How Responsive to God's Spirit Are We?

Brethren, what is a Christian? If you were to try to find out a definition or look for a definition or give a definition of what a Christian is, where would you go to in the Scriptures? What is a biblical definition of a Christian? Now, we're not talking about the process by which we become a Christian. We know that God has to call people. We know that God's going to grant people repentance. People need to repent. They need to be baptized. They have hands laid on them, and so forth. There's a process for this. But once that process has been completed, how do you know if you're a Christian? What is a definition of what a Christian is? Let's take a look at Romans 8, because I think here is a chapter that really helps explain this to us. Romans 8, Romans 8, and verse 9. Romans 8, verse 9.

But you are not in a flesh, but in a spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not his.

So, a basic definition of what a Christian is, a Christian must have God's Holy Spirit.

But there's more to the story than that. We must have God's Holy Spirit, but we go down to verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

So, a Christian, to be a Christian, must have God's Spirit and must be led by God's Spirit.

But, brethren, what does that mean to you? What does it mean to be led by God's Spirit? Is it just a matter of feeling? Is it a matter of emotion? Is it a matter of impressions?

The world can be quite confused about asking those questions and coming up with a proper answer. But we don't need to be confused. God gives us the answers to those questions. The Bible says that God's Spirit leads us, but leads us to what?

Let's take a look at John 16. John 16.

John 16, verse 13.

However, when he, the Spirit of Truth, interesting, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth. In other words, God's Holy Spirit will lead you into all church. So instead of a misunderstanding and uncertainty, we're told that the Spirit will guide us, will lead us into all truth.

And notice, the Spirit of God is also referred to as the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Truth. It's all the same Spirit.

Now, let's drill down even a little further here in the book of John. Let's go to John 10.

And here we've got a story about sheep and how a shepherd would pen up a sheep at night in a closure to protect them from predators and so forth. And notice what it says here in John 10.

We start in verse 1. Most assuredly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs up some other way, this aims a thief and a robber. So, if somebody's trying to get into this pen where the sheep are and they don't go through the door, then they're doing it illegally. They've got some bad motives in mind. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

Okay? To him, the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice. He calls out his own sheep by name and he leads them out. So, there might be several flocks in that pen.

And the shepherd, according to this discussion here, calls out the sheep by name. And being good sheep, they listen to the shepherd and they come. They follow. Verse 4. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and they follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, will flee from him, for they don't know the voice of a stranger. We drop down to verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Now, what we're looking at here is a discussion about Jesus Christ and we the sheep of his flock. How we hear his voice and we follow him. We follow his lead.

Because we've got God's Holy Spirit. As Christians, we have the Spirit of God. As Christians, we are led by that Spirit.

A Spirit of truth that will lead us into all truth. A Spirit that helps us understand and recognize the voice of Jesus Christ when we hear it.

Now, this brings me down to where the rubber meets the road. But as God leads, we must ask some very important questions of ourselves.

I certainly asked this of myself as I was putting this together this last week.

Brethren, how responsive are you? How responsive am I to the leading of God's Holy Spirit in our life?

How responsive are we to God's Spirit directing us to do whatever it is God wants us to do?

How responsive are we?

Now, in our lives, we have to be close enough to God.

So, and aware of what He's doing and where He's leading, and be responsive to His lead, be responsive to His prodding, be receptive to what He wants us to do.

We don't want to find ourselves that God is moving forward and we are lagging behind, or we're getting lost because we're not following the lead of God the Father or Jesus Christ.

Which now brings me to the theme of my message for today. Seven words. This is the theme. How responsive to God's Spirit are we?

How responsive to God's Spirit are we?

Brethren, how would you know? How would you know if you're being responsive? Is this sort of thing, is it the sort of thing that can be measured? If it can be measured, what are the metrics? What are the guidelines? What are the indicators? What are the standards? What should we be looking for in ourselves? To ask ourselves and answer the question properly about our being responsive to the great God.

I thought that might be my phone for a moment. My phone's back there.

