The Spirit Made Me Write This!

I have often wondered why we do this. Not that everyone does it, but they are out there, at this very minute, as I type my post. I’m talking about Christians who seem to explain away situations with that world famous biblical clique: “The Spirit made me do it…”, “God told me to…” or, “The Spirit told me it was OK…”
Have you ever had a conversation with a fellow Brother or Sister in Christ, and have they spoken this infamous one-liner? Have you caught yourself saying it?
The times I have heard it spoken to me by good mates of mine, is usually when they have rang me up for a listening ear. And hey, we all need that kind of accountability aye. But often when they have asked me for my opinion on the matter, naturally I have given it (more often than not my opinion is a challenge to what they rang me up for). And it is only when I challenge them on their lifestyle do I hear that the Spirit said it was OK. I find that somewhat irritating, and here’s why. First off, why ring me if the Spirit said it was cool? Surely the entire point of the phone call was because you felt a nagging within yourself, and you wanted to know a solution to the problem. But in acknowledging the problem is to also say that the Spirit wasn’t cool with it. If the Spirit was cool with it, then there is no problem, right?
Secondly, as was affirmed in my N.T. class today, the Spirit – being the very nature of our Father God – would not partake in anything contrary to His being or His will. And if we imagine that the Spirit said that sleeping with someone outside of marriage was OK, then what Spirit is that person listening to? Also, remember that even the Devil can masquerade as an Angel of Light.
And thirdly, and I know it sounds blunt, but using that one-liner sounds so much like a cop-out! Rather than face our sins and our shortcomings, we would rather shut them up, bolt them down, turn our backs and walk on…without actually dealing with the sin in the first place. That is the way of the sinful nature.

One final note: I have absolutely no doubt at all that the Holy Spirit speaks into the lives of people. But I do doubt I hear the Spirit affirming a sinful act.