Divine Guidance

Romans 8:11–14 speaks about divine guidance, about being led by the Holy Spirit of God and his word. There we read, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are being led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

In this passage we discover the great truth that the eternal, infinite Holy Spirit dwells in us. Elsewhere Paul exhorts, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12–13). It is a great truth. Two times it is stated: The Holy Spirit dwells in you. Do you fear and tremble? Or do you stand above the Holy Spirit? And the Holy Spirit lives in you so that you can kill sin by his power. In Acts 1:8 we read, “Ye shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” The Holy Spirit gives us power to kill sin and to obey God.

Asking for divine guidance is a dangerous thing if you do not want to obey the Holy Spirit and the word of God. Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, but be being filled with the Spirit.” To be “filled with the Spirit” means to be “ruled by the Spirit.”  We are to be ruled not by our emotions or desires, but by the Holy Spirit in the word of God. In Colossians 3:16 Paul begins, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Here again, “dwell” means “rule.”  We are to be ruled by the word of God. Paul continues, “as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

The entire Bible speaks about Jesus Christ. In Genesis 3:15 God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This is called protoeuangelion, the first gospel. “He will crush you.” Many people have a view of God in which they are above and he is below, that he is their slave and they are the boss. But that is not true.

So the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, speaks about Jesus Christ. The Old Testament promised his coming and the New Testament speaks about his coming. In Luke 4:16–21, we read that Jesus, as his custom was, went to the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath day. He opened the Scripture and read from Isaiah 61:1–2, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord.” Then he gave back the scroll and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Isaiah spoke of Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit; in Luke 3 we see that Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

God Guides His People

God had a good plan for every elect believer, and he communicates those plans to us. Consider the following examples.

• Philip, the deacon, was guided. In Acts 8:26 and 29 we read, “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. . . . The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’” God guided Philip, and he led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ.
• Peter was guided. In Acts 10:19–22 we read, “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the [Holy] Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’ Peter went down and said to the men, ‘I’m the one you are seeking. Why have you come?’ The men replied, ‘We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.’” Peter went and preached the gospel to the household of Cornelius, and many were saved.
• Paul and Barnabas were guided. In Acts 13:2 we read, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”
• Paul and Silas were guided. In Acts 16: 6–10 we read, “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to [preach]. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. [We were there in Troas] During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
• Paul was guided in Corinth. In Acts 18:9–11 we read, “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.”

Throughout the Scriptures, God promises to guide his people. The psalmist says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Ps. 32:8). The prophet Isaiah declares, “The Lord will guide you always; in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isa. 58:11). And in Romans 12:2 Paul writes, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.” The whole unbelieving world is controlled by and guided by the devil (1 John 5:19). But Paul says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Regenerated people have new minds, new wills, and new sets of affections, that they may be guided by God and live to please God.

Means of Divine Guidance

Through Scripture, God Guides Us.

• 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed [God-inspired, God-spoken] and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” We are to train in righteousness. We are to rebuke, we are to correct, we are to teach. A correcting person loves you. A pastor rebukes and corrects those under him. Parents rebuke and correct and train their children in righteousness.
• 1 Corinthians 7:39: “A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.” In other words, he must be a true believer—not someone who appears to be a true believer, but a person who will persevere to the end. He must be a TULIP Christian.
• 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” What is the chief end of man, according to the Shorter Catechism? To glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Through prayer, God guides us.

• Matthew 7:11: Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” We ask God in prayer. We pray all the time.

Through the Holy Spirit, God guides us.

• 1 John 2:20, 27: In verse 20 we read, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” God teaches us the truth as we read the Scriptures. In verse 27 we read, “The anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.” This anointing is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The infinite, eternal Holy Spirit lives in us, to guide us in every way, as we also read in Romans 8:11–14.
• Ephesians 4:30: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” When we sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit, and we must repent. We sin, but we repent also. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, all of a sudden, he also helps you to repent.

Through our Good Shepherd Jesus, God guides us.

• Psalm 23:3: “He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Our Good Shepherd is righteous, and he will guide you in the path of righteousness.
• John 10:14: Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” His sheep will follow the Shepherd.
• Matthew 16:24: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” We are to follow Jesus Christ, denying ourselves and taking up our crosses.

Through parents, God guides us.

• Exodus 20:12: ““Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
• Proverbs 22:6: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” That is what my father did. He was a pastor. He trained us. When your father calls you, you fear and tremble, and go to him and stand next to him. In his time, he turns to you and will tell you what to do.
• 2 Timothy 3:15: “From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
• Ephesians 6:1–3: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” I always obeyed. I never said no to my father or mother.
• Matthew 28:18–20: Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey whatsoever things I have commanded you.” Our job is to teach you the word of God, and your job is to obey and be blessed.

