The power of the holy spirit could be best understood from the different interpretations of the word “power”.
The concept of power could be seen from the following perspectives
* the ability for one to act or perform effectively
* might – the strenght or force that could be exerted or capable of being exerted
* the ability or official capacity to exercise control
* the ability to compel or dominate others, control resources and enforce commmands
It conotes ability, strenght, competence, control, dominance, endowment, function, capaboiltity, talent, potential, virtue, capacity.
These definitions accurately describe the power of the Holy Spirit. Because the power of the Holy Spirit is literally the power of God, the ability to act and influence is immeasurable, limitless, and everlasting. In this way, the power of the Holy Spirit is different from any other kind of power.
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit, who is the third Person of the Trinity, is a Being through and by whom many great works of power are made manifest. His power was first seen in the act of creation, for it was by His power the world came into being (Genesis 1:1–2; Job 26:13).
The Holy Spirit also empowered men in the Old Testament to bring about God’s will: “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1 Samuel 16:13; see also Exodus 31:2–5; Numbers 27:18).
Although the Holy Spirit did not permanently inhabit God’s people in the Old Testament, He worked through them and gave them power to achieve mighty things they would not have been able to accomplish on their own.
Think of samson – all of Samson’s unreal feats of strength are directly attributed to the presence of the Holy Spirit upon him (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14).
Before Jesus asxcended to heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit as a permanent guide, teacher, seal of salvation, and comforter for believers (John 14:16-18). He also promised that the power of the Holy Spirit would help His followers to spread the message of the gospel around the world: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The salvation of souls is a supernatural work only made possible by the Holy Spirit’s power at work in the world.
When the Holy Spirit descended upon believers at Pentecost, it was not a quiet event, but a powerful one. According to the Bible, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:1–4). Immediately afterward, the disciples spoke to the crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. These people hailed from a variety of nations and therefore spoke many different languages. Imagine their surprise and wonder when the disciples spoke to them in their own tongues (verses 5–12)! Clearly, this was not something the disciples could have accomplished on their own without many months—or even years—of study. The Holy Spirit’s power was made manifest to a great number of people that day, resulting in the conversion of about 3,000 (verse 41).
During His earthly ministry, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), led by the Spirit (Luke 4:14), and empowered by the Spirit to perform miracles (Matthew 12:28). After Jesus had ascended to heaven, the Spirit equipped the apostles to perform miracles, too (2 Corinthians 2:12; Acts 2:43; 3:1–7; 9:39–41). The power of the Holy Spirit was manifest among all the believers of the early church through the dispensation of spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, teaching, wisdom, and more.
All those who accapt Jesus Christ and put their faith in Him are immediately and permanently inhabited by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11). Using His power therefore, the Holy Spirit leads us, convicts us, teaches us, and equips us to do His work and spread the gospel. The Holy Spirit’s powerful indwelling is an amazing gift we should never take lightly.
