Holy Spirit Power

On Sunday Christian churches world-wide celebrated the Day of Pentecost – the day that the Holy Spirit appeared and filled the early church apostles (Acts 2.) 

This event fulfilled the promise JESUS made to His disciples in John 14:26; that the Father will send the Holy Spirit to them after His death on the cross and resurrection.

JESUS later appeared to the disciples after the crucifixion to prove that He was indeed alive, and to  tell them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit whose power would make them effective messengers of the gospel to the world (Acts 1:4-8.)

Do believers today need the Holy Spirit?

Scripture tells us that all who belong to GOD have His Holy Spirit living in them; if the Holy Spirit is not in us we are not His (Romans 8:9.)

All believers receive the Holy Spirit. Ours is not as dramatic as described in Acts 2, with rushing winds and tongues of fire settling on our heads. But ours is just as supernatural and takes place the moment we receive JESUS CHRIST as our Savior.

For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13

What does the Holy Spirit do for believers today?

The Holy Spirit is proof of our salvation. Immediately we believe, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us and has several roles:

• The Holy Spirit is a gift from the Father to identify us as belonging to Him and unify us as one family, since all believers have the same Spirit living in them. Ephesians 4:3-4
• The Holy Spirit lives permanently with believers. He is a down payment on our future glorification in CHRIST and our assurance of our eternal state as GOD’s children. Ephesians 1:14
• The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and interpret the truth of GOD’s WORD. John 16:13
• The Holy Spirit is our instrument of sanctification. He produces good fruit in us which we are unable to do in our own flesh – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. As we allow ourselves to be continually filled by the Holy Spirit and yield to His guidance, we become more like CHRIST. Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18, 
• The Holy Spirit is the giver of the spiritual gifts that equip believers to function as the body of CHRIST in the church and ambassadors of CHRIST to the world. 1 Corinthians 12
• The Holy Spirit gives us a prayer language to use for more effective intercession on behalf of others. Acts 2: 4; Ephesians 6:18

The Holy Spirit performs all the functions that JESUS would if He had remained on earth to live among us. 

He is with us to lead and guide us, to renew our minds, open our understanding and clarify GOD’s TRUTH for us; to cleanse us and give us new hearts.

Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we would fail continually in our Christian walk. To fully experience and live the best Christian life we need the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives.

When we yield to and are strengthened by the power of the Spirit, we will “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of GOD’s love, and know the love of CHRIST that surpasses knowledge, so we may be filled with all the fullness of GOD”.

 …a new appreciation of what GOD the Father, GOD the SON, and GOD the Holy Spirit.

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, we praise YOU our GOD and thank YOU for the precious gift of the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives. We thank YOU for the wisdom and revelation we receive through the Holy Spirit to know YOU more intimately and the truth of YOUR WORD. We thank you for the gifts of the Spirit that equip us for the work of YOUR Kingdom and the ability to have more intimate communion with YOU in prayer. Thank you for loving us so completely and help us to yield ourselves to the richness of YOUR grace towards us. To YOU, be dominion and power for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in JESUS’ name. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile