1 October 2023

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BELIEVER(3)

(Growing in Faith, in Truth & in Spirit: GFTS 14)

Before the Day of Pentecost, the Lord Jesus gave a promise: “You will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). The anointing power of the Holy Spirit is to enable us to be witnesses for Christ – to preach the Gospel to all people so that they many know Him as Lord and Saviour. That was what happened after the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 on the Day of Pentecost. They witnessed to the people from 16 nations who gathered in Jerusalem and 3,000 souls were saved on that day.

What can we learn from this? God’s purpose in giving us the Gift of the Holy Spirit is to make us witnesses for Christ. In other words, evangelism is the main activity of every Christian who is born again of the Spirit. We cannot say that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and not be a witness for Christ. If we are walking in the Spirit then we will automatically and boldly preach Jesus at every opportunity God gives to us. Notice also that the Holy Spirit is POWER dwelling within the disciple of Christ. He makes us “powerful” witnesses of Christ. This Power is seen or expressed in several ways:

1. This Power is seen in the boldness of faith.
Before Pentecost, the disciples were all cowards, hiding themselves in a room and sacred to death of their enemies – the unbelieving Jews who sought to persecute and harm them. But after the holy Spirit filled them, they witnessed boldly for Christ – not fearing opposition and persecution. Throughout the following chapters we see this boldness of faith – they did not stop witnessing for Christ even though they were threatened with trials, whipping and imprisonment and even death! If we are fearful to witness, then we are not Spirit-filled.

2. This Power is seen in the exercise of Spiritual Gifts.
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit gives nine supernatural gifts so that we can be a blessing to people – both in and outside the Church (1 Cor.12:7-11). On the day of Pentecost we see that the gift they exercise was the ‘gift of tongues’. The disciples spoke to the people in their native languages of the 16 nations from which they originated. The people said, “Aren’t all these Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?” (2: 7-8). This was a miracle – they spoke in the languages they had never learned and spoke like they were native born!

3. Throughout the Book of Acts, the disciples spoke words of prophecy, received messages from God through dreams and visions, healed all kinds of sicknesses and diseases, cast out demons and performed miracles. The Holy Spirit in them is the same Holy Spirit dwelling in ALL believers today. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever because He is God. That means everyone of us who has the Indwelling Spirit can also do what the early disciples did. All we need is to exercise our faith with boldness as the Spirit prompts us! 

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