START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION
![](https://i0.wp.com/guidedbygrace.tailspinfarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Acts-18.jpg?resize=525%2C440&ssl=1)
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER / ACTS 1:8
This is the key verse in the book of Acts. The primary purpose of the baptism in the Spirit is to provide power to communicate the message of Jesus to others. The purpose of the baptism is to receive power to deliver the message that those who do not have a personal relationship with God can receive His forgiveness, learn to follow Jesus and fulfill His purposes for their lives. The end result is that more people come to know, love and honor Jesus as Lord – the Leader and authority in their lives (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:49; John 5:23; 15:26-27).
- “Power” (Greek dunamis) means more than strength or ability; it refers to a power at work or in action. Luke (in his Gospel and in Acts) points out that the Holy Spirit’s power included the authority to drive out evil spirits (to command them to release their control in people’s lives) and the anointing (empowering, commissioning) to heal the sick. These were described as the two essential signs accompanying the bold message of God’s kingdom (Luke 4:14, 18, 36: 5:17; 6:19; 9:1-1; Acts 6:8; 8:4-8, 12-13; 10:38; 14:3; 19:8-12). The baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s way of releasing the power of the Holy Spirit into a Christian’s life.
- Luke here does not relate the baptism in the Spirit to the first experience of personal spiritual salvation. He describes it as power coming upon someone who is already a follower of Christ, then working from withing him or her to effectively communicate Christ’s message.
- The Holy Spirit’s primary work in proclaiming and promoting the message of Jesus has to do with how he comes upon – or “clothes” Christians with God’s power. The spirit is really the one who convinces people of their need for God’s forgiveness and the truth of how Christ’s death and resurrection makes spiritual salvation and a personal relationship with God possible (Acts 2:14-42).
YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES
The baptism in the Holy Spirit not only provides power to proclaim the message about forgiveness and new life through faith in Jesus it also increases the effectiveness of the Christian’s personal testimony or witness (Acts 13:31). It does this through the strengthening and deepening of a person’s relationship with the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit that comes from being filled with the Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26-27; Mark 1:11).
- The Holy Spirit reveals and makes more real to us the personal presence of Jesus (John 14:16-18). Responding to this inner voice or witness from the Spirit will bring us into a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus and will result in an increasing desire to love, honor, and please Him as our Savior.
- The Holy Spirit witnesses both to and through Christians to convince people of God’s “righteousness” (John 16:8, 10) and “truth” (John 16:13), which “bring glory to” Jesus Christ (John 16:14). This happens through both words and actions. Those who have already received and responded to the Spirit’s testimony about Christ’s spiritually restoring work will show Christ’s character traits of love, truth, and right behavior in their lives (1 Corinthians 13).
- The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the starting point through which Spirit-filled Christians (those who have received Christ and have God’s Spirit living within them) receive the power to communicate Christ’s message with great effectiveness. This includes the ability to convince people of their spiritual lostness apart from Christ, their accountability to God and their need to get right with Him (John 16:8). This awareness will affect those who proclaim Christ’s message as well as those who receive that message (Acts 2:39-40).
- The baptism in the Holy Spirit can be given only to those who have turned toward God in true repentance (admitting and expressing true remorse for sin, turning from their own way, and submitting to Jesus’ leadership, Acts 2:38; 3:26; Matthew 3:2). The power of the baptism is maintained by the same sincere devotion to Jesus Christ and His purposes (Acts 5:32).
- The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a baptism (an immersion) into the Spirit who is holy (“Spirit of holiness,” Romans 1:4). God’s holiness refers to His purity, perfection, spiritual completeness, and separation from evil. This means that if we have truly submitted to God and His Spirit is at work in us in all His fullness, our lives will become saturated with His character traits. As a result, we will be more like Christ and be an example of His holiness.
In light of these Biblical truths, those who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit will have a strong desire to please Christ in everything they do. That is because the baptism in the Spirit complements (completes, fills up) the saving and spiritually purifying work of the Holy Spirit in Christians’ lives. Those who claim to have experienced the fullness (the baptism) of the Spirit yet live in a way that is contrary to the character of God’s Holy spirit, are revealing the fact they do not
Bible Study Tools I Use
- NIV Bible
- King James Bible
- www. biblegateway.com
- Map Pencils
- College Ruled Spiral Notebook
- Ballpoint Pens
Some links may be affiliated. By purchasing an item from an affiliate link, I receive a small commission – but you are not charged more or less by clicking or purchasing through the link. Thank you for supporting me!
Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter
- SUFFER FOR MY NAME / ACTS 9:16
- THEY BELIEVED … THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST / ACTS 8:12
- WHEN THEY HEARD THIS / ACTS 11:18
- THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THEM / ACTS 19:6
- SPEAKING IN TONGUES / ACTS 10:46
- GOD DOES NOT SHOW FAVORITISM / ACTS 10:34
- THEY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 8:17
- HAD NOT YET COME UPON ANY OF THEM / ACTS 8:15-16
- THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 4:31
- FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 2:4
- THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:15
- THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40
- REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
- FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
- WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
- KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
- GUIDED BY GRACE HOME
8 Replies to “YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER / ACTS 1:8”
Comments are closed.