and guides the sons of God, the
Living Church of God and the Church of the Living God. By
the divinely inspired Word of God, as we said before, and by
the preaching of it. Hear again what Isaiah says. Isaiah 13 verse 20, And though
the Lord give you bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more.
But thine eyes shall see thy teachers, and thine ears shall
hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way. walk ye in it
when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left.
It is by means of the preaching of the word of God by God sent
teachers and pastors that the church is led by the Spirit of
God." Now as to the positive implications of this doctrine
we see that they and they only are the true sons of God, who
are led by the Spirit of God. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. There are many who claim
to have God as their Father. The Jews claimed God for their
Father. We be not born of fornication,
we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God
were your Father, ye would love me. for I proceeded forth and
came from God neither came I of myself but he sent me and then
the Lord goes on to say to them ye are of your father the devil
what a word that is and the whole of humanity is
divided into these two the sons of God and the seed of the serpent
And we are, each one of us here, either walking according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, or we are walking in the paths
of gospel obedience led by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of
God now working in us. I pray that it might be the latter. We know to gain the connection
between these two verses, verses 13 and 14, as I said at the outset,
and we have now come full circle, as it were. Through the mortifying
of the deeds of the body, through the slaying of the old man and
his deeds, the flesh and all its works, there is the manifestation
of the true sons of God, those in whom the spirit truly dwells.
Again, to quote the Apostle John, in this the children of God are
manifest, and the children of the devil. May the Lord bless
His word to each one of our souls tonight. 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. For as many as are led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Amen.