Having previously given thought to the Holy Spirit’s work of convicting and birthing sinners into God’s kingdom, as well as His ministry of teaching and gifting those who are members of that kingdom, this week attention is drawn to the Holy Spirit’s ministry of guiding and enabling.
As for the Spirit’s guiding, Christ promised that the Spirit would guide His followers into truth, saying, “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). Furthermore, being led or guided by the Spirit is one evidence of being a child of God, according to Romans 8:14: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
The guidance of the Spirit was a major factor in Paul’s missionary ministry. At one point thought was given to taking the gospel into Asia, but Paul and his team “were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia” (Acts 16:6).
Later, the team thought to go into Bithynia, “but the Spirit did not permit them” (Acts 16:7). This guidance prepared Paul and the others for the advance of the gospel into Europe, in obedience to a vision in the night in which a Macedonian man pleaded with Paul, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). The Holy Spirit seeks to guide God’s children to know what to do and where to go in the service of the gospel.
Genuine love
Not only does the Spirit guide believers in knowing and sharing the truth of the gospel, He enables us to do so out of genuine love for the Lord and for people. Romans 5:5 includes the reminder that “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
God’s people should be motivated by divine love, as well as guided by that love, so the ministries they perform show forth divine love. How can this happen? It is by the enabling of the Spirit. A vast difference exists between service done out of duty and that done out of love.
When Galatians 5:22-23 identifies “the fruit of the Spirit,” the list is headed by love. Not only love, but the Spirit also enables believers to experience joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Our world has great need, and the Spirit enables those who confess to be Christians to provide ministry.
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