“And behold, I am sending
forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until
you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Proper power is necessary for the
accomplishment of any task. The digging
of a hole to plant a flower requires a level of physical power; but not near
the level of power required to dig a canal across a continent. Remembering your name and address requires a
level of mental power although it is not near the level required to recite the
Gettysburg Address. Emotional power is
required for handling the loss of your car keys; but not near the level needed
to deal with the loss of a friend. Each
of these requires a specific type of strength or power. Jesus knew that spiritual victory would only
be achieved through spiritual power.
Christ promised the proper power to accomplish His work. What
are the characteristics of this power needed to gain spiritual victory?
God's limitless task requires
unlimited power that comes only from an unlimited God. It is power from
on high.
The power required to grow, witness and serve is not from any human
source. Self-improvement cultivates our
natural abilities and gives a limited benefit because it begins with self and
ends with self. Furthermore, seeking
this power ignores our spiritual gift from God.
Jesus tells the disciples, “you will receive power.” This power from outside ourselves is not
attained but OBTAINED. Power from
outside ourselves destroys deadly pride and creates Godly praise. Satan's trap is a “God helps those who help
themselves” theology that separates us from Godly power. "I'd
rather do it myself" is pride at its best. When a believer realizes the immensity of the
task, they will choose to use God's power.
It is power "in the inner man".
Ephesians 3:16 ...that He would grant you, according to
the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
The inner
man makes the outer man.
Confused or weak on the inside will show eventually on the outside. It is the difference between a steamboat and
a sailboat. A sailboat depends on
environment and circumstances while a steamboat runs on its own power through
the circumstances. Circumstance driven
Christians may find they will soon "drift away" or become like a "wave of the sea."
The disciples believed in physical
power before Pentecost and sought to establish an earthly kingdom. After Pentecost they believed in weapons of
the Spirit...love, faith, and forgiveness.
With spiritual power they overcame evil with good, hate with love, and
the world by a cross.
Where do we receive this spiritual
power? stay
in the city until you are clothed with power from on high – Wait
on the Lord. Christ often makes more of
the situation we are in than the one we can run to.
Scripture to Claim
I pray that the eyes
of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His
calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and
what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are
in accordance with the working of the strength of His might (Ephesians 1:18-19)
