The Proclaiming Work of the Spirit
Frequently, at least in “churchy” circles, it seems that the signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit get a lot of attention (and, to be sure, this isn’t wrong!). In our diocese, for instance, we have several vibrant and charismatic prayer ministries that have seen the Holy Spirit work in particular and amazing ways time and time again. Even here at Good Samaritan, we hope to establish a prayer ministry in the coming months for anyone who needs personal prayer. However, I’d like us to take a step back and consider the bigger picture: to what, exactly, are these signs and wonders pointing?
Time and time again in Acts, a miraculous sign or healing is paired with a proclamation of the Gospel and a call to repentance. Jesus often followed a similar pattern; consider the lame man lowered through the roof of the house by his friends. Jesus, to the astonishment of the Jewish leaders, healed him but did so as a sign of the more astonishing miracle first worked, the forgiveness of sins (Mark 2:10). Any sign wrought by the Holy Spirit, it would seem, is not given for its own sake, but for the great cause of glorifying God and leading a sinful world to the forgiveness of Jesus.
In Peter’s Pentecost sermon, he quotes to some extent the prophet Joel. Joel was proclaiming to Israel the coming of the “great and awesome day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20) but notes that there will first be a season of the Spirit, a season where the Spirit of God will fall on all of God’s people – not just the chosen leaders – so that everyone would have a chance to call upon the name of the Lord before the great day of judgment.
Of course, we see this all coming together now, in the church, with the gift of the Holy Spirit. But, as we’ve seen, the Spirit is not given simply for our benefit, but for the glory of God. Healings performed, gifts given, miracles worked – only inasmuch as they lead us to Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the redemption of the world. And that, friends, is our purpose and the reason for the Church in the first place – that we might, by the power of the Holy Spirit, proclaim the grace of God to the world around us!
I’ll leave you with a quote from Charles Spurgeon, emphasizing the necessity of the Holy Spirit in our Gospel witness:
”How absolutely necessary is the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit! It is not possible for us to promote the Glory of God, or to bless the souls of men, unless the Holy Spirit shall be in us and with us…Apostles and Evangelists dare not even attempt anything alone; they must tarry at Jerusalem till Power is given them from on High. It was not a lack of education; they had been for three years in the college of Christ, with perfect Wisdom as their Tutor, matchless eloquence as their Instructor, and immaculate Perfection as their example; yet, they must not venture to open their mouths to testify of the mystery of Jesus until the anointing Spirit has come with blessed unction from above! Surely, my Brothers, if it was so with them, much more must it be the case with us.” - Charles Spurgeon in a sermon originally delivered May 24, 1863.