Main Summary: How To Be Led By The Holy Spirit by Peter Tan is a book that emphasizes the importance of developing a close relationship with the Holy Spirit in order to be led by Him. The author describes the different ways in which the Holy Spirit communicates with us, including through the inward witness, the voice of the human spirit, and the voice of the Holy Spirit. He also discusses the importance of discernment and finding a balance between new revelations and tradition.
Lessons You’ll Learn From This Post
- The Inward Witness
- The Voice of the Human Spirit
- The Voice of the Holy Spirit
- Spectacular Leadings
- Finding Balance Between Revelation & Tradition
The Inward Witness
The most important way the Holy Spirit leads the believer is by the inward witness. According to the author, this inward witness is a spiritual sensation in your newborn spirit, It is also called the anointing within. It produces the sensation of right or wrong, and the conscience works together with faith to keep you operating at your level of faith and not in presumption.
The author describes the five sensations of the spirit man, which are different levels of the working of the inward witness. The first sensation is the sensation to pray, and the second sensation is the sensation of grief. The third sensation is the sensation of joy, the fourth sensation is the sensation of peace, and the fifth sensation is the sensation of love.
These sensations demonstrate different areas to which the inward witness bears witness, and you need to develop sensitivity to these various levels of the inward witness. As the author says, “ninety-five percent of the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives is by means of the inward witness.”
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The Voice of the Human Spirit
The voice of the human spirit is not a sensation, but rather a voice. According to the author, while the five sensations of the human spirit are not the voice of the human spirit, they can be used to understand it.
The spirit man is capable of communication with the soul, but it is important to differentiate the voice of the soul from the voice of the spirit man. The author explains that there are three levels of consciousness and that the highest level of consciousness is an awareness state of the spirit mind.
However, the author warns that you must be cautious as those who venture into spirit consciousness without the protection of Jesus Christ can be preyed on by demons.
He describes the thoughts of the spirit man as always in line with the written Word of God and produce love and faith. In contrast, thoughts from the soul are contradictory to the Word of God and produce doubt and fear. Also, thoughts from the devil are from the sense realm and cause a sensation of grief to the spirit man.
The author also notes that the human spirit communicates with your soul. This communication takes place through images and pictures. Some of which can manifest in the dreams we have in life, which are instructions that the human spirit is seeking to convey to us.
Overall, the author emphasizes the importance of taking time to wait on God and hear the voice of the human spirit. He also stressed the importance of discerning between the voice of the soul and the voice of the spirit man so as not to go into errors.
The Voice of the Holy Spirit
The voice of the Holy Spirit differs from the voice of the human spirit. According to the author, the voice of the Holy Spirit is more authoritative and manifests the presence of God when it speaks. It also covers areas of ministry life, whereas the voice of the human spirit covers areas of our earthly lives.
The author provides examples of the Holy Spirit’s voice in the book of Acts, where Peter, Stephen, and Paul were all filled with the Holy Spirit and worked mighty works.
The author also notes that recognizing the voice of the Holy Spirit is a reflection of how close you are to the Holy Spirit and how much He is a Person to you. He emphasizes the importance of learning the ‘koinonia’ or fellowship of the Holy Spirit, which means union, partnership, and sharing.
Union in this sense means developing an awareness of His abiding presence in your heart. Partnership means taking Him as your Senior Partner in life, ministry, and business, and sharing means having an intimacy with the Holy Spirit and total dependence upon Him for all of your needs.
Also Read The Holy Spirit & You by Pst Chris Oyakhilome [Summary]
Spectacular Leadings
Spectacular leadings by the Holy Spirit are still commonplace in the Christian world today. However, the author cautions against seeking visions and dreams but instead suggests seeking obedience to God’s will.
He emphasizes that it is not necessary to have visions to be used by God, and it is important to discern the true nature of such experiences. However, God may choose to operate in visions and revelations in our lives.
The author notes that most of those in the Bible who received visions were in an attitude of prayer or worship, although this is not a requirement for a vision to manifest.
Also, dreams, which have been called visions of the night, have been used to lead God’s people. However, symbolic dreams need interpretation, which is an aspect of one of the nine gifts of the Spirit called the gift of interpretation of tongues according to the author.
God also leads His people by His audible voice. However, according to the author, the audible voice of God can be heard only by those whom God chooses to manifest it to, and it is the same as the manifestation of a vision.
Finding Balance Between Revelation & Tradition
It is crucial to have a balance between revelation and tradition. The author emphasizes that while new revelations and different aspects of the Truths of God need to be brought forward, the body of Christ must also come to the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of Christ.
According to the author, “Those who are bound by traditionalism need to be bold enough to drop their security blanket.” Similarly, those who receive fresh revelations need to be patient and exercise caution before implementing them in the church of God.
He added that you can strengthen your ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. The author s can be achieved by praying in tongues for hours, meditating on the Word of God, fellowshipping with spiritual men and women, worshipping in private and public, and singing psalms, hymns, and songs throughout the day.
The author likens being led by the Holy Spirit to being led on a journey along the rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans of the world. Saying that the only boat that can sustain you throughout the journey is the Word of God.
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In conclusion, the book emphasizes the importance of being led by the inward witness, the voice of the human spirit, the voice of the Holy Spirit, and finding a balance between revelation and tradition. He stresses the significance of developing sensitivity to the various levels of the inward witness and being cautious in venturing into spirit consciousness. The author also highlights the importance of discerning between the voice of the soul and the voice of the spirit man and taking time to wait on God to hear the voice of the human spirit
Finally, here are some questions we’ll love you to answer.
How do you differentiate between the voice of your soul and the voice of your spirit man? Can you share an experience where you had to make this differentiation?
We would love to hear from you, please leave your answer and comments in the comment box below.
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