Joseph Prince - When You Are Led By The Spirit You Fulfill The Bible
Look at this verse in Galatians 5, verse 18, "If you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law". Everybody say it. "If you be led by the Spirit, you are not under the law". Let's say it again, read it. "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law". Isn't that interesting? The Bible says that when you are under the law, sin will have dominion over you. The Bible says that Christ becomes of no effect. Galatians 5, verse 4, "Christ becomes of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace".
Very interesting statement. And those of you who've been here for sometime, you know that we have been preaching that we are dead to the law. We are delivered from the law into a life of the Spirit. But some people have this idea that we are dead to the law into nothing. No, we are dead to the law because the Spirit has come. So, you can replace the law with the Spirit, because Jesus kept all the laws and gave you his Spirit to walk after and to be led by, amen? The Holy Spirit always, remember this, always leads you into victory. The Holy Spirit always leads you out of bondage, out of sickness, out of debt, out of depression. He always leads you out of Egypt. He always leads you into the land flowing with milk and honey. Amen, church?
So, the Holy Spirit will always lead you into victory. If you have sickness in your body, if you know how to be led by the Spirit, he will lead you out of that sickness. He will lead you not only out of, God doesn't just want to lead out of, he want to lead you into. Some people are in no man's land. They are out of Egypt. They are believers. They're out of Egypt, out of the world, out of the realm of darkness, but neither are they in the full blessings of God. They are wandering, wondering in the wilderness, W-A and W-O, wandering, wondering. Their name is Wonderboy and Wonder Woman, wandering, wondering. You know, God did not bring you out to let you wander. God wants to bring you out to lead you in. Can have a good amen?
So the Bible says that how God led them was so good. The Bible says every morning there was a pillar of cloud that blocked the sun from shining on the children of Israel. So, some of us, you know, when we go to Israel, we see the hot sun and all that. We feel it, and we start saying things like, I've heard people say this, you know, in my bus journeys in Israel. They'll say, "Well, now I know why they complain". Petra, you know Petra, the journey. "Now I know why they complain". No, no, no, no, they have no reason to complain, because you know something? They didn't even feel the sun. They had air conditioning in the daytime. God appeared in a pillar of cloud and blocked the sun from them, amen? Then at night, at night in the wilderness it gets really cold. God appeared in the pillar of fire.
They had heater at night. You know, in the desert, it's amazing. Daytime very hot, nighttime very cold, all right? But in other words, God kept them cool, all right? Daytime very hot, there was a cloud. Nighttime very cold, there was a pillar of fire. God kept them cool. And then on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appeared like a tongue of fire on the day of Pentecost, amen. The pillar of cloud that is outside has now come in, amen? Now the Lord is inside us. And that's why on the day of Pentecost, on a different mountain, not Mount Sinai where the Ten Commandments was given that killed people, all right, on Mount Zion, day of Pentecost.
The Bible says "When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind". Your Father is eager to fill you with his Holy Spirit. "And it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance". One of the first things that happened was that when the Holy Spirit filled them, they began to speak with tongues. And many Christians today don't even know the value of speaking in tongues.
You know, when God fills you, one of the first thing he does is take control of your tongue, because the Bible says in the Book of James, if a man can control his tongue, he can control the entire body. In other words, if the Holy Spirit can control your tongue, he can touch any part of your body, amen? Any part of your body that's sick, your liver trouble, whatever, the Holy Spirit can touch it if you give the Holy Spirit your tongue. He's able to bridle the whole body and bring it under his control, amen?
So, the first thing the Holy Spirit took control of was the tongues of men, and they became tongues of fire. They became preachers. And the same Peter, who only a few days ago denied by cursing and swearing that he knew Jesus, was now standing up preaching the sermon on the day of Pentecost, and 3,000 people were saved, amen? Three thousand that died in the old on the day of Pentecost, three thousand were saved in the new Pentecost. We can also say it like this, when the Bible says this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, amen, but you should meditate therein day and night, what's gonna happen? You'll make your way prosperous and you shall have good success.
