Before He left Jesus gave all His disciples, and this includes ourselves, a Great Commission; He commanded us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20) and to…“Go, into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) As His followers this is our duty; to preach glad tidings to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, liberate the captives and open the prisons of those held in bondage. (Isaiah 61:1)
But, we are not called to do all this in our power, our own strength or based on our own understanding. Just as Jesus Disciples were instructed to, we are to wait for the Holy Spirit; His guidance and leading, before we even attempt to preach Jesus.
Why Must We Wait for the Holy Spirit?
Now comes the question -Why must we wait for the Holy Spirit? Can’t we just go off and tell of the too-good-to-be-true news of what Jesus has done and can still do for us? Why must we wait?
The Good News of God’s Grace is powerful; it leads to repentance (Romans 2:4), to sinners being set free from the sin they are enslaved to and it leads to true life (John 10:10). But it can only do all this if it is preached correctly. The Gospel is not effective if it is added to or has parts missing from it.
So how do we ensure that we are not subtracting or adding unnecessarily to the Gospel? How do we make sure that we are preaching the truth? Our answer is- through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Leads Us to All Truth
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
(John 16:13, NKJV)
If we wait for the guidance of the Holy Spirit instead of stepping out on our own to fulfill Christ’s commission, we will be assured that what we preach is true because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. Jesus promises in the passage above that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. The Holy Spirit convicts (John 16:8) but He also witnesses to the truth.
Have you ever had moments where you have done something you know is wrong? No one has to tell it was wrong but you feel within yourself that it was. That is the Holy Spirit convicting you. But it can also work in a different way, such as when you hear the Word being preached and your heart quickens at whatever is being taught. You believe and know what is being said is true even though no one has necessarily said it is. That is the Holy Spirit, witnessing to you of the truth.
He works in the same way when it comes to the Word of God, when you spend time studying Scripture, praying and meditating He reveals the truth in the Word to you. He witnesses to you, He leads you and He guides you in the truth.
The Holy Spirit Teaches Us
Another reason we must wait for the Holy Spirit is because it is Him who will teach us the Gospel. Just as He will witness to us and guide us to the truth, He will teach us the truth.
Have you ever found that when you spend time repeatedly reading the Word, certain questions you have get answered or concepts that you were confused about become clear? And yet nobody was actively teaching you all this. That is the Holy Spirit. God has poured Him out into our hearts so that we don’t have to look far for God and for the truth, because He has placed it within us. He has poured out the Spirit so that we don’t have to go far to be taught the things God because He teaches us Himself. (Jeremiah 31:34)
The Holy Spirit Gives Us Power
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
(Acts 1:8, NKJV)
The final reason we must wait for the Holy Spirit is because He is the one who gives us the power to preach the Gospel. (Luke 24:49) To be a follower of Christ is not a smooth sail. In some parts of the world people are imprisoned, beaten and are treated unjustly if they confess Christ. Persecution is something we are to expect as Christians. (John 15:20, Mark 10:29-30 Mark 4:16) But we are not to let it from preaching the Good news and the only way we can do this is by the working of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the one who emboldens us (Acts 2:4), He gives us the supernatural ability to speak the name of Christ in circumstances we normally would not. He enables us to accomplish the kind of things we would not be able to on our own.
If Jesus Had to Wait So Do We
In order to accomplish the works God want us to wait for the Holy Spirit, Jesus had to (Matthew 3:16), His disciples had to, and so we are no exception. God knows that we are human and have a tendency to fall and fail that is why He has sent us His Spirit to strengthen us, keep us in truth and to teach us and help us do the impossible. Under His guidance we can fulfill Christ’s commission and we can walk in light, victory and in faith.
