A very relevant question that is so often asked is …

How should you conduct yourself as a Christian, at your work place?
… or for that matter at any other place where one meets the world!

Should you be a witness?
Should you be loving?
Should you be interceding?
Should you be humble?

Although it would seem to depend on the specific situation,
… religion has always been firm – Go Ye!
So, how would you answer that question?

Jesus told us ...

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away;
for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you;
but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment:
of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
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.
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
All things that the Father has are Mine.
Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
--- John 16:7-15

Jesus was telling us that,
The Holy Spirit has two very special ministries here on earth,
… to minister to us, with reference to our own lives!
… to minister through us, touching the lives of others!

Not only did Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit and His ministry on earth,
… but Jesus also said this about our lives on earth,

And He said to them,
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will follow those who believe:
In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly,
it will by no means hurt them;
they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
--- Mark 16:15-18

Without going into details of who does what, according to what Jesus said,
it is obvious that we have a definite role or ministry to fulfil,
… in what happens in the lives of people in the world,
and that the Holy Spirit has been given to us, to help us fulfil that role!

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ,
and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
--- 2Cor. 5:18

The Holy Spirit has not been sent just to help us in our lives,
… or just to help us in our needs,
but He is here because God also has a very specific ministry for Him,
… in the lives of the people in the world.

We have seen in the previous teaching,
… how our direct connection with the Holy Spirit, specifically in prayer,
… opens the way for Him to directly minister to us,
which is also the key to Him being able to minister to the world, through us!

The question now is,
how will the Holy Spirit accomplish His ministry here on earth?
Let’s look at what Jesus said …

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away;
for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you;
but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
--- John 16:7

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me,
the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do,
because I go to My Father
--- John 14:12

How will the Holy Spirit do what God sent Him here to do?
What part do we have in Him accomplishing His ministry?
And …
How does this impact on our conduct in the world anyway?

Totally 100% …

Looking at the basic outline Jesus gave us in Mark 16,
… at what Jesus said the Holy Spirit is sent to do in the world,
… and at the gifts of the Holy Spirit as described in 1 Cor. 12-14,
it is clear that we need to depend on the Holy Spirit,
… and that He is depending on us!

So, starting with what Jesus said, let’s work our way back to our work place.

And He said to them,
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe will be condemned.
--- Mark 16:15-16

How will we know where to go?

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

The Holy Spirit is our guide and He will show us where to go,
… because, where we are going to minister to others,
… is where the Holy Spirit needs to be anyway,

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment:
--- John 16:8

It is the Holy Spirit who will convict those that we minister to.

A God ordained Covenant Partnership!

And these signs will follow those who believe:
In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly,
it will by no means hurt them;
they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
--- Mark 16:17-18

What are these signs and where do they come from?

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
--- 1Cor.12:4-7

The signs are directly linked with the gifts or work of the Holy Spirit,
… in and through our lives,
and works the way Jesus showed us through the lives of His disciples,

And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them
and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
--- Mark 16:20

If we’re ready to go, where the Lord tells us to go, the Holy Spirit goes with us,
… working with us, manifesting the power of God, as we go with Him!

A God ordained Covenant Partnership!

In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
--- Mark 16:17

Remember there are different tongues, such as praying in the Holy Spirit,
… the gift of tongues, speaking in new tongues,
… all as the spirit gives us utterance, (so let Him do as He wills).

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
--- Luke 24:49
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
--- Acts 2:4
… we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
--- Acts 2:11

What happened there?
These new tongues were the ability to speak in the language of the hearer,
… for the express purpose that the Holy Spirit could convict the world of sin!

A God ordained Covenant Partnership!

they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
--- Mark 16:18

A powerful promise or instruction Jesus gave the believer,
… yet seemingly also not working too well either!
However, Jesus said it, so it should work every time, so why does it not?
Did Jesus not say …

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me,
the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do,
because I go to My Father
--- John 14:12

Did Jesus not also say …

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away;
for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you;
but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
--- John 16:7

That simply means that,
… doing the works that Jesus did, such as healing,
… is specifically linked to the ministry of the Holy Spirit!

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
… to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
... But one and the same Spirit works all these things,
distributing to each one individually as He wills.
--- 1Cor.12:7-11

Of course it will happen as Jesus said,
… but considering all the times it seemingly has not happened,
simply confirms what Jesus also said,
… He did what He did, with the Holy Spirit, so should we do also!

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,
who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with Him.
--- Acts 10:38

Don’t just say what Jesus said, BUT do what Jesus did, as He told us to!

A God ordained Covenant Partnership!

So, how should a Christian conduct himself, at his or her work place?
… with caution :-)
We have a special mission in life and especially at the work place!

To be all that God wants us to be!
To do all that God wants us to do!
How?
The same way Jesus did in the Temple,
The same way Jesus did on the mountain
… and in the desert!
Doing what the Father did,
… as the Holy Spirit showed Him,
… and as the Holy Spirit told Him!

But, how will I know what is right or what is best, to do?

… earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
--- 1Cor.12:31
… though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing
--- 1Cor.13:3
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
--- 1Cor.13:13

LOVE – wanting to give into the lives of others!
LOVE – wanting the best for others!

Ask yourself this question,

Will those I work with be edified and built up by what I do?
… then I have chosen and acted on the best gift … LOVE!
Then simply ask the Holy Spirit,
… you cannot go wrong!

A God ordained Covenant Partnership!