Joshua 1:8, and it's a very famous verse. Most teachers or preachers that teach on prosperity will inevitably come to this verse, Joshua 1:8. If you keep the book of the law in your mouth, you will have good success, not bad success. Good success means you have more than enough money, all right, as well as more than enough time to enjoy your wealth. You'll have more than abundant health, as well as more than enough time, amen, to enjoy that health in. You'll have time with your family, you'll have time to come to church, not to sleep in church. You'll have enough time to sleep at home and come to church to celebrate Jesus. And all the people said amen. I though I'd slip that in, amen?
So, God wants to have good success, but how do I get good success today? Many people are still teaching the Old Testament, they say that this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but the law has been replaced. The Spirit has come. So you can put it this way, the new Joshua 1:8, "The Spirit will not depart from your mouth", amen? And what's gonna happen, when you hagah, you mutter the Spirit in speaking in tongues, you'll make your way prosperous and you shall have good success. The more you pray... The word meditate is hagah in Hebrew, which means mutter, mutter... You'll make your way prosperous, and you shall have good success. You shall make your way prosperous, you shall have good success. You shall make your way prosperous, and you shall have good success.
So, if I'm a doctor and I go like this... All right? Whatever I do, I'll make my way prosperous and I'll have good success, amen? Are you listening? God make it so easy, and I used to think that that verse literally means I must keep the law, all right? But that's not what it's saying. The law has been replaced. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now, notice the way the apostle Paul contrast these two in 2 Corinthians 3. 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 7 it says, "The ministry of death, written an engraved on stones".
The only part of the law that's written and engraved on stones was the Ten Commandments. You need to know this, because there are people out there who say, you know, that we are not under law in terms of ceremonial law. In other words, we are no more killing animals, sacrificing victims on the altar, all right, animal sacrifices. No, no, no. Animal sacrifices, although under law, was never engraved on stones. The only part of the law that was engraved on stones is what we call the moral law, and this the Bible calls ministry of death. Those who teach the Ten Commandments is ministering death, according to the Bible. We are not called to minister the Ten Commandments, we are called to minister the Spirit, because the next line, next verse, and by the way, this glory, go back to the verse.
The last line says, "This glory was passing away", the glory of Moses, the Ten Commandments. But look at verse 8. "How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious"? Notice the opposite of the ministry of death is the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Spirit. Are you listening, church, amen? God wants you praying in the Spirit. God wants you walking in the Spirit. God wants you to be led by the Spirit. For as many that are led by the Spirit of God, they are sons of God. God make it very easy for us, amen? Hallelujah? And the opposite of the Ten Commandments is the Holy Spirit.
Now, what am I saying? Am I saying that you purposely go out and break the Ten Commandments? But the Bible says if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. But the wonderful thing about the Holy Spirit is that when you are led by the Spirit, you will produce this in your life without even trying to achieve it or produce it. Love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. And the Bible says those who walk in such things needs no law. What law do you give to a man full of love, joy, and peace? Are you gonna tell him don't steal? He's full of love, joy, and peace. What do you tell a man who's full of kindness and self-control, don't commit adultery? He's full of self-control. Against such there is no law. Are you listening, church?
When you follow the Holy Spirit, the fruits that's produced will be far beyond supersedes the law. Unfortunately, the life of the Spirit has been confined in the charismatic circle only in ministry. We talk about following the Spirit in ministry, you know, the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It's so sad that for the most part, people are not taught how to follow the Holy Spirit in their family life, in their daily affairs, in their business, in their career. I'm telling you, the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. Praise the name of Jesus. Praise the name of Jesus. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
You know, we have areas in our life that we sometimes are battling with, and we do not know how to get the answer. If we even know theoretically what the Bible says Jesus has done in his death, burial, and resurrection to give us the victory in this area. But somehow, we still have a blockage somewhat, you know, to the manifestation that blood-bought victory that Jesus has purchased for us. But there's one inside you. The Bible calls him in the Greek, paraclete. And one of the words, the meaning there is he is your advocate. He is your counselor. So, if you find there's an area in your life that is, you know, the victory of Jesus is not manifesting, learn to involve your lawyer.
