Hello everyone,
The Bible teaches us that the power of God is not only accessible to every born again, child of God; it is, in fact, a vital part of our rich inheritance we have in Christ Jesus! Ephesians 1:18-19 says, “By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,...”
In verse 14 of Ephesians 1, we learn that the Holy Spirit is the One Who makes this power operative in our lives. It says that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance, causing us to have full possession of it! What is that inheritance? We just read it in verse 18 &19, it’s the “immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength...” That power is purposed to not only influence and change us into the very image of Christ, by having His character formed in us, but it’s there to significantly touch the lives of people in this world to demonstrate His glory and goodness!
What is most important for us to understand is that the working of this power in and through our lives is only possible through our continued, intimate relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. In John 17:22, Jesus tells His Father, “I have given to them the glory and honour which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one...”
Jesus demonstrated how to live and operate in the glory and power of God, through a complete dependency on the Holy Spirit. He made it very clear that the power He operated in was not from Himself; rather, it was His Heavenly Father who was doing the work, through the Holy Spirit. John 14:10 says, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the (His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power).”
Acts 10:38, says that it was God Who anointed Jesus to do the work, “How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.”
Now if you’re thinking that because Jesus was the Son of God, He was more entitled to carry the power of God than you and I are, you are wrong. Paul was an ordinary man who carried and operated in that same power too. Acts 19:11-12 says, “And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and put upon the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.”
Paul had a background that should completely disqualify him from being a carrier of God’s power and operating in it. Paul, who was Saul, lived to persecute and murder Christians! But, praise the Lord, the Bible teaches that our glorious inheritance is a gift from God! It’s God’s grace that enables us to receive our new life of power, in Christ Jesus. This is not something we deserve, nor can we work our way to achieve it!
Believe it or not, there are churches today that teach the power, to operate the miraculous through people, ceased when Jesus and the Apostles died. But that power was not from them, that power was from God and He is still very much alive and at work in every born-again believer today! Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—“
And Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness...”
What about 2 Corinthians 4:7 which says, “However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.”?
What’s more: God will never change. His love for people and desire to see all living in Him, free from the bondage and oppression of the devil, is as strong today as it was when He sent His Own Son Jesus to die for us. 1 John 4:9 says, “In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him.”
The power of God to overcome and live full, productive lives for His kingdom resides in His children today. And when we chose to live controlled and led by the Spirit of God, just as Jesus and Paul did, we will see that power manifest in our lives as a very real, tangible substance. This is our inheritance in Christ Jesus, something that we should be experiencing every day.
Spend time meditating on these scriptures that clearly and deliberately teach us that God’s manifest power is supposed to be a vital, working part of our lives here on earth. As you do, you will find your faith and confidence begin to rise strong on the inside of you to be all that God has purposed and enabled you to be right here, right now.
In next week’s letter we will explore, from God’s Word, how to activate that power that’s living inside us!
Much love,
Jenny