“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14
As we read through the rich passage of scripture in Romans chapter 8, this verse helps us to visualize an important life lesson that describes a key characteristic of being a child of God. The word ‘sons’ in this verse comes from a Greek word that is used in other passages of scripture to refer to female believers and descendants in general. So, the lesson in this verse equally applies to all children of God.
The lesson in this verse has to do with being “led” by the Spirit of God. This should be a major priority for every person who is a true child of God. This world presents a huge array of challenges for us to navigate and we need the wisdom and leading of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome the obstacles that try to hinder our walk of faith. Jesus clearly stated in John 16:33, that we would face trials in this world. But he also told us to be encouraged because He has overcome the world. In order for us to overcome our tribulations, we must follow the Lord’s leading.
As usual, there is a treasure of truth in our focus verse in Romans 8 that can escape our attention in the English translation. The word ‘led’ in this verse comes from the Greek word ‘ago’ which means to lead, bring or carry. This word is used in ancient Greek to describe leading an animal with a rope around its neck. The majority of the time it was used in that context, it was referring to leading a cow or a goat with a rope. It’s unlikely that you have ever led a cow or a goat with a rope around its neck—but it is much more likely that you have walked a dog on a leash. And that illustrates the same truth that can teach us a valuable lesson.
You may wonder why the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to use this exact word in Romans 8:14. I believe I know the reason. Anyone who has ever walked a dog on a leash knows that there is a major difference between walking a dog that is easily led and walking a dog that wildly tries to run in various directions. When you are walking a ‘cooperative’ dog, you can lead that dog with just a gentle tug on the leash. But when you are walking a dog that spontaneously takes off in the wrong direction, a gentle tug is not sufficient to keep the dog safe. Sometimes you have yank the leash with force to keep the dog out of a dangerous situation.
So, what lesson is the Holy Spirit teaching us in this verse? We need to be sensitve to the leading of the Holy Spirit and cooperate with Him as He gently tugs at our heart. If we are not sensitive to His leading and we do not cooperate with His guidance—more force will be necessary to get our attention. Don’t be the one that often takes off in the wrong direction! Make up your mind now, that you will always be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life and cooperate with His guidance. If you do this, you will save yourself a lot of heartache and you will end up walking with God in your divine destiny!
