Whenever there’s a power outage we instantly become aware of how much we depend on electricity. No lights, no heat, no refrigeration, no television, a lack of power can cripple whole communities. Even more important than electrical power is spiritual power. Without the power of God at work in our lives we'd come apart at the seams in no time. Aren’t you glad that Jesus Christ promised to provide us with power for living the Christian life.
In Acts 1.8 Jesus told His followers, “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” God gives spiritual power to His people, and He does so through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit’s power should be evident in the way we share our faith. In 1 Corinthians 2.4-5 the apostle Paul said, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God’s power.” We dare not rely on clever gospel presentations to convince people of God’s truth. Instead, we should rely on the Holy Spirit to take even our weakest words and use them powerfully in people’s hearts.
Another way in which the Holy Spirit’s power can be evident in our lives is through a personal sense of peace and hope that we receive from God. Romans 15.13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” The power of the Holy Spirit gives us inner peace even when the rest of life is in turmoil.
Still another way in which the Holy Spirit displays His power in our lives is through spiritual gifts. According to 1 Corinthians 12.7, every Christian has received at least one spiritual gift, an ability to serve others supernaturally. This verse says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” These spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit to produce unity and maturity within the body of Christ. Ephesians 4.12-13 says that the Holy Spirit has given spiritual gifts “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Whether we have the spiritual gift of teaching, serving, encouraging, giving, leading or any of the other gifts described in the New Testament, we have been given divine power to glorify God and build up Christ’s church.
How are you using your spiritual gifts? How are you seeing the power of the Holy Spirit flow through you? By the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us we can all share our faith effectively, experience inner peace, and contribute to the health of the church.
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