WEDNESDAY August 17, 2022
Indwelling Power
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
Understand, the power of the Holy Spirit dwells within our earthly body––in this body of clay: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV). Yet many Christians who are saved, and are born again of the Holy Spirit, do not go on to the upon experience. They stop right there. They fail to have His power effectively working in their lives.
A believer cannot be a bold witness unless they have the upon experience. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, a Christian will live a life of defeat and not a life of victory. How else can you overcome your natural desire to sin? It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to live the Christian life and to be a good witness to others.
Christians are called to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. Sin hinders the work of the Holy Spirit. In the Greek language, the word for sin is hamartia, it means “to miss the mark.” The English word witnesses comes from the Greek word martus––martyr. Christians are willing to give their lives for what they believe. They are ready to die.
God desires to do a work in believers so that they do not sin, become defeated, depressed or oppressed. Memorize this important Scripture: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). The Holy Spirit is within you and He can come upon you to help you overcome these things.
There must be a credible testimony in your life to be an effective witness to those around you. How else can you give hope to a lost world? People need to see the power of your witness in your testimony. That is why you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to come upon your life.
In proportion as a church is holy, in that proportion will its testimony for Christ be powerful.
~Charles Spurgeon~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
