All serious Christians want to sensitive to the Spirit and led by the Spirit so that we may do God's will. Several chapters in Acts provide a very interesting account of one Christian's leading. Was Paul's decision and insistence that he must go to Jerusalem his idea or from God? Acts 19:21
We are not told why he decided to go, but Paul
"was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost."
Acts 20:16
Pentecost was one of the primary festivals for which Jews would gather, but I wonder if the Day of Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit came upon them, was already seen as very special to Christian believers, even though there was not yet such thing as a "Church calendar".
Paul felt "compelled by the Spirit" to go to Jerusalem, although he apparently knew nothing more. Acts 20:22 But somehow Paul knew that he would not be free to visit the Christians at Ephesus ever again and so said a very teary good-bye to the church leaders. 20:27, 28
However when he next meets with a group of believers we read:
"Through the Spirit they (the Christians from Tyre) urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem."21:4
Was that a directive from God for Paul not to go? Or was it simply that by the Spirit they knew trouble lay ahead and Paul was being prepared for it?
Then we read of Paul being strongly and clearly warned that trouble lies ahead in Jerusalem. Agabus, known to be a prophet both speaks and acts out the future.
"Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 21:11
But Paul would not be stopped by this warning, or the pleading from those who loved him. He asserted that he was ready to die in Jerusalem "for the name of the Lord Jesus." And so Luke records that the disciples gave up trying to stop him and said, "The Lord's will be done."21:12 - 14
When finally Paul arrives in Jerusalem and meets with the leaders he reports on his missionary work among the Gentiles. They praise God, but they are concerned about the unrest among the legalistic Jewish Christians unless Paul demonstrates his own submission to Jewish law. He takes their advice and as result is almost beaten to death and arrested. 21:26 -33 "The rest is history."
Looked at simply from a subjective "how do I know the leading of the Spirit, the will of God" these passages provide a somewhat puzzling example.
I mention this because the life of "walking by faith" is not always clear. There are times when even the most devout believers do things that may appear to others as wrong or misguided. And there are times when very devout believers are not really sure of what they should do, they simply act in faith.
Read over these several chapters, Acts 19 - 21. If you were Paul would you have gone to Jerusalem and submitted to the purification ceremony? After the warnings about danger; after the pleadings of sincere believers saying "Don't go." Even if at first you felt "compelled by the Spirit"?
When seeking the will of God we need to pay careful attention to the advice of other believers, especially if we know them to be wise and godly. But ultimately each of us must seek and do the will of God as we know it - from the Word and the Spirit. Sometimes (perhaps often) there will seem to be mixed signals. Yet each of us must ultimately do what we believe God calls us to do. We walk by faith.
We are not told why he decided to go, but Paul
"was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost."
Acts 20:16
Pentecost was one of the primary festivals for which Jews would gather, but I wonder if the Day of Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit came upon them, was already seen as very special to Christian believers, even though there was not yet such thing as a "Church calendar".
Paul felt "compelled by the Spirit" to go to Jerusalem, although he apparently knew nothing more. Acts 20:22 But somehow Paul knew that he would not be free to visit the Christians at Ephesus ever again and so said a very teary good-bye to the church leaders. 20:27, 28
However when he next meets with a group of believers we read:
"Through the Spirit they (the Christians from Tyre) urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem."21:4
Was that a directive from God for Paul not to go? Or was it simply that by the Spirit they knew trouble lay ahead and Paul was being prepared for it?
Then we read of Paul being strongly and clearly warned that trouble lies ahead in Jerusalem. Agabus, known to be a prophet both speaks and acts out the future.
"Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 21:11
But Paul would not be stopped by this warning, or the pleading from those who loved him. He asserted that he was ready to die in Jerusalem "for the name of the Lord Jesus." And so Luke records that the disciples gave up trying to stop him and said, "The Lord's will be done."21:12 - 14
When finally Paul arrives in Jerusalem and meets with the leaders he reports on his missionary work among the Gentiles. They praise God, but they are concerned about the unrest among the legalistic Jewish Christians unless Paul demonstrates his own submission to Jewish law. He takes their advice and as result is almost beaten to death and arrested. 21:26 -33 "The rest is history."
Looked at simply from a subjective "how do I know the leading of the Spirit, the will of God" these passages provide a somewhat puzzling example.
I mention this because the life of "walking by faith" is not always clear. There are times when even the most devout believers do things that may appear to others as wrong or misguided. And there are times when very devout believers are not really sure of what they should do, they simply act in faith.
Read over these several chapters, Acts 19 - 21. If you were Paul would you have gone to Jerusalem and submitted to the purification ceremony? After the warnings about danger; after the pleadings of sincere believers saying "Don't go." Even if at first you felt "compelled by the Spirit"?
When seeking the will of God we need to pay careful attention to the advice of other believers, especially if we know them to be wise and godly. But ultimately each of us must seek and do the will of God as we know it - from the Word and the Spirit. Sometimes (perhaps often) there will seem to be mixed signals. Yet each of us must ultimately do what we believe God calls us to do. We walk by faith.
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