So there are a number of metrics we can use, brethren, to help us understand whether we are responsive to God's Spirit. This sermon is by no means an attempt to go through every one of the metrics, but these are some of the great ones I think that we need to be looking for in our lives. Metric number one, and I'll have three of these for you. Metric number one.

How responsive are we to hungering and thirsting for God?

How responsive are we to hungering and thirsting for God?

Again, we want to consider this. Let's take a look at Psalm 63 verse 1.

Psalm 63 verse 1.

Psalm of David here. O God, you are my God. Early will I seek you. My soul thirsts for you.

My flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

So look at the description that David lays down for us here. It sets forth. My soul thirsts for you. Longs for you. Brethren, is that the way you feel your response to God is right now in your life?

Do you feel right now as you look into your heart of hearts that you thirst for God, that you long for Him? Only you know what's there in your heart. I don't know. Your mate probably does not know.

But you know. Or if you don't think you know, you can ask God to show you where you are with that.

Matthew chapter 5 and verse 6. The section where we've got the beautiful attitudes. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 6.

Matthew 5 and verse 6.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Once again, we can ask ourselves, you know, how responsive we are to God's Spirit.

We can ask, how much do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? For living the way God lives. For living the way Jesus Christ lives.

The Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian yearns for at-one-ment.

Excuse me. The Spirit-led and Spirit-responsive Christian yearns for at-one-ment with God.

Now, we're coming up shortly in another six weeks or so to the fall Holy Days, and one of those is the Day of Atonement.

We want to be at one with God all the time. This, at least, the Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian does. But let's take a look at a specific example here in Acts chapter 17. Acts chapter 17 verses 10 and 11. You know the example, well, this is nothing new to you, but there's a great deal of meat here to take a look at.

Acts chapter 17 verse 10.

Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Brerea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These are more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

The Brean set a tremendous example. These were Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christians.

A Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian is an honest, thinking, searching person. Are you a searching person? Do you search for the truth of God? Do you want to get into your Bible study and tear it apart and learn things maybe others have known, but you've not known? You want to really dig deep. You want to see what's behind the scenes.

You're led by God's Spirit. You're responding to God's Spirit. You want to get into the Word. You want to investigate. You want to study. You want to seek to verify the message of truth.

Note the Brean sought with all readiness of mind. The Greek there means a willing desire, an eagerness, a zeal.

Of course, we can ask ourselves, how zealous are we with our own personal Bible study?

I don't know how zealous you are. You don't know how zealous I am. These are all individual things we have to ask and answer in our own hearts. A eagerness, a zeal, a resoluteness to know the truth.

These people were being taught by the Apostle Paul. Some people would just coast and say, well, he's a man of God. He's been out doing these works. We'll just take it for granted what he says is true. They didn't do that.

It's not that they were thinking that Paul was a liar or anything like that, but they knew they need to find these things out and understand that. They're not good enough for you to say, okay, my pastor or the guy who gave the sermon at, or the member who you feel is in very good standing with God, these people said thus and such.

That's not good enough. You've got to know it for yourself. How many people years ago said, I'm not understanding what Mr. Armstrong is doing or saying, but whatever he does and says, I'm going to follow him. Then he died. Then another man took his place. People said the same thing. I don't know what that man is doing.

I don't understand it, but he's in charge. I'm following him. That's not the bringing attitude. We don't want to be led by another man. We want to be led by the Scriptures. We want to imitate Paul as Paul imitated Christ. We want to imitate our leaders today as our leaders imitate Christ. If they don't, we don't follow them. We follow the Scriptures, pure and simple.

We want to be spirit-led. We want to be spirit-responsive. Here, the Bereans also show that they were people who would not shut their minds or their hearts. They didn't refuse to listen or consider. They wanted to see what are these things that they wanted to see.

They searched the Scriptures daily with a positive frame of mind. They were spirit-led, spirit-responsive. So again, the question we ask ourselves, how responsive are we to the Spirit's hungering and thirsting for God? Let's start with Matthew 16. There's a principle here. We're going to talk about something called discretionary time. All of us have time that we can use for whatever purpose we want.

