Filled With The Power Of The Spirit

WHEN IT COMES TO DESCRIBING WHAT THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN DO IN THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN, I BELIEVE JESUS GAVE US THE ANSWER IN LUKE 7:22-23.

IT CAME WHEN JESUS TOLD THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST TO GIVE A REPORT ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD SEEN AND HEARD WHICH WAS, "THE BLIND SEE, THE LAME WALK, THE LEPERS ARE CURED, THE DEAF HEAR, THE DEAD ARE RAISED TO LIFE AND THE GOOD NEWS IS BEING PREACHED TO THE POOR.”

WHAT I FIND INTERESTING ABOUT THESE THINGS THAT JESUS LISTED IS REALLY ONLY “SCRATCHING THE SURFACE.” I BELIEVE WE CAN ADD TO WHAT JESUS SAID BY NAMING SUCH THINGS AS RECOVERING FROM PAST MISTAKES, HEALING FROM TRAUMATIC EVENTS, RECONCILIATION OF BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS, RECOVERY OF SHATTERED MARRIAGES, AND OBTAINING JOY AND PEACE.

WHATEVER IT MAY BE, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE AS LONG AS WE KEEP THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE IN “WHERE” THE POWER FOR THE HEALING, RESTORATION AND EMPOWERMENT IS COMING FROM. I BELIVE THAT IF THE THINGS IN OUR LIVES ARE EVER GOING TO BE FULLY REALIZED THE WAY GOD ORIGINAL INTENDED THEN A HEALTHY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MUST FUEL THE OUR THOUGHTS.

IN ALL THINGS AND AT ALL TIMES, WE MUST SUBMIT TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND EXPECT OUR ABILITY AND EMPOWERMENT TO COME SOLELY FROM HIM AND HIM ALONE.

JESUS INSTRUCTED US IN JOHN 16:7-8; 13-14, WHEN HE SAID, "BUT IT IS ACTUALLY BEST FOR YOU THAT I GO AWAY, BECAUSE IF I DON’T, THE COUNSELOR WON’T COME, IF I DO GO AWAY, HE WILL COME BECAUSE I WILL SEND HIM TO YOU. AND WHEN HE COMES…THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH …WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH.

HE WILL NOT BE PRESENTING HIS OWN IDEAS; HE WILL BE TELLING YOU WHAT HE HAS HEARD. HE WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE. HE WILL BRING ME GLORY BY REVEALING TO YOU WHATEVER HE RECEIVES FROM ME."

JESUS IS TELLING US THAT WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO THE INDWELLING AUTHORITY, GUIDANCE AND LEADERSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. IF WE WILL FOLLOW THE SPIRIT, HE WILL SHOW US THE WAY. THE GREEK VERB "TO GUIDE" USED HERE IS A COMPOUND VERB DERIVED FROM THE TWO WORDS "WAY" AND "LEAD."

THEREFORE, WE CAN MAKE A LITERAL TRANSLATION THAT JESUS IS SAYING THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT HE IS SENDING US WILL "LEAD THE WAY”FOR US. IF WE WILL FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE WILL LEAD OUR COMMUNITY OF FAITH INTO THE TRUTH, THE WAY, AND THE LIFE.

BY BECOMING A SPIRIT-FILLED, SPIRIT-LED COMMUNITY LIVING IN TOTAL OBEDIENCE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FAITHFUL BEHAVIOR TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE WILL BE LIVING LIFE THE WAY GOD INTENDED IT TO BE LIVED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

AFTER ALL, THIS IS THE VERY REASON THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIVEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME TO FILL US WITH GOD’S POWER. THE SPIRIT HAS COME TO INSPIRE AND EQUIP ORDINARY PEOPLE TO DO EXTRA-ORDINARY WORK FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

WE ARE GIVEN THE HOLY SPIRIT SO THAT THROUGH HIS INDWELLING POWER, WE WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY AND ABILITY TO FULFILL ALL OF GOD’S WILL, TO DEFEAT EVERY DEVICE OF SATAN, AND TO EXTEND THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST HERE ON EARTH.

IF WE WILL ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TOTALLY FILL US, WE WILL LITERALLY BE ABLE TO DO GREAT AND MIGHTIER WORKS THAN JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF EVER ACCOMPLISHED ON EARTH.

IN JOHN 14:12, JESUS RESPONDS TO PHILIP BY SAYING, “I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ANYONE WHO HAS FAITH IN ME WILL DO WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING. HE WILL DO EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN THESE….”

BUT, IT TAKES BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT TO HAVE THAT KIND OF FAITH. FOR EVERY TASK, FOR EVERY SPIRITUAL BATTLE, FOR WHATEVER IT MAY BE THAT WE DO FOR GOD, IT MUST BE DONE UNDER THE POWER AND GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL. THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT WE MUST BE FILLED WHICH TELLS US A “PROCESS” IS INVOLVED. BEING “FILLED” IS A WORD THAT INDICATES THAT THE “FILLING” IS AN ON-GOING, ALWAYS-NEEDED, PROCESS.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOU DON’T GET FILLED ONCE AND YOU’RE GOOD-TO-GO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU ARE FACING IN LIFE. THERE ARE VARIOUS FORMS OF POWER.

THAT IS WHAT THE APOSTLES EXPERIENCED IN OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE. THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN ‘FILLED’ WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT ONCE ALREADY WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIVEN TO THEM ON PENTECOST TO BIRTH THE CHURCH. NOW, HERE IN ACTS, CHAPTER FOUR, A NEW, SPECIFIC FORM OF INDWELLING POWER WAS NEEDED FOR A NEW AND SPECIFIC TASK TO SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD BOLDLY. THE GREEK WORD FOR “BOLD” MEANS “WITH CONFIDENCE,” OR “FORTHRIGHTLY.”