"But yet 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."
The power to become witnesses for Jesus is the true evidence of the Holy Spirit. It was present immediately in the life of the Apostle Peter. Before the Holy Spirit experience, Peter fearfully denied he knew Jesus. After receiving the endument of power of the Holy Spirit, Peter stood and gave a powerful witness to the Gospel that resulted in the salvation of 3,000 people.
It was the power of the Holy Spirit in the early church that resulted in the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. The book of Acts is a record of the powerful witness which was evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
This endument of power comes through an experience called "the baptism of the Holy Spirit." Jesus spoke of this baptism:
Acts 1:5 "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
Peter spoke of this baptism:
Acts 11:16 "Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost."
The true evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is spiritual power, but this experience is also accompanied by a physical sign. There are three places in the New Testament where we are told what happened when people were baptized in the Holy Spirit. These include the first giving of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts 2:2-4; at the house of Cornelius in Acts 10:44-45; and when the converts at Ephesus received the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts 19:6.
In comparing these passages, one physical sign is common to all three: Those who received the Holy Spirit spoke in languages other than their native tongue. These were not languages they had learned. They were languages given through the power of the Holy Spirit. The "tongues" of the Holy Spirit can be in actual languages used on earth:
Acts 2:7, 8 "And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"
The tongues can also be in a language not known to man. This is called an "unknown tongue":
1 Corinthians 14:2 "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."
The tongues given by the Holy Spirit serve powerful purposes in the lives of believers. Some of the purposes for tongues found in 1 Corinthians 14 are:
-Prayer to God-Verse 2
-Self-edification-Edification is not exalting self, but means encouragement, improvement, and development. Verse 4.
-When interpreted, they edify the Church-Verse 12
-Intercession-Verse 14. See also Romans 8:26-27
-Praise-Verses 15,17
-Fulfillment of prophecy-Verse 21. See also Isaiah 28:11, 12
-Sign to unbelievers-Verse 22.
Jesus also left His followers with a responsibility to extend the Gospel to the ends of the earth:
Matthew 28:19, 20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
The power of the Holy Spirit was given to help the Disciples fulfill this task according again to Acts 1:8.
Part of this power of the Holy Spirit is spiritual gifts which the Holy Spirit gives believers to equip them to minister effectively. The task is too great to be accomplished with natural abilities.
These spiritual gifts are not the same as natural talents. Natural talents and abilities are given at the time of physical birth and/or developed by natural efforts. They may also be used in ministry, but they are not the same as spiritual gifts.
Spiritual gifts are powerful abilities given by the Holy Spirit to enable the task of ministry. Gifts of the Holy Spirit are God-given abilities, which are:
Ephesians 4:12-15 "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."
The main passages listing the spiritual gifts available to believers through the Holy Spirit are found in Romans 12:1-8; I Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:1-16; I Peter 4:7-11.
Jesus also left His followers with a responsibility to extend the Gospel to the ends of the earth:
Matthew 28:19, 20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
The power of the Holy Spirit was given to help the Disciples fulfill this task according again to Acts 1:8.
Part of this power of the Holy Spirit is spiritual gifts which the Holy Spirit gives believers to equip them to minister effectively. The task is too great to be accomplished with natural abilities.
These spiritual gifts are not the same as natural talents. Natural talents and abilities are given at the time of physical birth and/or developed by natural efforts. They may also be used in ministry, but they are not the same as spiritual gifts.
Spiritual gifts are powerful abilities given by the Holy Spirit to enable the task of ministry. Gifts of the Holy Spirit are God-given abilities, which are:
Ephesians 4:12-15 "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."
The main passages listing the spiritual gifts available to believers through the Holy Spirit are found in Romans 12:1-8; I Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:1-16; I Peter 4:7-11.
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