The Power of the Holy Spirit

GOLDEN TEXT: “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit 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.” —Acts 1:8

JOHN 16:7-11; ACTS 2:1-4; 4:8-12

THE title assigned to this lesson, “The Power of the Holy Spirit,” is somewhat redundant, for the Holy Spirit IS the holy power of God, the word “spirit” being a translation of a Greek word which conveys the thought of invisible power. The translators’ use of the personal pronouns “him” and “he” as applied to the Holy Spirit is also misleading, for the Holy Spirit is not a person. When Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit was fulfilled, Peter described what occurred by saying, “He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”—Acts 2:33

The holy power of God was “shed forth,” and the evidence of this is what the disciples saw and heard at Pentecost. They heard a mighty rushing wind, they saw tongues of fire, and they heard one another speaking in unknown tongues. Besides, the apostles suddenly received an illumination of mind enabling them to understood the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and to know that the prophecies of the Old Testament bad foretold these things.

With this illumination they were equipped to go forth as witnesses for Jesus; and in the strength of the Spirit they were bold and courageous in their espousal of the cause which shortly before they almost thought was lost.

Just before he last left them, Jesus told his disciples that after they received the Holy Spirit they were to be his witnesses, beginning at Jerusalem, and continuing throughout the whole world. It is through this ministry of Jesus’ followers that the work of the Holy Spirit outlined in John 16:8-11 is accomplished—reproving (margin—“convince”) “the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

“Of sin,” Jesus explained, “because they believe not on me.” For centuries the Israelites—the devout among them—had been endeavoring to rise above sin through the works of the Law, and they received a blessing from the Lord in proportion to the sincerity of their efforts. But from the time of Jesus’ death, their efforts under the Law were not to be recognized, even in a typical sense. Under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit, the testimony of Jesus’ witnesses was to be that all who did not believe on Jesus as their Savior would remain under condemnation to sin.

“Of righteousness,” Jesus further explained, “because I go to my Father.” When Jesus returned to his Father, he appeared in his presence for “us,” that is, for all believers. This was typified by Israel’s high priest sprinkling the blood of the atonement day bullock on the mercy seat in the most holy of the tabernacle, where, anti-typically, Paul explains, “the Fore-runner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Meichisedec.” (Heb. 6:20) It is because Jesus thus returned to his Father, presenting the merit of his sacrifice, that there is now a basis for righteousness through faith in him.

“Of judgment,” Jesus continued, “because the prince of this world is judged.” Satan is the “prince of this world.” In John 12:31 we read, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” Prior to this Satan was the unchallenged ruler of the world, except in the case of the one little nation of Israel, which had God’s protection under the Law. But with the coming and sacrificial work of Jesus, Satan’s dominion began to be threatened. Satan has had the power of death, but the ransoming work of Jesus prepared the way for the overthrow of this power.

No member of the fallen race could redeem his brother, and thus save him from death. Only Jesus, the holy, harmless, undefiled One, could do this, and he did. So his death and resurrection marked a turning point in the divine plan of salvation. Prior to this, Paul explained, God had “winked at” the ignorant sins of the people, but now “commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”—Acts 17:30,31

The world’s first judgment day was in Eden, when, representatively through Adam, all lost life. Then Satan usurped his rulership over the dying race. But the death of Jesus provides another judgment, or trial day, when Satan will be bound. So the message of the Holy Spirit through the church has been to assure the world of this coming opportunity. It calls upon the people to repent and believe. This command to repent is applicable to all men; there will be no exceptions. It has as yet reached only a few, but in due time the provision of the ransom and the call to repentance will be “testified to all.” There is no other way of salvation than through Christ, the Redeemer. Compare I Timothy 2:3-6.

QUESTIONS

What is the Holy Spirit, and when was Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit fulfilled?

What is the channel through which the testimony of the Holy Spirit is given?

How is the world convinced of sin by the Holy Spirit?

What is the basis of righteousness for believers?

What is the coming judgment to which the Holy Spirit testifies?

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