This can be annoying especially when the flag on the play is against you, but when it's for you and your team; folk are jumping for joy, high fives going all around and life is good. There are normally seven referees on the field in a football game. Seven refs to watch and keep an eye on the conduct of the players; referee, umpire, head linesman, line judge, side judge, field judge, and back judge. All of these have a specific task to watch out for and make a ruling when needed.
The Holy spirit works as our referee in our "game of life". He is there to make calls on plays that we don't necessarily see or maybe we see, but we are hoping it doesn't get called on us so that we can skate on by.
You stole that bag of chips....bbrrrpppp (whistle) flag on the play - intentional theft
You lied to cover your own back.....bbrrrrrppp flag on the play - intentional lying
How annoying is it to hear the Holy Spirit say over and over to you, "you know you shouldn't have done that" "Now you know that was wrong; why did you go ahead and do that?". But there is a huge difference between the referees and the Holy Spirit (besides one being the spirit of God and the other flesh); referees can only call a flag on the play when it happens. The Holy Spirit can call a flag on the play before it even is about to go down. So instead of the flag being a penalty against the home team (you) it serves as a warning given to you by God himself.
You are thinking about stealing that bag of chips......BBBRRRPPPP flag on the play - thou shalt not steal
You are about to lie to save yourself........BBBRRRPPP flag on the play - love thy neighbor as yourself
kissing passionately.....BBBRRRRP flag on the play - fleshly lust creeping up
The Holy Spirit does all for us even when we don't want him to do so. I know good and well I have tried to turn the volume down on the Spirits "whistle blows" in my mind. The reason why is because I really wanted to commit the sin that the Spirit is trying so desperately to keep me from doing. When you really want to do or get something you will begin making excuses for it and trying to justify doing it as well. And yet like the referees in the NFL the Holy Spirit is unapologetic in blowing his "whistle".
I will not lie, sometimes I hate it when the Spirit does that to me and yet when I listen and then see why he told me to stop I can't thank God enough. Or when I do ignore the Spirit and then the consequences take form I end up crawling back to Christ asking for forgiveness and still thanking God he loved me enough to warn me.
Referees like the Holy Spirit will call you out when you are wrong and even after you did the act when the whistle blows you still will have a penalty mark against you. You still will have to pay for the penalty you committed. Being sorry doesn't omit the consequences of your actions. Referees don't make calls and then the player says "my bad, I'm sorry" and all is forgiven. Noooo the flag is thrown, the call is made, the consequence is enforced. No different than with the Holy Spirit. You go against his warning, the flag is thrown (should be followed by some guilt), the call is made against the sin you committed, the consequence is then enforced.
The only way to be on the Refs good side, is to play fair and square. The only way to be on the Holy Spirits good side is to live holy and resist the temptation to sin. James 4:7-8 said it quite well
Submit yourselves to the Lord....resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nearer unto God and he will draw nearer unto you.
Resist the devil, resist temptation, resist the urge to go against the Holy Spirits warning calls and you will draw nearer to Christ. Those flags are meant to keep you from harms way and into the arms of Christ. Sometimes those flags may end up hurting others in the process. And please understand I am not talking about a "gut" feeling I am talking about prayer and the Holy Spirit talking to your soul and your mind and heart telling you this is wrong, or that is wrong. There's a big difference between the two. Watch for them flags, they just may save you some headache and heartache. - Be blessed
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