But notice here what we see where some have time that they've got to allot for certain things. Acts 6, verse 4. There was a need for people to serve those who weren't being served properly. And so a number of people were chosen to be deacons. But notice what it says here about the ministry, verse 4. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. Now, that's my job. I have a salary from the home office. I've been employed by the church since 1984. I've pastored in a number of church areas. I can set my own schedule. And I need to make sure that I'm continually giving myself to prayer and to producing Bible studies and sermons and counseling sessions and things like that.

That's my job. Brethren, it's not just my job. It's what I want to do. It's what I love to do. And it's not just something that you do as a hobby. You're not a hobbyist. With your discretionary time, you want to make sure that you are giving God good time. Not sleepy time for your prayers or sleepy time for your study. You want to make sure you're giving God really choice time. Now, we're all different. Before I was a full-time minister, my choice time was always in the evening. In the morning, I could barely think. I'm not a morning person. Never have been.

Never will be. So for me to say, well, I'm going to get up early and pray and study, well, I could do those things. But it would not be as effective as when I do it later on in the evening. Now, for some people, our mind is so clouded with other things that have happened during the day. They can't do it that way. Well, brethren, we're all wired differently. And again, like we talked about earlier in the announcements, we need to understand with one another and be there for one another and realize we're all different.

So whenever is prime time for you, prime discretionary time, you want to make sure you give yourself over to prayer. Okay? If we're not doing that, are we being responsive to the great God? Okay? Acts 10. None of this is what I'm giving you today as anything new, but it's my position that there are times as a pastor I need to go through things that are very basic and remind us all of things, myself included.

Acts 10 is a story about Cornelius, a man that God was working with and calling, and miraculous things are happening here in chapter 10. But why are miraculous things happening here in chapter 10? Look at verse 30. Acts 10 verse 30. So Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold a man stood before me in bright clothing. So here's a man who's giving himself in his discretionary time.

He's no minister, but he's giving prime time to fasting. And as a result, miracles are taking place, not only in his life, but in Peter's life. Not only on his end of things, but on the other end of things for what he's praying about.

And you and I want those miracles to happen in our lives, and there's no reason they shouldn't be happening in our lives. I think every one of us in this room have had the answer to prayer, a positive answer to prayer. A real vibrant answer. Even at times when God says, no, we can appreciate why he says no.

We've got the wherewithal spiritually to understand, okay, just as God didn't take away the problem that Paul had there. He may not take away my problem. I may have that until the time I die, but then God is saying, as he said to Paul, my grace is sufficient. God wants me to learn as I go through life hand in hand with him. But again, the idea is by fasting, are we showing how that we're hungering and thirsting for God?

Are we only fasting on the day of atonement? We have to ask ourselves those questions. Let's look at 1 Timothy chapter 4.

1 Timothy chapter 4.

1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 13. Now again, we've got an explicitly a mentor, the apostle Paul writing to a person he's mentoring, Timothy. And so, in one sense, this is explicitly from one minister to another. But again, brethren, I feel there's principles here for all of us, whether we be a minister or no. 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 13. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Surely that's true for the ministry, but is that not true for you as well? Shouldn't we know as members of the church to read the Bible, to understanding the doctrines of the Scriptures, the doctrines of the Bible? Verse 14. Do not neglect the gift that is in you. Well, surely this is true for the ministry, but should a member neglect the gift that is in you and them? Should we neglect the Holy Spirit of God, which was given to you by the prophecy, by laying out of the hands of the eldership? Meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you'll both save yourself and those who hear you. But notice verse 15. Meditate on these things and give yourself entirely to them. How responsive are we in our meditations? As we hear a sermon or a sermon or a Bible study, as we have a conversation with a member of the church, as we're at home sitting at our dining room table or whatever, wherever it is that we study, and God shows us something we've really not understood fully before, and we begin to think on it. We begin to meditate on it, and we give ourselves over entirely to it to think on it, to think about the machinery involved and the beauty that is there. Are we tearing apart the scriptures and seeking understanding? This is being responsive to the Spirit of God.