"How do I involve the lawyer, Pastor Prince"? Romans 8, verse 26 tells us, "Likewise, the Holy Spirit helps our infirmity". And the word infirmity there in the Greek is inability to produce results. You want to go further? Thayer says inability to produce result because of the impositions of the flesh. That means our flesh is ignorant. We do not know how to get this healing, how to get this breakthrough, how to get this deliverance, how to get this financial miracle in our life. We do not know how to get what Jesus died to give us. But there is a lawyer inside you, and he's there to help your inability to produce results. And the way he helps you, according to Romans chapter 8, verse 26, is that he makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And the Greek word there for groanings which cannot be uttered doesn't mean he does not use words. The words down there is old English, groanings which cannot be uttered. Actually the Greek says, all right, with a language that is inexpressible in our own understanding. That's praying in the Spirit. Are you listening? So, he brings up to God, all right, where you are lacking. He brings up to God your blindness in being able to receive that breakthrough in the area of your need. So, he brings up everything, and all you gotta do is just... How many know that if you pray in English, you must know everything about the Bible to pray accurately? But you don't have to so you pray in tongues...
And the Holy Spirit who searcheth the plan of God and the Holy Spirit who knows the Father's heart when he gave birth to you in your mother's womb when your father and mother came together, and God put that miracle of conception inside you, God, who planned even before you were in your mother's womb, God planned your entire life and God's thoughts towards you are thoughts of good and thoughts of success and not evil. And God planned for you to have a wonderful life. And the Holy Spirit takes that wonderful blueprint of God for your life and when you are praying in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit checks as to where you're falling short.
This is the year 2006, you're supposed to be here but you're still here, and the Holy Spirit prays to God to make God's blueprint, God's plan for you to come to pass. And all of a sudden, you find yourself at the right place at the right time saying things that you yourself don't even realize. And after you say it, you realize you've been led. What did I just say? So, there is a flesh setback. The flesh sets you back, because the flesh is ignorant. The flesh is legalistic. The flesh is our problem. So, we do not know everything we need to know, but there's one inside us who knows everything. He knows everything about God. He knows everything about the Bible. He knows everything about the devil. He knows everything about you, and he knows where you're falling short. He knows what you need to do or he knows what needs to be done in your case, and he will lead you into it. But if you are not praying, the Bible says the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, our inabilities to produce results by making groanings.
And the word helpeth, you must understand, the Greek word for helpeth is sunantilambano. There's an auntie down there. No, it's A-N-T-I. Anti means against like Antichrist, all right? Now, Gabriel, come. As you can see, compared with Gabriel I'm very slim. Stand over there, cowboy. Okay, so he's the Holy Spirit. He's the Holy Spirit. Now, I am you and I, amen? You were never this good-looking. Laugh, lah, just a joke. I know I'm not as good as you, okay. Stand over here, Gabe. All right, now listen carefully, this is a problem we have whether it is an inability to produce the results that we know the Bible says is ours because Jesus shed his blood for us to have it, or it's an inability for us to flow in something that we know we are supposed to flow in. We see the potential, but we see where we are. We see it's there, but we are over here. It's a weakness, and we do not know how to produce the results.
The Bible says the Holy Spirit helps our inability to produce results. The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. And in the Greek it's singular, infirmity, inability to produce result. For the Spirit helpeth our infirmity. Now, this is how he does it. He, listen carefully, he helpeth. The word helpeth, sunantilambano. Sun means together. Anti means against. Lambano means to take, okay? Now, watch this. Sunanti means the Holy Spirit does not take your problem by himself. He takes it together with you. In other words, he comes against the problem. All right, I want to move this. It's over here. It's not supposed to be here, it's supposed to be in front here.
So, when I pray in the Spirit, I pray in the Spirit, I involve him. He does not do it alone. I don't pray and then I, you know, let's say I don't pray. He does it whether I pray or not. No. Sunantilambano means when I pray that groaning, that language he puts inside me, the Holy Spirit takes hold of the problem, all right, together with me, and he carries it. How many understand? Okay, now this is sunantilambano. Are you listening, church? That's Romans 8:26, the Holy Spirit help our infirmities by making groanings that are gonna be uttered.
So, you find that you got a mind problem, you got financial problem. Oh, thanks, Gabe. You got a, whatever problem you have, okay, just tell the Holy Spirit, "Holy Spirit, I got this back problem for some time already, and I've been claiming healing. I do not know why I'm not getting my breakthrough. I've been taking my Communion. I do not know. Holy Spirit, make intercession for the perfect manifestation of your healing in this area". I'm gonna give you an illustration. In our church we have more than one testimony of people that have been delivered from smoking, okay?
