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Commands of Christ
Receive God’s Power
Where is this command found?
“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.”
Applying This Command
The Spirit of God is called the Holy Spirit, and since He now lives in us, He wants to have a holy dwelling place. “As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (I Peter 1:15–16).
There are two states of holiness in a believer’s life. The first is “instant holiness.” Whatever we give to God becomes His and it is therefore holy. When we give Him our tithes and offerings, they become holy, and when we dedicate our bodies to God, they instantly become holy. The second state of holiness is that which is accomplished, or perfected, as we cleanse our “temples” of all those things that would displease God. “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).
Bible Verses for Meditation
In addition to meditation on Luke 24:49, meditating on the verses below will provide you with further insight and understanding of Christ’s command: Receive God’s Power.
Acts 1:8
“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 Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
John 20:21–22
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”
Romans 8:15–16
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
II Timothy 1:7
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Galatians 5:22–23, 25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Luke 11:13
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
Study Question
A: There are three stages of work that the Holy Spirit carries out in our lives in order to produce fruit that glorifies the Lord. The moment we become believers, we receive the Holy Spirit, and He “beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). However, the Spirit’s work has just begun.
Once we are filled with God’s Spirit, we will be tested by His Spirit. The purpose of this testing is to purify our souls [mind, will, and emotions] and conform us to the image of Christ. When we respond correctly to the tests of the Holy Spirit, then God brings upon our lives the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of God’s Spirit is actually the power to exhibit His fruit in our lives—beginning with the power to love others as God has loved us.
Although the Corinthian believers had received the Holy Spirit at salvation, they failed to pass the tests that followed. They quenched the power of God in their lives and became entangled in immorality and worldly philosophies. Only by passing the tests God chooses for us will we be able to fully experience the glory, virtue, and power of God’s Holy Spirit.
In order to allow the Holy Spirit to achieve all of His goals in our lives and to accomplish mighty works in and through us, we should thank Him for indwelling our spirits at salvation. Then we should invite Him to fill and rule our souls, and we should yield the control of our bodies to Him.
For Further Study
You can learn more about the command Receive God’s Power in the book Commands of Christ: Series 7.