So we're asking the question today, how responsive to God's Spirit are we? Metric number one. How responsive are we to hungering and thirsting for God? Let's move on to metric number two of the three. Number two, how responsive are we to developing the mind of God? How responsive are we to developing the mind of God? There's more to consider, isn't there? There's a great deal more to consider. Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5. Philippians 2 and verse 5. Here is a goal. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. This is one of the goals, one of the great goals we have. If we are successful with this goal, we will be responsive to God. Very responsive to God. Now, how do we work toward that goal? Well, that's what we're going to talk about now. Let's look at Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2. Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2.

Romans 12 verse 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, just as Jesus Christ did. Present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly set apart, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. To be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The spirit-led, spirit-responsive Christian can tell their mind is being renewed and transformed. And you can ask yourself, how is your mind along those lines? Is your mind continually being renewed and transformed?

Let me outline this even a little further for you in developing the mind of Christ. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 20.

We'll start in verse 19. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19. Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Verse 20. Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone. Brethren, a cornerstone is a directional stone. The cornerstone is used to line up the whole building. All the other stones. They can be called an instructional stone. Upon it all the lines and instructions the building are based. It is important if we are going to have a spirit-led, spirit-responsive relationship with the great God that we have to build on a proper foundation. And that foundation is Jesus Christ.

If the foundation is Jesus Christ, we will be responsive to God's Spirit in our lives. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone. God used him and uses him to give directions to us other stones, other parts of the building. Let's look at John chapter 6. Again, nothing new here. John chapter 6.

Verses 44 and 45.

John chapter 6 verse 44. No one can come to me unless the Father who has sent me draws him, and I'll raise him up at the last day. God has got to draw us. He's got to grant us repentance. He's got to open up our hearts and minds. He's going to soften our hearts and minds. We've got to be responsive to him in this process. Everything that we do within the church points the relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. Verse 45. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught by God. So many times we will quote verse 44, but not verse 45. We shall all be taught by God and be responsive to God. Very responsive to our Father and very responsive to our elder brother.

So a spirit-led and spirit-responsive mind builds on a proper foundation. Spirit-led. This is another major point here with this particular section. A spirit-led and spirit-responsive mind seeks godly values. You know, today we are awash in all sorts of man-made values. You know, I was discussing this with another elder, and I said, you know, our country is unraveling before our very eyes. This great nation of ours. You know, I'll just be honest with you, brethren. I always enjoy watching the Olympics. This year I have not tuned in for one minute, because I'm tired of watching people who represent our country and pulling for them to have them get on a stand and turn their back on our national anthem or turn their back on their flag. I'm not going to put my time into that. Now, maybe that's only a few. I don't know. I didn't watch this year. And last year, I didn't watch football. Now, talk about growth and overcoming. They give up football. But you know, it was the same thing. All these people taking a knee. Here we've got people who come to this country and want to be in this country. We've got people coming from the south of our border who walk through whole nations to get to our country. And we, and some, not that I shouldn't say all, because that's not true. It's probably a vocal minority. A vocal minority in this country talks about how they're ashamed to be Americans. Well, they're welcome to move someplace else. Let them move someplace else and see what it's like over there. Yeah, our nation has its flaws and weaknesses. What nation doesn't? Just like individuals. But we want to seek godly values. A spirit-led, spirit- responsive mind seeks godly values. What does that mean? Let's look at Philippians chapter 3.