Now, I'm talking about people who want to be delivered. Those who don't want to be delivered, they are still smoking, okay? And probably there could be a few, we do not know. But those who want to be delivered, this is how they have received their deliverance. Many of them, it's amazing, I see their letters and one person, the Spirit of God, but they all have this common denominator. All right, they all pray in the Spirit, and then when they pray in the Spirit, the Lord give them promptings to do something. One of them was prompted to run daily. After he started running daily, one day he woke up, the desire to smoke was gone. Another person was given the desire to resign from his job. He doesn't know why. It's not related to smoking, but the Lord led him to resign his job. And after he resigned his job, all of sudden the freedom that came, the lightness, that liberty and peace he felt.
All right, all of a sudden he woke up one day, and again, the desire was gone. He was all the time under stress because of his job. And I can tell you this, doctors, even well-meaning doctors, may not be able to give you answers like this, only the Holy Spirit can, amen? God always leads us into victory, always. But the thing is that most people that smoke, they have a law, that's the reason they smoke even more or the more they try, the more they fail. I should say it that way, because they have unspoken law in their mind, "Thou shall not smoke". So, with that law, they do their best not to smoke.
All right, they tell themself, "From now on instead of four packs it's only one pack", or whatever. But that very law they try to keep, they always break. Always remember this principle, law activates flesh. Grace activates spirit. So, you know, when you put laws on yourself, you are setting yourself for failure. So, what's the answer? In all this testimonies I've received, you know what's the answer? They just pray in the Spirit, and the Spirit of God will prompt them, not to stop smoking, but prompt them to do something, resign their job, amen? Sleep early sometimes. Simple instruction. When they obey the simple instruction, poom, the want to and the power to comes. Are you listening, church?
You see, life in the Spirit is of a flowing nature. It's a flowing nature. It's fresh every day, whereas there are Christians who, you know, they want to live according to the Bible. Now, I want to say something that might confuse some of you, but I hope that you will stay with me and listen to what I'm gonna say.
Some people say, "Well, I live by the Bible". Well, the problem is this, when you live by the Bible, all right, you're actually living by what your mind knows about the Bible, and what your mind knows about the Bible actually is very limited. No one lives by the Bible. When they say they live by the written Word, they're actually living by their mind. And actually you are living by the analytical, deduction, logical side of your mind, whereas the life of the Spirit is a flowing life. It doesn't involve your mind. Therefore, you don't have to be smart to walk with God. You don't have to be smart to walk with God.
Turn to your neighbor and say, "There's hope for you, hallelujah", amen? You don't have to be smart to walk with God. Come on. Because why? In fact I tell you the truth, people that are very well educated sometimes, if you don't watch it, they become analytical, all right, deducing, logical, and they stay in that realm. Many of them are oppressed. They are educated oppressed people. But when you follow the Spirit, listen to what I'm saying, when you follow the Spirit, the Spirit always leads you into the very results that these people are trying to analyze themselves into.
You know, when it comes to flowing in the Spirit, all of us are on even ground. We don't have to live waking up in the morning and saying, "I want to follow the Bible. I want to follow the Bible". No, get up praying in the Spirit, sensing the Spirit, and the Spirit will help you live the Bible. Because you can say like this, "I want to keep the Bible, I want to do the Bible and it's all analytical and deductional and logical". When we follow the Spirit, it's beautiful. He will cause you to live the Bible, all right? Like when Jessica's naughty, what do I do?
There are times, all right, I ask myself, what does the Bible say? The Bible says, "The rod of correction will drive it far from her", amen? Because that's what my mind can think of at that moment about the Bible, but there's another Bible verse that says what? "Do not exasperate your child. Do not provoke your child to wrath".
And when I listen inside it's like something saying inside me, not now, not now. This is not the time to discipline, not now, not now, not now. The child doesn't need discipline, all right? The child is tired or whatever, and sometimes I just discipline. There were times in the past when she was younger I did that. And all the while when I did that inside me there was something cringing, but I was following the Bible. But then I was not following another Bible verse, so it seemed to contradict, but actually, which one to follow? Follow the Spirit. The Spirit knows which Bible verse to apply. Can I have a good amen? The Spirit is spontaneous. The Spirit knows every situation, and the Spirit's fresh.