GOD’S RESURRECTION POWER
Before we became believers, God’s Spirit of Power works with us (para), leading and drawing us to Himself:
Acts 19:2
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
KJV
In response to our personal invitation, God’s Spirit of power comes in us (en) and indwells us. He unites our spirits with His and gives us a brand “new” spirit and heart. This is called “the new birth,” being “born again” or “justification.” At this time, Christ implants us with His Life-His Love, His wisdom and His power-in our spirits and hearts, and we become the temple of the Holy Spirit.
In response to our asking, the Spirit comes upon us (epi) for the sake of empowering us. This is called “the baptism of the Spirit” or the infilling of the Spirit:
Acts 1:8
8 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.
KJV
Here the words of Jesus to His disciples:
Luke 24:49
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
KJV
Matt 3:11
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
KJV
Acts 1:5
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
KJV
The baptism of the spirit is God breaking through our “soulish” and physical realm. It is the beginning of our “outer man” (our soul) being subjected to our “spirit man” (our spirit). It’s the power to become a genuine witness of Christ, not just in our words, but also in our lives. Without this empowering, we will be just like the believers in 2 Timothy 3:5 who had a “form of godliness,” but who “denied the power within.” These were Christians who knew the Scriptures in their heads, but they did not use the power God gave them to transform their lives.
(Both of the above, the indwelling and the empowering, should happen at the same time. But, for many of us, they occurred on separate occasions.)
Then we must be daily refilled (pleroo) with God’s Spirit of power from the inside out.
Eph 5:17-18
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
KJV
The verb “be filled” here means to be continually filled and empowered. This step differs from the first two steps in that it’s now our own responsibility to stay cleansed, refilled, and empowered.
This last step is the beginning of the process called “sanctification” and the Bible calls, “the saving of the soul.” This soulical part of man will constantly have to be worked at until the day we are taken out of this life. This is what we will realize or fail to realize at the judgment seat of Christ – the salvation or loss of our souls. Our job is to make the right faith choices, and stay open and cleansed vessels so God can do the changing. He is the One who judges us, purifies us, strengthens us, trains us, and then teaches us how to walk.
2 Cor 7:2
7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
KJV
Consequently, it is imperative that we not stop at the first step of salvation or justification (sorry to say most Christians stop there); but we continue in the process to the saving of our souls.
1 Peter 1:9
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
KJV
Galatians 5:25 explains: “If we live in the Spirit [if we are born again], we must also [learn to] walk in the Spirit.”
Eph 5:18
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
KJV
It’s the Spirit of Christ’s resurrection power that renews our minds, that transforms our lives, and teaches us to become overcomers.
So first the Spirit brings us to Christ and gives us His Life, and then He wants to empower us so we can reflect Him in all we do. Listen to the words of the apostle Paul:
2 Cor 4:7-10
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
KJV
Before we became believers, God’s Spirit of Power works with us (para), leading and drawing us to Himself:
Acts 19:2
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
KJV
In response to our personal invitation, God’s Spirit of power comes in us (en) and indwells us. He unites our spirits with His and gives us a brand “new” spirit and heart. This is called “the new birth,” being “born again” or “justification.” At this time, Christ implants us with His Life-His Love, His wisdom and His power-in our spirits and hearts, and we become the temple of the Holy Spirit.
In response to our asking, the Spirit comes upon us (epi) for the sake of empowering us. This is called “the baptism of the Spirit” or the infilling of the Spirit:
Acts 1:8
8 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.
KJV
Here the words of Jesus to His disciples:
Luke 24:49
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
KJV
Matt 3:11
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
KJV
Acts 1:5
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
KJV
The baptism of the spirit is God breaking through our “soulish” and physical realm. It is the beginning of our “outer man” (our soul) being subjected to our “spirit man” (our spirit). It’s the power to become a genuine witness of Christ, not just in our words, but also in our lives. Without this empowering, we will be just like the believers in 2 Timothy 3:5 who had a “form of godliness,” but who “denied the power within.” These were Christians who knew the Scriptures in their heads, but they did not use the power God gave them to transform their lives.
(Both of the above, the indwelling and the empowering, should happen at the same time. But, for many of us, they occurred on separate occasions.)
Then we must be daily refilled (pleroo) with God’s Spirit of power from the inside out.
Eph 5:17-18
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
KJV
The verb “be filled” here means to be continually filled and empowered. This step differs from the first two steps in that it’s now our own responsibility to stay cleansed, refilled, and empowered.
This last step is the beginning of the process called “sanctification” and the Bible calls, “the saving of the soul.” This soulical part of man will constantly have to be worked at until the day we are taken out of this life. This is what we will realize or fail to realize at the judgment seat of Christ – the salvation or loss of our souls. Our job is to make the right faith choices, and stay open and cleansed vessels so God can do the changing. He is the One who judges us, purifies us, strengthens us, trains us, and then teaches us how to walk.
2 Cor 7:2
7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
KJV
Consequently, it is imperative that we not stop at the first step of salvation or justification (sorry to say most Christians stop there); but we continue in the process to the saving of our souls.
1 Peter 1:9
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
KJV
Galatians 5:25 explains: “If we live in the Spirit [if we are born again], we must also [learn to] walk in the Spirit.”
Eph 5:18
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
KJV
It’s the Spirit of Christ’s resurrection power that renews our minds, that transforms our lives, and teaches us to become overcomers.
So first the Spirit brings us to Christ and gives us His Life, and then He wants to empower us so we can reflect Him in all we do. Listen to the words of the apostle Paul:
2 Cor 4:7-10
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
KJV
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