Through pious and learned pastors, God guides us.

• Hebrews 5:8–9: “Although he was [eternal] Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
• Hebrews 13:17: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.” Whom are the leaders to give an account to? God. “Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
• Acts 20:28: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Pastors are appointed by the Holy Spirit and are gifts from the ascended Christ (see Eph. 4:11).
• 1 Corinthians 11:3: “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” Husbands are also delegated authorities through whom God guides us. God charges them with the responsibility of being spiritual leaders in the home and loving their wives as Christ loved the church and died for her. We coined a phrase for such love: Titanic love.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13: “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.”

Divine guidance is not based on non-rational, non-moral impulses of subjective feelings with which the devil tempts us. (PGM) Jesus was tempted by the devil to make bread out of stones to eat because Jesus was hungry. He refused the devil and obeyed the word:

• Matthew 4:4: “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’”
• James 4:7: “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Jesus obeyed God and resisted the devil. Adam and Eve obeyed the devil and resisted God. Whom you obey is your master. May God help us to obey God, to obey parents, to obey pastors, to obey police. There are two lords: one is the Lord Jesus; the other is the devil.

Hindrances to Divine Guidance

              In his book, Knowing God, Dr. J. I. Packer identifies several hindrances to divine guidance, including most of the following:[1]

1. Unwillingness to think biblically.
   • Deuteronomy 32:29: “If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!”
2. Unwillingness to think ahead. From the time you are very young, you must think ahead and study hard to get a job to support a family. Paul speaks about this in 1 Timothy 5:8.
   • 1 Timothy 5:8: “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
3. Refusal to receive counsel. God has appointed parents, pastors, godly teachers, and others to advise us in the ways of God. If we respect them and respond correctly, we will be blessed.
4. Refusal to acknowledge that we may be wrong in our feelings and our sense of direction.
5. Refusal to discount personal magnetism (self-importance).
   • 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “Test everything. Hold on to the good.”
6. Refusal to have less money.
   • Matthew 6:24: Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
7. Refusal to wait for God’s time.
   • Genesis 16:1–4: “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.”
   • Genesis 17:17–18: “Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’ And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’” Ishmael was a result of Sarai’s plan; Isaac was a result of God’s plan.

Examples of Divine Guidance Today

God guided me decades ago about this future ministry. He spoke to me in the night from Deuteronomy 28:13–14, and this word has been fulfilled in my life.

• Deuteronomy 28:13–14: “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.”

God guided the Rev. Garfield C. Hosking of Davis, California, in a vision that a minister would come from outside the United States and preach in a church Rev. Hosking had built in Davis. He died before his prediction was fulfilled, but his widow wrote to me about it several years after the founding of this church.

Dr. J. Gresham Machen, founder of Westminster Theological Seminary and world-famous New Testament scholar at Princeton, was given a vision of heaven before he died of pneumonia in 1937. He told his minister friend, “The vision of heaven was glorious; it was glorious.” He was greatly encouraged before he died, just as Stephen was in Acts 7.

God also guides us as we read books by godly authors such as John Calvin, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Professor John Murray, Dr. Cornelius van Til, Charles H. Spurgeon, and others. And above all, read the whole Bible. We have a system of reading the Bible. It has been a blessing to us all these years.

God guides his elect believers chiefly through the Holy Spirit in and by his word. The entire Bible guides us, but consider the following specific scriptures:

• Psalm 119
• Romans 8:11–14
• Psalm 1:1–2: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Go to a church that preaches the word, not one that entertains the people. There are churches that Christ builds, and then there are synagogues of Satan.

Christ builds the church. In Acts 20:29 and 32 Paul said, “For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. . . . Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Then there are churches called synagogues of Satan, where the word is not preached. It matters which church you go to.

Does Guidance Include Suffering?

Finally, we must know that divine guidance does not mean we will not suffer as we follow God’s guidance. In God’s will, sufferings produce holiness in us. Consider the following:

• Romans 5:3–5: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
• 2 Corinthians 6:10: “[We live on,] sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
• 1 Corinthians 4:13: “When we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” Scum of the earth, that is, the refuse of the earth, the garbage of the world.
• Romans 8:18: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

May God help us to be led by the Spirit and Scripture, and to live lives of obedience. May he help us to do all things well as we are guided by him. “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Amen.

[1] See list in J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993 ed.), 237–239.