Power of the Spirit

There was a story of a couple during the first winter that he and his wife were married was marked by severe blizzards. They can vividly remember one Sunday when we awoke to find that the electricity had been knocked out by an ice storm. Huddled around a battery-powered radio for news on that frigid Sunday, we heard a most unusual announcement. The announcer, before giving the list of church services canceled due to the ice storm, said, "The following churches will be closed due to lack of power." What an interesting comment! They knew what he meant, but they were struck by what he said.

The idea of churches closing due to lack of power leads us to some spiritual parallels that directly tie into Jesus' promise of the Spirit. Just before His ascension, Jesus told His men in Acts 1:8, "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." He was talking about the coming of the Spirit which will be given to the empowering believers. This gives us reason to examine some important issues in this concluding part.

What Is Power? The word power used by Jesus in Acts 1:8 is the Greek word, "dunamis." It is defined variously as "strength, power, or ability." Specifically, it refers to "supernatural power, strength or force, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth." This spiritual power is not natural to the believer, however. Notice, very carefully that it is natural to the Person of the Holy Spirit who resides within the believer. How does this power display itself in our lives? Here is one possible (though probably more) and clear ways the Holy Spirit expresses His power in the lives of the redeemed.

Power For Life. How does the Spirit express life in us? By causing our lives to be obviously different from the hopeless world that surrounds us. Notice Paul's words in Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

The power of the Holy Spirit provides for us the things that human effort, religion and righteousness could never achieve. He is there to empower our living with a glorious inspiration of joy, peace, and hope that can carry us through the trials and hardships. Here are a couple of things that I learned the contrast between the world and God:

In a world that is in crazy pursuit of happiness, we can have joy by the power of the Holy Spirit. In a world that is crying out from the grief of constant conflict, we can have true peace.
In a world that is filled with empty despair and a vague future, we can have a bright hope.

Why?

Because the power of the Holy Spirit can builds us (equip) for life in a way that the world cannot understand! His power can enable us to experience the things that the world longs for, but are ours by the Spirit. This is the abundant life Jesus spoke of--a life that is full and rich and deep and lasting. A life that is lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here's one of my favorite song that I have not sung in such a long time:

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow--
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Great is Thy faithfulness!

How is the power in your life?