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"THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL LEAD YOU" One the the myths that is addressed in our newest publication, "Myths, Lies, and Vain Traditions," is the often repeated notion that the Holy Spirit's leadership in the believer's life is some sort of foolproof and automatic thing where all we have to do is follow our feelings. Here's how we address the matter . . . While Jesus did say that the Spirit of truth would guide the disciples into all truth (John 16:13) and John did say that believers could be taught by their spiritual anointing (I John 2:27), it remains true that a believer can also "grieve" and even "quench" the Holy Spirit's influence in his life (Eph. 4:30; I Ths. 5:19). That's why God gave us the scriptures, which were inspired by the Holy Ghost (II Pet. 1:21). The notion that the Christian can ignore the word of God and rely on some special leading of the Spirit instead is just not true. Most Christians who believe this way are being led by nothing more than their own emotions, not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit never leads against his words. Isaiah 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” If there’s no light in them, then the Spirit’s leading is absent. To say that the Holy Spirit will lead someone is like telling a driver that his GPS will guide him. Not if he doesn’t have a GPS, not if he has one but he doesn’t know how to use it, and not if his GPS is defective. Nothing is automatic, and nothing is easy. Every believer should remember three very important words: fact, faith, and feeling. The facts are the words of God, and those facts take priority over everything else. Then faith comes by hearing the words of God (Rom. 10:17). Once we have exercised faith in God's facts, we can then enjoy a good feeling, also called joy and assurance (I Ths. 1:5-6), but the word of God comes first and regulates the faith and the feeling. Facts, faith, then feeling. Beware of anyone who refuses to respect and follow this scriptural order.