But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His . . . For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:9, 14-16 NKJV

When a person accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit baptizes them into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). This is based on promise (Rom. 10:9-10, 13) not necessarily one’s feeling the Spirit or having the mind of the Spirit. Because the Spirit of God dwells in you, you belong to Christ and are deemed to be a son of God having now the Spirit of God.

In the above text, Paul uses adoption to illustrate a believer’s new relationship with God. In Roman culture (1^st Century A.D.), an adopted child lost all rights in his old family and became a full heir to his new father’s estate. Likewise, when you become a Christian, you gain all the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of a child of God. One of the most notable privileges of your new sonship is being led by the Spirit.

No man can see God because God is a Spirit and has no bodily form. So, how can you be led by God or hear from God? Is there a way to be led by God’s Spirit? The image and nature of God is Spirit; and, and the image and nature of man is also spirit—both are eternal spirits (Gen. 1:26-27; John 4:24; 1 Thess. 5:23), and “the spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his heart” (Prov. 20:27).

According to the books of Acts of the Apostles and Romans, there are three ways to be led by the Spirit, in and through and in concert with your human spirit: the Inward Witness (Rom. 8:16); the Inward Voice (Rom. 9:1); and, the Voice of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:19). Are you being led by the Spirit of God?