This is the essence of new covenant spirituality: being led by the Spirit of God through our human spirit and not our soul.  The walk of a new covenant Christian is a walk of obedience, not obedience to the law but obedience to the Spirit which informs our spirit.  1Jn5:10 tells us that we have the witness within us.  It is God that does the work not us.  We merely follow the leading of the Spirit.  St. Paul tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God for which you are sealed until the day of redemption. Eph4:30   What we do not grieve is the prompting of the Spirit to follow the will of God and not the will of the soul or self.

The experience of being led of the Spirit of God can be as minor as what to eat or when to watch TV.  But it can be also as significant as not making a law out of a habit.  For instance, if fasting is what I do on Wednesdays, then the Spirit might prompt me not to fast on Wednesday.  If going to church is what I do on Sunday, then the Spirit might prompt me not to go to church on Sunday.  If tithing is what I give to the church and the body of Christ, then giving more or less might be what the Spirit prompts.  In the first covenant, the obedience of the will of man brought the blessing of God.  Man was the principle worker.  The onus of the burden was on man.  "Obey my voice and I will be your God and you will be my people.  And walk in the ways that I have commanded you and it will be well with you." Jer7:23  From Jeremiah to Exodus, to Deuteronomy to Joshua, man obeys and God blesses, man disobeys and the curse follows.    It is an external covenant requiring man's willpower, manÕs soul.  Man earns his salvation.

In the new covenant the law is written on the heart and in the mind. Hb8:10  God initiates and leads through man's spirit, not his soul.  Man obeys not an external code but the inward leading of the Holy Spirit.  Man is to wait on God.  Man is to wait for the leading of the Spirit in his spirit.  Man is no longer under the law but under grace.  Man is to serve as Christ served.  "I can of myself do nothing...I do not seek my own will but the will of my Father who sent me."Jn5:30  The life of a new covenant Christian is a life of living and walking in the Spirit.  It is a life of waiting on God and moving as the Spirit prompts.  We rest in God. Hb4.  We are not justified by keeping or following the law.  We are justified by following the Spirit.  It is the obedience of faith, not obedience to willpower that justifies.

Through the blood of Christ, we have the forgiveness of sin.  Through the cross of Christ, we have the death of self.  Through the resurrection of Christ, we have the power of God.  Through the ascension of Christ, we have the authority to cast out devils, lay hands on the sick, preach the gospel, and raise the dead.  The life of a Christian is a life in Christ.  Christ redeems.  Christ mortifies.  Christ empowers.  Christ authorizes.  Without Christ we can do nothing and nothing we do without him has life.  We must wait on God.  We must pray.  We must study.  We must fast.  We must be led by the Spirit of God.  All other works are dead works.  In the old covenant God sought our efforts and works.  In the new covenant God seeks our surrender and brokenness.  In the first covenant strength and willpower dominate.  In the new one manÕs weakness and yielding bear fruit. "When I am weak then I am strong." 2Cor12:10  "My strength is made perfect in weakness."2Cor12:9   I must learn to wait.  Waiting is prayer.  Waiting is study.  Waiting is watching and listening.  But when God prompts waiting is a sin.  We must perform.  We must preach. We must do.  All is done through  the power and inspiration of God.  It is a life of waiting and service and serving as the Spirit leads.

The first covenant shows us that man is doomed to failure.  Man cannot save himself.  The second covenant shows us that God wishes to do for us what we can not do for ourselves.  GodÕs grace saves through faith.  Man must get out of the way.  When man gets out of the way God will do all and be all.  It is a life of God working in us and through us.  It is not about man at all.  It is all about God.  It is about what God can do.  Salvation, healing, gifts, fruit are all about God working through a person who dies to self.  Man gets no praise or glory, only God.  When, by faith, man dies to self, God can then work signs and wonders.  New covenant Christianity is all about God.  When he lives the life, that life is a blessing to everybody.  When man tries to live the life, it is dead work.  Let God be all in all.  Let him take possessionÉdecrease, die, humble yourself, be broken, yield.  If you do, God can then work his wonder and do what he wills to do. 

Amen.