BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER

ACTS 1:8

"BUT 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."

This is the last recorded statement of Christ on earth. It is thus final, authoritative, and of utmost importance. The Holy Spirit is a major theme in Luke and Acts and is the major point of continuity between the life of Jesus and the ministry of the church.

Who is the Holy Spirit? God is three persons in one—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God became a man in Jesus so that Jesus could die for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead to offer salvation to all people through spiritual renewal and rebirth. When Jesus ascended into heaven, his physical presence left the earth, but he promised to send the Holy Spirit so that his spiritual presence would still be among mankind (see Luke 24:49). The Holy Spirit first became available to all believers at Pentecost (Acts 2). Whereas in Old Testament days, the Holy Spirit empowered specific individuals for specific purposes, now all believers have the power of the Holy Spirit available to them.

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 LIFE APPLICATION: THE CHURCH'S VISION STATEMENT

(1)   The people for the task: you—those who know Christ, who listen to him

(2)   The power for the task: the Holy Spirit

(3)   The philosophy of approach to the task: my witnesses—say what you saw

(4)   The plan for the task: to Jerusalem, Judea, to the ends—begin where you are and move outward from there. 

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Luke's Gospel emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Christ. Luke continued that emphasis here as he focused on the Holy Spirit's role in the early days of the church. The term "spirit" (pneuma) occurs nineteen times in Matthew, twenty-three times in Mark, thirty-six times in Luke, twenty-four times in John, and seventy times in Acts. Christ had just reminded his followers that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit (1:5). When the Spirit comes, he told his followers, you will receive power. To do what? To be my witnesses. Power from the Holy Spirit is not limited to strength beyond the ordinary; that power also involves courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority. The disciples would need all these gifts to fulfill their mission.

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 LIFE APPLICATION: POWER SOURCE

Jesus promised the disciples that they would receive power to witness after they received the Holy Spirit. Notice the progression:

(1)   They would receive the Holy Spirit.

(2)   The Holy Spirit would give them power.

(3)   They would witness with extraordinary results.

Often we try to reverse the order and witness by our own power and authority. Witnessing is not showing what we can do for God. It is showing and telling others what God has done for us. When you tell others about Christ, rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. You can be a powerful witness.

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The term "witness" (martures) provides remarkable insight into the nature of the disciples' task. A witness gives testimony based on what the witness knows, what he or she has seen—not hearsay, not a rumor, not something someone else saw, but what he or she has experienced, seen, or heard. This witnessing theme is a repeated emphasis of the apostles' work—for example, see 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39; 13:31; 22:15. In effect, Jesus was saying to his followers: "There is going to be a period of witnessing by you about me between my two visits to your planet. Go out and tell people what you know—what you've seen, experienced, and learned. I'll be back."

They were to start right there in Jerusalem (1:4). Judea was the region surrounding Jerusalem (possibly including Galilee). Samaria was Judea's hostile next-door neighbor, a more difficult but equally important place to take the gospel. The "ends of the earth" is actually a singular form in Greek (eschatou), suggesting that perhaps the reference is to Rome or the Roman empire, the world power at that time. The direction was of primary importance: Beginning from where you are at this moment, take the message of Christ outward, like ripples caused by a pebble thrown into a pond, not stopping at just your city or state but moving on beyond regional influence to the very "ends" of the earth. In other words, reach it all!

The disciples took Jesus at his word and went about their task exactly as he directed: they began in Jerusalem (1-7), spread to Judea and Samaria (8-12), then filtered out across the world to the imperial capital, Rome (13-28).

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LIFE APPLICATION:  AN EVER EXPANDING WITNESS

 Acts 1:8 describes the manner in which the gospel would spread geographically, from Jerusalem, into Judea and Samaria, and finally to the whole world. It would begin with devout Jews in Jerusalem and Judea spread to the mixed race in Samaria, and finally, be offered to Gentiles in the uttermost parts of the earth. God's gospel has not reached its final destination if someone in your family, your workplace, your school, or your community hasn't heard about Jesus Christ. How are you contributing to the ever-expanding testimony of God's mercy and grace?

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Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – Acts, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "ACTS 1".

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"Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs."

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PLANTED TRUTH

PLANTED TRUTH

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"The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name." (John 14:26 NIV)

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The Holy Spirit would be sent by both the Father and the Son (see also 15:26). In my name means that the Spirit comes in the Son's name, the name of Jesus Christ, and thereby brings the Son's presence to the disciples. As Jesus represented the Father, the Spirit represents the Son.

