25 January 2026

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND MISSIONS

(Biblical Teachings on The Christian Life.: BTCL 18)

Our Lord said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is great but the labourers are so few. Pray therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He may send forth labourers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2). The Holy Spirit is the Lord of the Harvest and He brings in the Harvest through the preaching of the Gospel by convicting sinners to repent and accept Christ as Saviour and Lord (1 Cor,12:3). On the Day of Pentecost, He convicted the hearers of their sins and they repented and gave their lives to Christ. Three thousand souls were thus saved (Acts 2:41).

The Lord Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me and He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted and set the captives free” (Luke 4:18). This was the Mission of Jesus when He came to earth, and the Holy Spirit was instrumental in setting Him apart for this great work. Through the anointing power of the Holy Spirit those called to missions are enabled to serve God effectively. Hence, the Bible says, “It is not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord” (Zech 4:6). No one can serve God or preach His message by their own effort and expect to be effective.

The Apostle Paul describes his ministry thus:“When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God…I came to you in weakness with fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s Power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s Power” (1 Cor.2:1-5). Our Lord also depended on the Holy Spirit in His Life and ministry. Luke said that He was “full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit, and walked in the Power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:1, 2, 14). He also said, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt.12:28). The Power of the Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit. Missions is preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, resulting in souls saved through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 13:1-4, it was the Holy Spirit Who called, set apart Barnabas and Saul for missions, and then sent them out. “The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. So, after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus” (v.2-4). Whom He sends He will equip and empower; where He sends the door will be opened and the missionary will be successful and souls will be saved. He will manifest His Presence and Power and the people will see the Glory of God through signs and wonders and miracles.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will testify of Him and glorify Him (John 15:25; 16:14). Missions is the Holy Spirit glorifying Jesus in proclamation and salvation.

Missions is saving souls and making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

Click HERE to return to Biblical Teachings on The Christian Life Series

Click HERE to return to Articles Main Menu