Now, let's give full disclosure. I did watch one football game, the Super Bowl. And the only reason I watched the Super Bowl is I've been a Tom Brady fan ever since he was a freshman at the University of Michigan, and he lived just a few miles from where I lived. Since he was playing at the Super Bowl, and I know for Green Bay Packers fans, it's not very nice for me to say I'm a Tom Brady fan. So, you know, you can stone me after services if you want. But I watched one football game the whole season. That was it. Philippians chapter 3, you're starting in verse 3, So notice, he's talking about worshiping God in the Spirit. We're going to learn some lessons here about what he has to say. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I'm more so. So here's a frame of mind he's going to jettison and get rid of. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the Church, concerning the righteousness which is by the law blameless. So he had all these things he was doing as a member of the community of Israel. He was an up-and-comer in his day and time. He could have been very famous in his day and time. He was a brilliant man. He knew how to be all things to all people before God ever called him. And then he used that as a Christian as well. But he was going down the wrong road. His mind was not going the right way. He was not being responsive to God's Spirit. And so God had to literally knock him down and blind him and get his attention. Notice verse 7. But what things were gained to me, these things I counted lost for Christ. Now there is a response there. There's a Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian. These things I've counted lost for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ, Jesus my Lord, who might suffer the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I might gain Christ. So here we see that Paul is rejecting and renouncing worldly values. When he became a Christian, he gave up his brilliant prospects in regard to this life. He gave everything up. He may well have given up his family.

He may well have been disfellowshipped by his own kind. He may well have been excommunicated along some lines, although he was able to still go to the synagogue. But he was viewed very much as a black sheep as opposed to a favorite son. Verse 9, He found him not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

These, brethren, are spiritual attributes. These are things that the mind of God longs for.

We develop the mind of God. He's developing the mind of God. He's wanting the righteousness, which is from God by faith. Verse 10, Notice, he's getting rid of me in all of this. He wants to know the mind of God, the heart of God. He wants to know his God thoroughly.

So the spirit-led, the spirit-responsive man seeks godly values.

And certainly, the spirit-led and spirit-responsive mind continually guards the thought processes.

The spirit-led and spirit-responsive mind continually guards its thought processes. And boy, how important is that in our day and age today?

Where we've got TV, radio, podcasts, you name it, that are striving to get into our hearts and minds and teach us all sorts of things that are not of God. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 10.

2 Corinthians 10, verse 5.

Now let's start in verse 4.

Actually, start in verse 3. 2 Corinthians 10, 3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God, for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments in every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Again, brethren, that section of Scripture is packed with meaning.

The believer casts down arguments, thoughts, imaginations that are uncontrolled, that aren't controlled by the Spirit of God, thoughts that are, you know, the arguments that are evil, lustful, immoral, unjust, wrong, untrue, of the devil.

The mind of God wants to cast those things down.

Let's look at Ephesians 6.

Ephesians 6.

Starting here in verse 10.

Finally, my bre... How are we going to do this? How are we going to cast down these arguments?

Ephesians 6, verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.

So it takes the power of God, the whole armor of God, and there's a whole sermon or series of sermons about this section of Scripture. But you know the principles here. This is how you and I are going to make sure that we are developing the mind of God. That we're keeping things, the things that shouldn't be there, we're casting those things out.

There in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 5, it talks about how we're going to cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. What is that talking about? Let's go to Colossians. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 8. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 8.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and that according to Christ. Once again, we see the world here coming at us, wants to give its philosophies to us, wants to educate us. Satan wants very much to play a game of misdirection with us.

He doesn't care how close we are to the mark as long as he missed the mark, as long as we miss the goal. And yet God says, here are the precious truths. Remember what the Holy Spirit does. In John 16, 13, we saw where the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth, and the Spirit leads us into all truth, not into error, not into the things of the world, but Spirit of God leads us to God in His truth. God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truth. God's Word is truth. John 17, 17. There in 2 Corinthians 10, 5, it says how the believer is to captivate every thought to the obedience of Christ, to the obedience of Christ. Let's take a look at 1 Peter chapter 1. What's that referring to? 1 Peter chapter 1, starting here in verse 13.

Verse 13 has a word picture here that's so appropriate and so colorful and so apt.

Verse 1, 13. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind. Gird up the loins of your mind.

Be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that's to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. A phenomenal statement. Every thought controlled, every thought subject to Jesus Christ. We've got to gird up, though, the loins of our mind. This is real work. We don't roll up our sleeves. We roll up the loins of our mind. Verse 14. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust, as in your ignorance. No, we're going to be responsive to God's spirit. We want to be responsive to God's mind, not to our former lusts. But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.

