Read Titus 1

The Holy Spirit works dramatic and undeniable transformation in the lives of sinners.  The Holy Spirit does not do adjustment or alteration, but complete redesign.  This new design in the new self finds its only parallel in the life of Jesus Christ.  His character is the only one that resembles the radically new desires of our heart and ensures that these new desires are meant for permanent display.  When testing the work of the Holy Spirit, the only standard must be the life of Jesus Christ.

Claiming to have met God and to know him stands for nothing if the fruit of his spirit is not represented in the new self.  Any and all efforts to lead others in the way of Jesus Christ will be fruitless without the leadership and spirit of Jesus Christ being made anew in the new self.  Leadership of self is stubbornly juxtaposed to the leadership of God.  A person led by the world for success in this world will not and cannot lead compatibly with the will of the Lord.  The ways of the Lord are holy and righteous, and the ways of man are sinful and self-serving.  Therefore, as one person assumes a leadership role over another, whether in a marriage, a friendship, a profession or a church, the standard must always be the life of Christ and his authority over the lives of sinful man.  There is no acceptable worldly authority in any human relationship that can unleash the healing power God intends to unleash.  This feat is impossible for man.  It cannot be accomplished.  It cannot be realized out of human effort.  The leadership that does not oppress, does not neglect, does not harm and does not destroy can only come from a model that has never done such things.  The leadership of Christ is love, peace, strength and healing.  Only by complete submission to his leadership can one ever lead others in this world and produce the same fruit that his leadership does.