Power of the Holy Spirit

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8 (NIV)

Jesus never expected His disciples to carry out the mission in human strength.

That is worth stating plainly, because a great deal of Christian exhaustion comes from attempting exactly that.

These are among the last recorded words of Jesus before the ascension: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Consider the instruction that precedes it. In verse 4 Jesus commands them “not to leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised.” These men had spent three years with Jesus, had seen the resurrection, and had received the Great Commission. And they were told to wait. Whatever the baptism in the Holy Spirit is, it is something additional to conversion in the experience of these disciples, and Jesus considered it essential enough to halt the mission until it came.

Now look at the word “power.” The Greek is dunamis, from which we get dynamic and dynamite, though we should be careful with that second image; the word means effective, working ability rather than explosion. It is capacity to accomplish something.

And notice what the power is explicitly for: “you will be my witnesses.” The Greek martus gives us the word martyr, and that is not accidental; for many of them, witness cost their lives. The power is missional. It is given for the making of Jesus known, geographically expanding outward from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth, which is precisely the structure the book of Acts then follows.

So the Holy Spirit is not simply a doctrine to agree with. He is the living Spirit of God, a Person, not a force or an influence. He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), lied to (Acts 5:3), and He speaks, sends and forbids throughout Acts.

Now, as Pentecostal believers, let us say clearly what we believe and, just as importantly, why it matters.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not about status, noise, or proving we are more spiritual than someone else. It is empowerment for service and witness. Any use of this doctrine to create a spiritual hierarchy in a church misses its stated purpose entirely and contradicts Paul’s whole argument in 1 Corinthians 12 that the body needs every part.

What does the Spirit do? He gives boldness to witness, as Acts 4:31 shows immediately after prayer. He strengthens our praying, “for we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us” (Romans 8:26). He helps us live holy lives, putting to death the misdeeds of the body (Romans 8:13). He distributes spiritual gifts for the building up of the church (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). And He gives power to serve Jesus beyond our natural ability.

Speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance is the biblical initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. That is the classical Pentecostal position, drawn from the pattern in Acts: at Pentecost (Acts 2:4), in the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:45-46), and at Ephesus (Acts 19:6).

But note carefully: the purpose does not stop at an experience. We are filled so that we can live and minister in the power of the Spirit. An experience that produces no ongoing fruit, no boldness, no holiness and no service has not reached its intended destination.

In 1906 a small group of believers began meeting in a run-down former church building on Azusa Street in Los Angeles, led by William Seymour, a preacher blind in one eye and the son of former slaves. People of different races knelt and prayed together at a time when that was deeply unusual, and many were filled with the Spirit. From that humble room the Pentecostal movement spread around the world. The power was never in the building, the budget or the preacher’s credentials.

Notice too that the Greek in Ephesians 5:18 is continuous: “be filled with the Spirit” is better rendered “go on being filled.” One initial experience does not exempt anyone from ongoing dependence. The same disciples who were filled in Acts 2 were filled again in Acts 4:31.

Two pastoral cautions.

First, do not confuse the gifts of the Spirit with the fruit of the Spirit. Gifts are distributed; fruit is grown. A believer may exercise a genuine gift while their character is still immature, which is exactly what Paul confronts in Corinth. Both matter, and only one of them is the evidence Jesus said the world would recognise (John 13:35).

Second, do not make another believer’s experience the measure of your standing before God. Your acceptance rests on Christ’s finished work, not on any subsequent experience. Seek the fullness of the Spirit because you want to be useful to Jesus, not because you are trying to prove something.

So as you begin today, do not rely only on personality, intelligence or experience. Those are genuine gifts from God and He uses them, but they were never meant to be the engine.

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh this morning, and ask Him specifically: for boldness to speak of Jesus to someone, for holiness in a particular area, for strength in a task beyond you.

Let me add one further thought on the difference between the fruit and the gifts, because it protects both.

The gifts of the Spirit are given; the fruit of the Spirit is grown. That is why a person may exercise a genuine gift while their character lags behind, which is precisely the situation Paul confronts at Corinth.

So never use someone’s gifting as evidence of their maturity, and never use your own as evidence of yours. Gifts can be borrowed for an hour; character takes years and shows up at home.

The safest people to follow are those in whom both are growing together. And the safest thing to want, if you must choose, is the fruit, because it is what Jesus said the world would recognise.

You were never called to do God’s work without God’s power. Be filled with the Holy Spirit, and let His power make Jesus known through you.

Reflection

1. Where have you been attempting God’s work on personality, intelligence or experience alone? What would dependence look like there?

2. The power is given for witness. Who is one person God may be asking you to speak to about Jesus, and what is holding you back?

Prayer

Father, thank You that You did not send Your church out in its own strength. Holy Spirit, You are a Person, not a force, and I welcome You. Fill me afresh today. Give me boldness to speak of Jesus where I have been silent. Strengthen my praying. Help me put to death what dishonours God in me. Use the gifts You have given me to build up Your people. Keep me from ever using spiritual experience as a measure of status. I want to be useful to Jesus, and I cannot be without You. In His name, amen.

Declaration

I was never called to do God’s work without God’s power. I am filled with the Holy Spirit, and He makes Jesus known through me.

Pastor Ras
All Nations Community Church

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