S3 E9 TRANSCRIPT
HEAD-LED AND SPIRIT-LED
INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone and welcome to Spirit-Led Hope. My name is Glenn Erichsen, and in this episode, we are looking at the need to be:
HEAD-LED AND SPIRIT-LED
I know that may sound odd, but I will explain it in just a moment. This is the last episode of Season 3, and at the very end of this episode I will give you a preview of what is coming next.
WHY DID WE START WITH THE BIBLE?
I mentioned in the first episode of this Season that we were embarking on a long-term goal of studying systematic theology from a Spirit-led perspective. I explained that systematic theology is a methodical study of what the Bible teaches about any given topic.
And this explains why we just spent Season 3 on the Bible. From now on, when we are talking about systematic theology, we will use the Bible as our foundation of truth. Hopefully, Season 3 gives you a confidence and trust in the Bible because, going forward, its contents will be at the center of our discussions.
HEAD-LED AND SPIRIT-LED
So, what do I mean by being “head-led” and “Spirit-led.” I started to write down some definitions, and I found myself getting sidetracked by trying to come up with a perfect definition. So, I gave up and I am going to keep it simple. When you get to the essence of these two expressions, it has to do with what you value the most. A head-led person places their highest value on what can be discerned through human intellect. A Spirit-led person places their highest value on discerning not only with the intellect, but ultimately on what God wishes to reveal through the work of the Holy Spirit.
In both cases, what is discerned results in action. A head-led person takes the actions that seem correct based on the human intellect. The Spirit-led person takes actions that seem correct based on a combination of their intellect and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It is important to see that a Spirit-led person uses their intellect. I think that many people have the impression that a Spirit-led life is based solely on mystical experiences and robotically following the voice of God. Although I do know people who live this way, typically that is not a healthy Christian life. A mature Christian uses both their mind and their personal relationship with God to guide their life.
We can intellectually reason because we are made in God’s image. God expects us, made in his image, to use our brains and have our own thoughts and actions. But he also wants us to be like him and to act like him. And that is why Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, to have relationship with God, and to bring guidance and transformation.
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY REQUIRES US TO BE SPIRIT-LED
You may wonder why we are talking about this. We are talking about this because we are now moving into studying what the Bible says. This Season was more about how we got the Bible, but in the upcoming Seasons we are going learn what is written in the Bible with regards to theology.
From this point on I am primarily speaking to Christians. If you are an atheist, then you automatically place your priorities on what the human intellect can tell us. But Christians have a choice. It is possible to have the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit, but still rely primarily on the intellect.
Each Christian must decide if they will we be head-led, or Spirit-led. It is very easy to become so focused on an intellectual understanding of Scripture, that we miss some of the very things which God wants us to see.
If we try to study the Bible and pursue systematic theology from a purely intellectual viewpoint, it will limit our growth. Will we receive benefit from intellectually studying the Bible? Yes, we will. But it will not accomplish the full purpose for which it is intended.
How do I know this? I know it from personal experience, but also from Scripture. The Pharisees were a religious sect within Judaism, and they studied the Old Testament Law. In addition to the Laws of Moses, they also tossed in a lot of oral tradition. The problem was that even though they had an intellectual understanding of what was written in what we now call the Old Testament, they did not practice what they knew.
Jesus made a point of calling the Pharisees out. Here is what we read from the book of Matthew:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe what they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach but do not practice.
Matthew 23:1-3 ESV
After saying this, Jesus goes on to talk about the burdens the Pharisees placed on people and the things they did to look pious. In their quest to look holy, the Pharisees went so far as to even tithe portions of their spices. There was nothing wrong with that, but in the process, they missed justice, mercy, faithfulness, and the love of God. That is a sign of a person who is head-led, with their intellect taking the lead.
It is one thing to intellectually agree with what God has written in the Bible, but it is another to fully live it out. We have something the Pharisees never had because we have the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. And yet, if we fail to listen to the Holy Spirit and choose to avoid the transformative work the Holy Spirit desires to do in us…we risk becoming our own version of the Pharisees.
LIVING IT OUT VERSUS KNOWING ABOUT
It is possible to have a huge disconnect between knowing about God and what he wants and knowing God and living his way. When I was a much younger man, I made a point of reading the Bible at least once a year. I was raised to uphold the Ten Commandments, and I was also taught to avoid other things…things like dancing and smoking. I lived my life trying to live by the Book and like the Pharisees, I tossed in a few additional items.
I also knew, from reading my Bible, that Christians were supposed to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And when I looked at the people around me, I figured I was acting better than they were and so I must be doing okay.
