The Power of the Holy Spirit

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I. THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT

A. Acts 1:4-5 contains the promise by the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the believers.

B. In Joel 2:28, the Father said that in the last days He would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.

II. THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT

A. In Acts 1:8 we learn that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live the Christian life as a witness for God.

1. It is impossible to live the Christian life without the power of the Spirit within us(Romans 7:15-25, Galatians 5:17-18, Matthew 26:41).

2. Jesus Christ is our example of the witness that we should be (John 14:8-9).

3. The word "power" in Greek is "dunamis" from which we derive the English word "dynamic".

4. The true witness lives his faith.

B. Before Peter received the power of the Holy Spirit, he was afraid to be identified with Jesus(Mark 14:53-72) even though he wanted to (Mark 14:27-31). After he received the power, he witnessed boldly to the same group of people who had tried Jesus (Acts 4:5-23), even telling them that there was no salvation apart from Christ. Then when Peter went back to the Christians, they prayed for greater boldness (v. 23-31).

C. We must allow the Holy Spirit to change us within, rather than trying to change the outside ourselves and then hoping we will change within (Romans 8) As we yield each area of our lives to the Spirit, He conforms us into the image of Christ.