Power (cont.)

“You will be filled with power” (Acts 1:8)

The disciples noticed that every time someone new would respond to the message of Christ they would also receive the power of the Holy Spirit. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in this world is the power behind the growth of the church spanning the past 2,000 years.

This power is still at work today, impacting and transforming those who respond in faith to the offer of new life. The reality of the Holy Spirit and the help He brings for new believers is of vital importance. The magnitude of change that can happen in your life through the power of the Holy Spirit far exceeds the limits of your own will power. It is the power of God Himself that will be accomplishing changes in your life and in your very nature. It is not your own will power. That’s good news!

There is much to say about the Holy Spirit and the importance of His work in our lives. But, let me mention just a couple that are of primary importance for you as a new believer. The Bible tells us as a person responds to God’s offer of salvation, forgiveness and the restoration, that the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside them (1 Corinthians 2:12).

The process of change that happens in the life of a new Christian is His handiwork. He accomplishes this by guiding us toward the things we should be doing and away from the thing that need to change or we should leave behind (2 Corinthians 5:17). It’s like having a new conscience. Things you may have done without a second thought for years may now cause you to feel uncomfortable. There may be a lingering senses that certain behaviors or routines may not be okay anymore. At the same time, there may be a sense of calling toward the things you have never had much interest in before.

Learning to respond in obedience to these promptings is a key to growing in your relationship with God. When we step through the door He has opened for us we will be shown the way to the next one. When we step away from something that needs to be left behind, He will show us the next thing that needs to go.

At its very essence, the word repentance means to “agree with God.” This process of following the leading of the Holy Spirit is nothing more that agreeing with the changes God would make in our lives. The results are significant and life changing. If you want to experience a new and better life…and a new and better you…then learn how to listen and obey the Holy Spirit as He guides your life.