Last week, we looked at how the glorious season of Christmas—Advent—is also a celebration of our own New Advent—when hope was born again IN us. On our new-birth birthday, God gives each of us a special GIFT bundle—the Holy Ghost … AND POWER!
“You shall receive POWER after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you …” (Acts 1:8)
BUT it begs the question: What IS the POWER of the Holy Ghost? And what is it for?
When we receive the Holy Ghost, aside from special giftings listed in 1 Corinthians 12, we are ALL given special POWER, including:
P – Power to PERSEVERE
- We gain an inner strength—like having steel in our soul. It sustains and keeps us. “Praying always … in the Spirit, and watching with all perseverance …” (Ephesians 6:18) Perseverance means to lay down our own strength so that the strength of the Holy Spirit can rise up within us, helping us to STAND. Not in spite of our weakness, but because of it. “Blessed is the one who perseveres-under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 NIV)
That means not only the power to STAND, but one day to RISE. “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11 NKJV)
O – Power to OVERCOME
- Life is a fight—a constant battle against sin and temptation. Our own sinful nature is constantly wanting to defect to the dark side—to side with the enemy—and our hearts often feel like a spiritual war zone. But then the Spirit of God rises up IN us, with weapons far superior to our own, and we are reminded that “the battle is not (ours), but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15 KJV)
The Holy Spirit wages war FOR US from within. He covers us like an “Iron Dome” to resist, intercept, and OVERCOME the attacks of the enemy. (Galatians 5:16, Romans 8:2) We are NOT overcome by fear, anxiety, and hopelessness—but we possess the strength and stamina to be an OVERCOMER!
W – Power to WITNESS
- “ … and ye shall be witnesses unto me … unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) We receive power to “do the work of an evangelist and fulfill our ministry” within our circle of influence. Real life evangelism is simply testifying of the good news of Jesus in real time. It’s declaring the glory of God and what it means to witness the gospel working in our own lives. We may say, “I’m too shy to do that.” But the Holy Spirit empowers us beyond our own ability. Power to share a smile—to show a kindness—to find our voice and to speak with a boldness and authority that does not come to us naturally. To be the voice of HOPE to a hopeless world.
E – Power to EXPRESS God’s message
- God’s message to the world is His written WORD. The Holy Ghost gives us a love for the Word and spiritual eyes to see what we could not see with just our own understanding. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13 KJV)
But, there’s MORE! The Holy Ghost also allows the Voice of God to speak THROUGH us. “When you are put into their hands, do not be afraid of what you are to say or how you are to say it. Whatever is given to you to say at that time, say it. It will not be you who speaks, but the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 13:11 NLV)
Paul also wrote about this: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26 KJV)
R – Power to REMEMBER
- Have you ever wondered how the four gospel writers each recorded their unique perspective of the life of Jesus without contradicting each other? With all the miracles they observed and the countless words they heard Jesus speak, how did they ever remember them all accurately? They must have had supernatural help from the Holy Spirit. In fact, when Jesus taught about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and will bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26 KJV)
We need it ALL. We ALL NEED ALL the P-O-W-E-R of the Holy Ghost.
This is important: the Holy Spirit is wholly GOD—NOT the “third person of the trinity.” GOD has only ever been the ONE TRUE GOD—never divided into separate “persons.”
- In the beginning, GOD the Spirit was manifest in the POWER of Creation;
- It was the same POWER that came down at Sinai and at Bethlehem and at Pentecost;
- It is the same POWER given to us when we’re born again—to be holy and as the “earnest of our inheritance”; and
- It is the same POWER given to all “that overcome, and keep my works unto the end …” (Revelation 2:26)
The GIFT of the Holy Spirit is GOD IN US—and has always been multifunctional. It’s like multiple POWER tools contained in one big GIFT box! The BEST GIFT EVER!
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, You are the ALL-in-ONE God! ONE GOD, ONE SAVIOR, ONE SPIRIT, ONE GIFT! With it, we have all the POWER we’ll ever need to live victoriously. Thank You for sharing Yourself—Your POWER—with us! Amen.
