But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Acts 1:8 (NLT)
Although the statement “with great power comes great responsibility” entered popular culture through the Spider-Man comic books, it was introduced centuries earlier. There is even a connection with, From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48 (NIV).
I was blessed with a rich Pentecostal heritage. I remember songs from my childhood like, “Lord, send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power!” It could be argued that we have neglected the old-time power in many churches. It is certainly not true in every part of the worldwide church, but far too many “spirit-filled believers” exhibit little evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power.
We do not have power because we are Pentecostal or spirit filled. We are Pentecostal or spirit filled because we have power. There is debate regarding tongues as the initial evidence of Spirit baptism, but power is the definitive evidence in a believer’s life.
We may say that we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, but unless we are experiencing the Holy Spirit’s power, we will come up short of the results God intends for us to accomplish. We do not receive the power of the Holy Spirit for power’s sake but to do the things he commanded us to do.
“Revive Us, Again”
We believe that after baptism in the Holy Spirit, we can experience repeated “fillings of the Holy Spirit.” In Acts Four, the church met together, not to ask God to deal with their persecutors but to request boldness in preaching the Word. After they prayed, the room where they were meeting shook, and it said, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Some Christians today believe that Holy Spirit baptism, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and perhaps even the power of the Holy Spirit were only for the early church. They are called cessationists because of this belief. Perhaps God, in his grace, will reveal to them that he still works in might and power today.
Of more significant concern should be those who are essentially “functional cessationists.” Their statements of faith align with the Holy Spirit, yet the power is nowhere to be found. There is a quenching of the spirit because of fear or unbelief, but also because they have never experienced God moving with power. They may have read about it or heard testimonies from those who have experienced the power of God, but they do not have the faith to see it released in their own lives and ministries.
Whatever the reason, the absence of God’s power will prevent us from accomplishing his purposes in and through us. Without the power of God, we can do little more than manage sin, sickness, and disease. Salvation, deliverance, and healing require the power of God.
More Than Talk
For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT)
Enter into the promises of God. It is your inheritance. You will do more in one year if you are really filled with the Holy Ghost than you could do in fifty years apart from Him. ― Smith Wigglesworth
Several words in the New Testament are translated as “power.” Principally, Dunamis means might, strength, or the ability to perform. And exousia, meaning the freedom of choice, the right, or the authority. Luke 4:36 is an example of where power and authority go together: All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” (NIV)
Acts 1:8 tells his disciples that they “will receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” This power is the enablement, strength, and might to accomplish the work of being God’s witnesses. I have been to many parts of the world where power outages are relatively common. In India, I remember them occurring several times each day. But God’s power is always available to us because we are his children.
John 1:12 is an example where exousia grants us authority. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right (exousia) to become children of God— John 1:12 (NIV). Power without authority is an unused potential. Authority without power is pathetic. Ability and authority must go together to be effective.
Everything We Need
By his divine power (dunamis), God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
We must understand the tremendous power available to us through the Holy Spirit. It is far greater than any power on earth or in nature. It is the very power of God. As with high-voltage electricity, the Holy Spirit’s power must be handled with respect. The power of God cannot be purchased, as Simon the Sorcerer learned, but it is available to all of God’s children through the Holy Spirit.
God’s power (dunamis) is limitless in its supply, but sadly, many of God’s children live in ignorance, weakness, and ineffectiveness. Faith is the “switch” that turns on God’s power supply.
Why would we ever want to struggle along, trying to fulfill God’s purposes in our strength, when he has made his power available to us and given us the authority as his children to be conduits through which his power will accomplish his purposes? We must live daily expecting God to do the miraculous in and through us. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT)
Steve Ekeroth