"Will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." ^NKJV The Spirit would continue, for Jesus, the ministry of teaching. The Spirit would also remind the disciples of what Jesus had taught. The apostles remembered and wrote with the help of the Spirit. John's Gospel, even the entire New Testament, would not exist if not for this reminding work of the Holy Spirit.

In the case of the disciples, the reminding role of the Holy Spirit uniquely guided the recording of the New Testament. However, the process is still in place. The disciples first heard Jesus speak; we discover Jesus' words in Scripture. Reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, and obeying place Christ's words firmly inside us, and the Holy Spirit reminds us of their further application as we move through life.

Theologians use the term illumination to describe the Holy Spirit's process of helping believers understand Scripture. Without God, sinful people are unable to recognize and obey divine truths. When a person is reborn, the Holy Spirit helps the person to see God's Word with the eyes of faith and love. The Holy Spirit also works in the life of the believer, convincing him of the truth of the Bible, keeping him from misconstruing what it really says, and helping him not be distracted so he can see and remember the true meaning of God's Word.

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LIFE APPLICATION: PLANTED TRUTH

Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them remember what he had been teaching them. This promise ensures the validity of the New Testament. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus' life and teachings; the Holy Spirit helped them remember without taking away their individual perspectives. We can be confident that the Gospels accurately record what Jesus taught and did (see 1 Corinthians 2:10-14). The Holy Spirit can help us in the same way. As we study the Bible, we can trust the Holy Spirit to plant truth in our minds, convince us of God's will, and remind us when we stray from it.  

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Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – John, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 300-301.

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"Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs."

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Why Did God Save Us And Call Us?

“Who Has Saved Us And Called Us To A Holy Life” (2 Timothy 1:9 NIV)

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Paul mentioned that he was suffering for the gospel (1:8) and, in verses 9-10, summarized some important points of the gospel. Continuing from verse 8, "relying on the power of God," Paul writes that God saved us. Salvation forms the core of the gospel, the Good News. There would be no gospel without the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for our sins so that we could be "saved."

Moreover, God called us with a holy calling:

·         "And we know that all things work together for good to . . . the called. . . ." (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

·         "Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Romans 8:30 NKJV)

·         "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV)

·         "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ. . . ." (Galatians 1:6 NRSV)

·         "I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called." (Ephesians 4:1 NRSV)

·         "Urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory." (1 Thessalonians 2:12 NRSV)

Why did God save us and call us?

His purpose in salvation was to redeem people for himself—people who lived to glorify him. He saves people from sin and calls them to holiness. Each believer is called to a holy life. Holy living seeks God's view instead of the self-centered view. Holiness expects to find God involved in every facet of life. Holiness consistently turns away from self-pleasing answers in order to please God. As opposed to the pagans who often tried to please their gods through good works or self-abasement, believers can live truly holy lives because holiness is not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. ^NKJV 

Salvation and holiness relies on the Giver alone, not on the receiver. We cannot live holy lives according to our works: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV).

Our works cannot save us nor empower us to please God with our lives. Instead, our salvation and holiness occur because of God's purpose and grace (see Titus 3:4). God's sovereign choice alone, through his planned purpose and his astounding grace, allowed sinners to receive salvation and the right to stand holy before him. Everything fits into the framework of God's sovereignty. We create neither the opportunity nor the possibility of our salvation. God graciously allows us to simply respond to his plan.

Salvation was given to us in Christ Jesus. We are saved only because of Jesus' death on the cross in our place. Only because he took the punishment, we deserved does God offer salvation and holiness. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6 NKJV).

This incredible offer to human beings did not occur as God saw the world spin out of control; rather, it was planned before time began, or literally "before time eternal." God's sovereignty extends from eternity to eternity, enveloping the history of humanity. God knew that people would require a Savior, and from the beginning, he planned to give his only Son. "From everlasting to everlasting, You are God" (Psalm 90:2 NKJV).

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LIFE APPLICATION: UNDESERVING

God loves us, called us, and sent Christ to die for us. We can have eternal life through faith in him because he broke the power of death with his resurrection. We do not deserve to be saved, but God offers us salvation anyway. What we must do is believe in him and accept his offer.

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Bruce B. Barton, David R. Veerman, Neil Wilson, Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "2 TIMOTHY 1".

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"Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs."

https://modesofinfluence.blogspot.com/