Unleashing God’s Mission: The Power of the Holy Spirit

The Vital Force of God’s Mission

The Holy Spirit is the driving force behind God’s mission in the New Testament. As the divine apologist, evangelist, pastor-teacher, and church planter, the Spirit plays a crucial role in convincing the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, bearing witness to Christ, guiding God’s people, and gathering, growing, and guarding the church.

The Mission of the Spirit

The Spirit’s mission is an overflow of Christ’s blessings in this present age, proceeding directly from Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and session. God’s redemptive plan and universal purpose for all nations are being fulfilled globally through the mission of God’s Spirit. Although the Spirit’s vital work in mission often goes unnoticed, Scripture clearly evidences his role from creation to the end of mission.

The Witness of God’s People

You Will Be My Witnesses examines the witness of God’s people within the story of God’s mission, drawing insights from the church’s witness since Pentecost and reflecting on practical aspects of contemporary Christian witness. The vital role of the Holy Spirit has always been confessed by the church, and we echo this confession as we outline seven main points in a concise biblical theology of the Spirit’s mission.

Seven Key Points

  1. The Giver of Life: The Spirit is the giver of life in both creation and redemption, revealed as God’s breath of life from the beginning. He works savingly, giving spiritual life to all those who are by faith in union with Christ and raising them into eternal life.
  2. Speaking Through the Prophets: The Spirit spoke through the prophets in the Old Testament, regenerating, indwelling, restraining, and empowering specific people for specific tasks. His Old Testament mission gave hope to God’s people by announcing beforehand the gospel of Christ.
  3. Active in Jesus’ Life and Ministry: The Spirit was active at every point in Jesus’ life and ministry, enabling and empowering Christ to accomplish his mission of redemption. After Christ’s ascension and session, the Holy Spirit takes a more prominent role in the story of God’s mission.
  4. Pentecost: The Defining Moment: Pentecost marks the defining moment of the Spirit’s mission, as the Holy Spirit takes a more prominent role in bearing witness to Christ in all the world, empowering the launch of the Gentile mission, and applying Christ’s redemption in all God’s people.
  5. Sent on Mission: The Spirit was sent on mission by the Father and the Son to bear witness to Christ, completing the triune mission. The Spirit’s mission is not separate from God’s mission in Christ, as all three triune persons work together to accomplish and apply redemption.
  6. Personal and Corporate Work: The Spirit’s work in the New Testament is described both personally and corporately, working redemption in the hearts and lives of God’s people and empowering the corporate church community in gospel witness.
  7. Continuing Work Today: The Spirit’s work continues in the world today, despite the cessation of Scriptural inspiration and the unique eyewitness of the apostles. The Spirit of Christ still indwells the church and speaks through the Scriptures, in and by the church, until the return of Christ.

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