As we consider this particular chapter of Romans briefly today, we should realize that there are very probably three months preaching on several themes contained in the riches of this great epistle. Our concern today however is with living the life through the Spirit. Now this may be accomplished almost as thoughtlessly as breathing. How often do you think about your breathing and actually controlling each breath? Are you thinking about it now? Breath in, breathe out, in a few minutes you will return to the natural condition of just letting it happen.

In our Christian life very seldom do we think about the work of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. Yes, in times of crisis, in times of reflection, just as we count our breathes or the Doctor monitors our condition, once in a while we pause and think about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Now usually, we can look back and see how we have been led by the Holy Spirit in the past. Looking into the future and seeking his present leading is more than a little difficult.

However, are we to consider that all of God's saints must stumble blindly in what we perceive to be spiritual darkness even as we attempt to accomplish God's will? In our passage from Romans today Paul encourages us to consider our life through the Spirit. Verses five and fourteen are keys to the theme we are pursuing this morning.

In verse five and those following after, Paul compares the life in the Spirit with life apart from the Spirit. We might use the word mind set to describe the commitment in the second portion of our verse. In verse fourteen we see God's affirmation as C.H. Dodd describes it: those who are described in the first eleven verses as those who are guided by the Spirit are indeed the sons of God. With this in mind we must be challenged by the opening words of verse twelve: "Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation". And that obligation I believe is to think regularly about the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Our problem is that we do not often consider how we might be led. We would certainly be content if like some airports that provide a vehicle for pilots unfamiliar with the landscape. That little vehicle pulls out on the runway after the plane has landed. On the rear of the vehicle is a large "Follow Me" sign. The pilot can then be led to the proper landing bay to unload passengers or cargo.

We may also consider another worldly example from World War Two when radios were too expensive to put in each tank and plane. The poorer countries would position a radio link in lead tanks and planes only. This was fine under minimal combat conditions. However, very many times the lead tank or plane might be lost and the rest of the squadron would be left to wander aimlessly.

Within the Church itself there have been many modern "prophets" who claim to have a certain hot line to heaven. Amazingly people are easily persuaded and their own spiritual skills are left undeveloped. Perhaps you have seen some bumper stickers which proclaim: "Follow me - follow Jesus" or even "Follow me to Church"! The temptation to trumpet the "Follow me - following Him" theme is very widespread even though it is not always advertised.

By contrast I believe that it is of great importance to urge each of you to learn how to follow Christ. And as more and more of you are blessed with that discernment we may all the better keep our fellowship on the proper spiritual track that is pleasing to our Father in heaven.

At this point you may be thinking, Okay - tell me how to follow the Spirit! Well, I do not have a formula that is absolutely foolproof. But if we are convinced that the words of Holy Scripture are the very words of the Spirit, we may begin to build on that foundation.

This morning I would like to share with you a lesson I learned from my grandmother. When my grandmother Helen was eight years old, a close aunt impressed upon her the importance of a particular verse in the Psalter. That fifteenth verse in Psalm Fifteen was this: "As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake." She lived with that verse for eighty-seven years.

It became as European writers might describe it a life's motive or a theme that shaped and directed her whole life. There was a time when most writers felt obligated to express such a theme for each chapter or book. Originally these themes were biblical passages. Later, obscure Latin or Greek quotes became more popular. And untranslated ones were especially popular.

In that same time period many families and organizations emblazoned their life theme on impressive badges and coats of arms. The Forsyth Clan motto from the Scots revival of the late nineteenth century was one of these. When I first saw it in the 60's I asked the clerk in the store what it read and meant. He translated the Latin and said somewhere there was a Bible verse behind it. It took some digging but I eventually discovered that INSTUARATUR RUINAE summed up Isaiah 58: 12. "Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations ...".

While on vacation we were able to spend some time at Fort Ticonderoga in New York State. There we learned that early in this century the family who owned the land where the ruins were, decided to clean out the weeds and trees. Over time, they rebuilt the ancient walls of the French and Indian wars and restored the buildings to near original conditions. I don't think that that is what my ancestors had in mind. Since I came across the verse in the middle of a liberal Seminary experience I resolved that the verse had a spiritual purpose. And for the last ten years the Lord has allowed me to labor for the restoration of a biblical presbyterian witness here in Ohio.

Now I do not want each of you to run out this week and choose a life verse for yourself. What I do want you to do is seek direction from the Word of God. Choose a verse for a day, or a week. Puzzle over it, pray for its meaning and search for ways to fulfill it in your daily life. If you have problems choosing such a verse, then take the verse printed at the top of your weekly bulletin. Or consider the verse we have on our folding sign out front as the theme for our Church: "Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Work with such a verse for the following week. Apply the sacred text in your daily life and see if this practice becomes spiritually rewarding. See, you don't have to follow me - follow Him, you can learn to follow Jesus yourself. Isn't that the whole purpose of our Christian life? May the Lord lead you by the Holy Spirit through His Word. Amen.