“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.”
Acts 1:8
The promise of power is the key to the effectiveness of our Christian lives. The Holy Spirit who calls out “Abba, Father!” in our hearts is mighty in us. Independently, we will not have this power; all power belongs to God. He is what enables us to believe in Jesus and to trust Him more and more.
Think of it this way: The Lord is the one who throws on the switch and fills our lives with the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Paul piles superlative upon superlative in his effort to convey the immediacy and dynamic (explosive!) force of God in us. Through it we have the power to avoid sinful pitfalls, the power to speak His Word into people’s lives, the power to be lifted out of depressive tendencies, the power to resist negative thought patterns.
Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8 is that this power is given to us so we can speak of Him and tell His story to all who will listen. Like Moses or Jeremiah, we may feel utterly inadequate for the task. But in His power—not our own—we set out on the Great Commission.
Think of it this way: The Lord is the one who throws on the switch and fills our lives with the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Paul piles superlative upon superlative in his effort to convey the immediacy and dynamic (explosive!) force of God in us. Through it we have the power to avoid sinful pitfalls, the power to speak His Word into people’s lives, the power to be lifted out of depressive tendencies, the power to resist negative thought patterns.
Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8 is that this power is given to us so we can speak of Him and tell His story to all who will listen. Like Moses or Jeremiah, we may feel utterly inadequate for the task. But in His power—not our own—we set out on the Great Commission.
Scripture Focus
Ephesians 1:15-23
Insight
Ask the Lord today for a demonstration of His resurrection power in your life.
Bible In A Year
- Genesis 20-21
- Psalm 10
- Matthew 16-17
