The Good Shepherd Leads You into Righteousness

There are many forces in this world that put themselves in a place of leadership. Men desire to lead other men; simply turn on the television and you will see countless people all eager to give their opinion and advice on all kinds of things, setting themselves up in positions of leadership. We in moments of pride, desire to lead ourselves, and of course Satan has always desired leadership as well.

However, when we follow these leaders, or ourselves, where do we end up? The Bible says in 2^nd Peter that those who follow other things and people are led into sin and darkness. However there is One Good Shepherd; One who does not lead astray, but leads into true rest and freedom from all bondage and oppression. This is what we will be studying today. Following the Good Shepherd into Righteousness.

Let’s begin our study with Psalms 23:1-3:

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Notice in verse 1 that it is when the LORD is our shepherd that we shall not want. That word “want” can also be translated as lack. When the LORD is our shepherd, when the LORD is leading us, we shall not be in lack.

Now please understand that this leading is not about dictatorship, and it’s not about law-keeping or earning the favor and blessing of God, but it is about following the leadership of the Shepherd.

In verse 2, we find out where our Good Shepherd leads us. He causes us to lay down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters. This right here is all three physical benefits for us. First it is rest (lying down), then it is provision (green pastures), and third it is peace (still waters). This shows us that when God is leading us, He will never lead us into a ditch, but that He will lead us to the best land, a last of provision and rest and peace. This is our Good Shepherd.

Many times, we as believers will profess the goodness of God and even tell of His goodness to unbelievers, but when it comes to our own life and our own circumstances, we secretly hold another view of God – one where we are unsure of where He is leading; one where we privately hold onto a mistrust of His leadership or His goodness.

We can, however, be sure of His goodness, and the reason is in verse 3. We see that He restores our soul. To have your soul restored means to have your mind and emotions returned to the truth of righteousness-consciousness because of Jesus Christ. To have your soul no longer be troubled because there is no more separation between you and God anymore. To know that there is no more punishment or curse on you because Jesus has already bore all of your punishment and curse in your place. Verse 3 tells us that He leads us into these things for His Name’s sake, which is Jesus.

Many believers claim the name of Jesus, but are still very much intent on leading their own lives. However a true believer will recognize the leadership of the Good Shepherd and actually have Jesus leading their lives and following the path of righteousness. So let’s now examine how exactly that the LORD leads us into righteousness, and how this righteousness makes us free. Turn with me now to Galatians 5:18:

“But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

This Spirit, is not a human spirit, nor is it the spirit of an angel, but it is the Holy Spirit of God; let’s remember this. And this verse says that if you are led of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, then you are not under the law. Now why is this so? The Bible says in Romans 6:14 that “sin shall not have dominion over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.”

It is when you are under the law that sin dominates you, we see this demonstrated all the time, not only throughout the Bible, but even in our present day lives,. The more that you try to keep the law and earn your own right-standing with God, the more condemned you will be because the law condemns even the very best of us, but Jesus Christ redeems the very worst of us, if we allow Him to.

In Galatians 5:4, just 14 verses back from where we are in the same chapter, we can see that:

“Christ is become of no effect to you, whoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace.”

Now this is a serious thing here. There are believers today who think it is not so serious to mix law and grace… there are some who even think that it is good to have a bit of the law along with grace. However what we see here from the scriptures is that the moment that we bring ourselves back under the demand mentality of the law, we fall from grace. The modern culture uses the term “fall from grace” incorrectly to mean when someone sins, but in reality, the Bible definition of this term is when someone leaves the righteousness by faith in Jesus, and falls back to trying to earn it via the law, making Christ of no effect!

You see, Grace is actually much higher than the law, you fall from grace, back into the law. And by the law is no flesh justified. (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16). The Law tells you, “don’t commit adultery.”, but Grace says “love your wife.” You see, it is entirely possible to not commit adultery and keep that command outwardly, but not have any love for your wife, and still be in a hellish relationship without any love. But in Grace, as the love of Christ is flowing and you love your wife, you will love, and adultery will never be committed because sin will have no dominion over you who are under grace.

We must take time here to understand this truth because it is a vital part of our life in Christ, and there is a wide-spread error taught in the church today that is bringing much of the church body into bondage, and it is the erroneous belief that the the Law is still used to make us holy. I have heard famous pastors and leaders say that “we are not under the law for righteousness, but we are still under the law to make us holy.” and my friends, that is nothing more than a way to back-door the law into the lives of believers and bring us under a yoke of bondage that we were never meant to be under.

Romans 7:6-8:

“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, worked in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.”

What these verses are telling us is that there has been a change, a wonderful change. We were once held in bondage to the law, but now we are free. Not to be completely without leadership, but to serve in newness of spirit, and not the oldness of the letter. Verse 7 makes it clear that even though some leaders today would have us believe that this verse is not talking about the Ten Commandments – it actually is referring to the Ten Commandments, “You shall not covet” is a rather obvious reference there.

We are not to serve according to the old commandment, but by the newness of the Spirit, that is the leading of the Holy Spirit which we are studying tonight, it’s a different mentality, a paradigm shift

Then we have verse 8. If more people would grab hold of and truly receive what this verse is saying, they would be in a far better position. But we never hear much about this verse, because the church has largely bowed down to the enemy and shied away from this… but let’s look at what it says:

“Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire…” And then the last part, look at it closely… “For without the law, sin was dead.”

It is the commandment that gives sin an opportunity to stir up evil desires in our flesh. The enemy knows this, and has used this knowledge against believers for far too long. If the enemy comes at us plainly and openly, most of us would be wise enough to resist him.. However if he comes at us, under the guise of religiosity and piousness, , and tells us “If you really want to please God and make Him happy, you must keep the commandments.” or that by keeping the commandments, you are telling God “thank you.”, then many believers will never even suspect that it’s the enemy, because we all want to please God and say thanks to Him.