So we gird up the loins of our mind so we can be developing the mind of God. And in so doing, we're responsive to God's spirit. Metric number three. Last metric for today. Another question. How responsive are we to living our life as Christ lived His?

How responsive are we to living our life as Christ lived His?

Again, brethren, the purpose for each of these metrics is to ask ourselves and help answer the question, how responsive to God's spirit are we? Are we truly living our life as Christ lived His? Are we being responsive along those lines? Let's take a look at Romans chapter 6.

The baptismal covenant chapter, Romans chapter 6.

Romans chapter 6 verses 3 through 6. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life.

As we study the Scriptures, and we see things that God tells us that we should be doing, the way we should be living our lives. Are we walking that way? Are we responsive to the way Jesus Christ lived His life? Verse 5, For if we've been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.

Jesus Christ was resurrected to His glory. He was resurrected to continue to obey God. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. No, Jesus Christ was no slave to sin. Paul here gives us a vision of how we are to live, turning from a path of, and a culture of death. So it's not just a path of death, we've got a culture that the world is gripped by, that puts square, everyone squarely on the road to death.

Well, we are going to walk in newness of life.

The Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian turns over His power for Christ's power to overcome.

You know, I've quoted to you a number of times, John 3.30, where John the Baptist said that Christ must increase, and John the Baptist must decrease. That's what it means to be responsive in terms of our living our life as Christ lived His. Jesus Christ always looked to the power of the Father, always looked to the will of the Father.

The Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian decides, makes a profound decision, makes a profound choice to stop living in a destructive way. The way of this world, the way of Satan.

The Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian decides to forgive others.

Let's go of the past hurts, moves on in life.

Brethren, so many times, the reason people leave God's church is they get offended. And they're offended because they didn't let go of past hurts and sins. They kept them in their hearts and minds. They kept them in their hearts and minds. They brooded over them. They agonized over them. Oh, they would put a Sabbath smile on the face. They would be in church on the Sabbath and be there the Holy Days and so forth. But there's always something just under the surface that was boiling.

Well, that's not the life that Jesus Christ lived.

And Jesus Christ had plenty of people do pretty rotten things to Him.

Yet He was able to forgive and let go.

The Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian decides to avoid people, places, attitudes, and temptations that keep him enslaved by Satan. Is there anything that's keeping you enslaved to Satan? Is there a way of thinking? Is there a habit? Is there something in your life that's been there for too long? And every year at Passover, you say, this is coming here, that's got to go, but it doesn't seem to go.

Well, are we truly being Spirit-led and Spirit-responsive?

The Spirit-led, Spirit-responsive Christian asks Christ, who by His hand created the entirety of the universe, to come into His life, give Him the strength, the courage to be transformed.

That is a big ask.

A tremendously big ask, asking Christ to come and live inside of us. But let's look at Galatians 2.

Last Scripture of the day.

You've heard enough of me today. Galatians 2.

Verse 20.

Galatians 2.20. I have been crucified with Christ that is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, in a life which I now live in to flee. In a life which I now live in to flesh, I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

How do you and I respond to God's Spirit? We respond by allowing Christ to live in us.

And all of that means a tremendous ask, a powerful Scripture. We are to die to ourselves, our old way of life, we are to become like Jesus Christ, we are to let Him live in us.

So today, brethren, we've asked the question, what is a Christian? We've seen in Romans 8 that the Christian has God's Holy Spirit. Not only does God have God's Holy Spirit, but He's led by God's Spirit. We've seen in John 10 that the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd and follow the shepherd's lead. And we've asked the question today, how responsive the God's Spirit are we? And we've taken a look at three metrics. Number one, how responsive are we to hungering and thirsting for God?

Metric number two, how responsive are we to developing the mind of God?

And metric number three, how responsive are we to living our life as Christ lived His? If we can answer those questions from a biblical point of view, then we truly are Spirit-led and Spirit-responsive Christians.