Spirit Spirituality
The sermon emphasizes the importance of faith and dependence on the Holy Spirit for guidance and living a life pleasing to God.
Miles J. Stanford emphasizes the importance of faith in the Holy Spirit, highlighting the need for believers to be led by the Spirit according to Scriptural directions. He warns against following false leads that do not align with the truth of the Word. Stanford stresses the principle of walking in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, even in the face of challenges, as it is the key to experiencing God's grace and freedom from the bondage of the law. By yielding to the Spirit of Christ within, believers can overcome the desires of the flesh and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
Text
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Concerning the Holy Spirit, hidden as He is, faith is required above all else.
"Certainly the Holy Spirit directs in the countless details of daily life. Those who have faith, and are dependent upon His direction, will not be disappointed. But the Spirit leads according to Scriptural directions; hence that which is called the leading of the Spirit, and which has not the truth of the Word for its line of thought and action, is necessarily false." -H.F.W.
"The principle of walking in dependence upon the Holy Spirit must never be abandoned, however we may fail to carry it out. We must steer by divinely given principles, even if winds and waves at times do throw us off course. To give up the Father's principles because of opposing elements is to court shipwreck." -H.F.W.
"Being led by the Holy Spirit is the principle by which the Father deals in grace with believers. Outside the circle of the Spirit, men are led by the flesh; under the law His people were in bondage and under the schoolmaster. Now, in Christian privilege, the Spirit leads: 'if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law' (Galatians 5:18). -H.F.W.
"The Lord Jesus in glory is the standard of perfection, and the Savior on earth is the pattern for our walk. No one's walk is perfect, but the Spirit of Christ who dwells in us is perfect, and as the believer yields to the Father as one alive from the dead, the desires of the flesh are not fulfilled, and the Spirit brings forth His fruit in him." -H.F.W.
"Walk in (dependence upon) the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Faith in the Holy Spirit
- The Principle of Walking in Dependence on the Holy Spirit
- The Role of the Holy Spirit in Christian Privilege
- The Standard of Perfection and the Pattern for Our Walk
- The Lord Jesus is the standard of perfection
- The Spirit of Christ in us is perfect and brings forth fruit
Key Quotes
“Certainly the Holy Spirit directs in the countless details of daily life. Those who have faith, and are dependent upon His direction, will not be disappointed.” — Miles J. Stanford
“Walk in (dependence upon) the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” — Miles J. Stanford
“Being led by the Holy Spirit is the principle by which the Father deals in grace with believers.” — Miles J. Stanford
Application Points
- We must steer by divinely given principles, even in the face of opposition.
- Walking in dependence on the Holy Spirit is essential for a life free from the lust of the flesh.
- Those led by the Spirit are not under the law, but rather live in Christian privilege.