My friends, if you want to please God and say thank you to Him, then say “Thank you. Thank you Father for your Son Jesus, I am totally complete and fulfilled in Him.” I tell you, nothing pleases the Father more, and delights His heart, than to see someone truly receive and appreciate His beloved Son Jesus. (Matthew 3:17)

So the devil uses law-preachers and legalistic people to re-introduce the law, knowing full-well that it will stir-up sinful passions, and the people well never even know what hit them because our prideful humanity actually wants something to do. We want to have a part to play, so in many cases people will welcome the Law because we want to have a hand in salvation, bring ignorant of the truth of Christ. But the truth of scripture is that Jesus has done a complete and finished work, and we cannot add to it. Our only job is to receive. Our prideful human nature hates that, and that is why as we read earlier in Psalms 23 and Galatians 5 that the Holy Spirit restores our mind and emotions to righteousness-consciousness in Jesus, apart from the Law, because or natural human nature is to gravitate towards it.

The church today, a lot of times does a bait-and-switch on people. During the salvation call, the pastor will say “come to Jesus, it’s simple, just receive Him.” and people are happy when they come to Christ, their sin debt is clean and that childlike joy is wonderful!

Then, after they receive Jesus: “Now that you are a Christian, you must do this, and this, and this and this…” and that joy and freedom in Christ is now totally gone. The Spirit has been replaced with stone tablets, and it produces death. And I have seen a lot of happy believers have their joy killed by pastors preaching law, bringing fear, confusion and condemnation. And actually reviving bondage to sin and killing the congregation.

You cannot live an abundant life trying to keep the law, and running to Jesus when you fail, and then after you feel strong again running back to the law. That is double-mindedness, that is spiritual adultery. Romans 7:1-4, tells us that we are married to Jesus Christ, alone, apart from the law.

Now of course God continues to instruct and lead us even under Grace, but as I said, it is a different manner; it is through the newness of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God, who instructs us in righteous. So let’s conclude our study tonight by examining this leading of the Spirit.

Turn now to Acts 2:1-4:

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat on each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

One of the first things the Holy Spirit will do when He fills a person, is that He will take control of your tongue, because James 3:2 says that if a man’s tongue can be controlled, then so also is his whole body under control. And when the Holy Spirit can control your tongue, He can control every part of your body. His life-giving healing power can flow through you and heal and deliver you completely.

We know that life and death is in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), and many believers do not understand the power or the value of having the Holy Spirit control their tongue. Indeed, no man can control their own tongue as it says in James 3:8, but praise God the Holy Spirit can; and can steer the course of your life (James 3:4).

Now some people say “I don’t want anyone steering my life, my life is my own business!”, but let us recall what we first studied today… that many people do not fully trust the goodness and the leading of God. Remember the God will always lead us to the best land, He was always lead us out of slavery and bondage and into the promise land.

2^nd Corinthians 3:5-8, says something very interesting:

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.

But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?”

Once the Spirit has come into your life, He will be your sufficiency, and it is He who enables us to be ministers, not of the old covenant of the Law, but of the New Covenant of Grace. Why? Because as we see here and as we have read earlier today as well, the law kills, but the Spirit gives life.

In verse 7, we read that God calls the Law, the ministration of death. Those who preach and teach the Law today, are ministering death according to the Bible. We are not called to teach the Law, we are called to teach the ministry of the Spirit in verse 8. Notice that the opposite of the ministry of death (the Law) is the ministry of the Spirit.

Now I am not saying that we purposefully go out and break the Ten Commandments, if that’s what you are thinking then my friend, you have yet to encounter the Spirit of God. Galatians 5:22-23 lists all of fruits of the Spirit, before that, the scriptures list the works of the flesh. Notice the contrast, works of the flesh versus the fruits of the Spirit. A work, is something that you do. A fruit, is what is produced in you. The fruits of the Spirit are not of your own effort or power, but the Holy Spirit manifests them in you. Even self-control (temperance) is a fruit of the Spirit and not a work. And the Bible says against such there is no Law.

What law do you give someone who is full of love, joy and peace? Will you tell him not to steal? He won’t steal because he is full of love, joy and peace! What law do you give someone who is full of gentleness and self-control? Will you tell him not to commit adultery? He won’t commit adultery because he is full of gentleness and self-control. When you are being led by the Spirit, you will be so far above the law, and it will be effortless because it will be the Spirit of God empowering and fulfilling you, and not be your own sufficiency, as we have read today.

And these fruits of the Spirit will not only help in ministry, the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth, and teach you all things. (John 14:26). Does He help in ministry? Absolutely! But please do not place the Spirit of God into an artificial box or confine Him to a specific area of life. Jesus says that He will teach us all things, this includes how to be healthy, how to be successful, how to be at peace, where to go, how to speak. All things means all things! I’m just reading the Bible my friends, God really is this good!

There is a lot more that I have to share with you on this topic of the leading of the Spirit, but we are out of time for today, and we will continue this topic next week. I want to leave you with one final scripture, 1^st Corinthians 1:30-31:

“But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

Remember as we said earlier, there are some people who try to backdoor the Law into believers’ lives saying that the Law is not for righteousness but still for holiness. Verse 30 here, says it plainly, that Christ Jesus is our holiness, we can not make ourselves holy or earn holiness, just as we can not make ourselves righteous or earn our righteousness.

And as verse 31 concludes, let him who glories, glory in the Lord. Rejoice in Him, the work is forever finished, and the Holy Spirit will always lead you into righteousness in Christ.