I genuinely thought that I was better than most people and I did not see anything seriously wrong with me. Although, I did feel guilty when I invariably broke one of the rules I lived by. I knew from the Biblical text that I was forgiven, but it was an intellectual assent, and nothing more. I could know I was forgiven because the Bible said so, but intellectualism is often not good at dealing with the emotions of guilt and shame. And intellectualism was all I had because I read the Bible frequently as an act of rote obedience. It was something I did to put a check in the boxes.
At that point in my life, I was no better than the Pharisees. I was relying on my intellect and had reduced the Bible to a series of rules, regulations, and stories. I intellectually knew about God, I knew how a Christian was supposed to act, but I was stuck and unaware of the relationship that God had waiting for me. All of that, and I was a Christian. I had a genuine conversion about the age of 10. In fact, I knew that I was indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but I had subdued his voice through my own actions and leanings towards intellectualism. I am positive that some of you can relate to that.
That all changed when I became unsettled in my life and began searching for some answers. One of the things I did was to read the Bible again, but this time it was different. When you become willing to change, you are opening the door for the Holy Spirit to work. And that is what happened to me. I shared some of my story in Season 1, but here I will just say that the Holy Spirit graciously ushered me into a fresh relationship with God.
Now, I no longer just know about God, but I am getting to know God more deeply. The Holy Spirit has worked in my life to help me become more loving and to grow in all those things the Bible talks about, like joy and peace and patience, that whole list. Since that turning point in my life, I have experienced the most amazing journey, because I moved from a head-led life to one led by the Holy Spirit.
And that, is a life which God offers to everyone.
WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LIVE OUT WHAT OUR INTELLECT KNOWS
I do not want anyone to think that I am against the healthy use of our intellect…just the opposite. As I said before, God expects us to use the mental tools he has given us. In fact, using our minds is one of the ways we worship God. When a lawyer of the Pharisees asked Jesus to tell him the greatest commandment, we read this response in the book of Matthew:
And he (Jesus) said to him (the lawyer), “You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:37-40 ESV
This is a remarkable response because we love God with our entire being, and that includes our intellect. Throughout the Bible, we see that God places a premium on wisdom, and our thoughts. Paul commended the Jews in Berea because they studied the Old Testament to see if what he said was true.
But if we go back to what Jesus said, we see that the second great commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. And this is where the disconnect can come in. We can be so caught up in the intellectual part that we miss the application.
The value of reading the Bible, and doing things like studying systematic theology, is not only in learning more. Its value comes when we allow the Holy Spirit to take what we learn and transform us.
One of the most hope-filled verses in the Bible is Romans 12:1-2, where Paul says:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2 ESV
These verses give hope because they tell us that we can be transformed and changed into something truly remarkable. But true transformation can only come about through the work of the Holy Spirit. As we study systematic theology, it is vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Scriptures, to transform us, and help us live out what we learn.
We need the Holy Spirit to help us live what our intellect knows. We intellectually know the things that are pleasing to God, but we also know that we are inclined to sin. A Spirit-led person humbly studies the Word of God and allows the Holy Spirit to lead them into a place where thoughts are renewed, relationship with God is deepened, along with an ever-growing love for God and those around us.
Let us commit ourselves to be both head-led, and Spirit-led. This will take courage, but it will be worth it as our lives become a Spirit-led adventure with God, and each other.
CLOSING
Now that we are done with Season 3, I hope you found this teaching about the Bible useful. With what we have learned, we have the foundation to really move forward with systematic theology.
You may be wondering about what is next. Well, I will cover that in the next episode, but I will do it a little differently. Normally, I have been taking breaks between Seasons, so I have time to study and to get some rest. That has meant no new episodes for a few months, which has caused some listeners to wonder if I am okay and if there is going to be a next Season.
So here is what I am going to do…for the next 2 or 3 months while I take a break, I am going to stick to my normal release schedule, but not do full teachings. For each release, I am going to try and publish a very short podcast that I am going to call a “minicast.” And this minicast will just be a way for me to keep connected with you.
In the first minicast, I will talk about Season 4, and then I have no idea what I will talk about next. Maybe it will be a 2-minute devotional, or a chance to give a short answer to some of your questions.
And speaking of your questions, I hope that some of you will take the time to reach out to me while I am on the break. If you listen to these episodes on your smart phone, remember that you can now text me by going to the show notes and clicking on the text link. This is a one-way text…I will only see the last 4-digits of your phone number, and your city, but this is an easy way for you to send me a note.
As always, you can send me comments, suggestions, or questions, by email at glenn@spiritledhope.com, or simply use the Contact Form at spiritledhope.com. That is spiritLEDhope.com. With emails, I can and will respond, as time permits.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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As we end this Season…
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Until next episode, take care.
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