The Spirit of Life
He will Empower You
The Bible promises over and over that if we seek God He will be found. The same is true if we seek His power. Paul said earnestly desire the gifts! Don’t be ashamed to ask for the Holy Spirit to give you power to witness because it’s a Bible promise. In Acts, the church prayed, “grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word.” When they finished praying “they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29-31). Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “It is always right to seek the fullness of the Spirit–we are exhorted to do so.”2 Ask the Lord for boldness, open your heart, and receive it. The Holy Spirit will give you power to be a witness for Him if you will ask.
To be empowered by the Spirit is synonymous with being filled with the Spirit, which is an experience in God where our spirit is totally immersed with and in the Holy Spirit. This is an on going experience throughout our life of faith. It is a radical transformation that takes place in the heart and soul of a believer. To be full of the Spirit is not that we have more of God; rather God has more of us! To be Spirit-filled is an empowerment to live the Christian life and to be witness for Jesus Christ. Craig Keener reminds us, “this power flows from an intimate and personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, who has come to live in us by the Holy Spirit.”3
Jesus promises that we, “shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8). He has promised the power all we have to do is ask for it. We are told in Luke 24:49 that we should tarry until we are endued with power from on high.
There are several direct results of being filled with the Spirit. It gives a Christian power to be a witness (Acts 1:8). It enhances a Christian’s prayer life (1 Cor. 13:1; 14:2; Rom. 8). It prepares believers for gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12). The Spirit also produces holy living (Acts 2:41-47; Galatians 5:22,23). The Holy Spirit creates a greater hunger for God (Rom. 8:26). He also edifies and builds up the believer (1 Cor. 14:14, Jude 20). The Holy Spirit is a vital part of the Christian experience that every believer needs to grow in our relationship with God.
1 Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994. 375.
2 David Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The Sovereign Spirit. Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1985. 48.
3 Craig Keener, Gift & Giver: The Holy Spirit for Today. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001. 205.
Category: Spirit