The "Power Base" of the Christian Faith

Somewhere, somehow and early on the “power-base” of the Christian faith has been hi-jacked.  This is seen notably in the switch from a power-experience base to a mental-doctrinal base.  With the Apostle Paul there’s no question where he stood.  His testimony on the subject is found in I Corinthians 2:3&4:  “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

Paul’s stance was a natural outgrowth of the last words and testament of Jesus just prior to His Ascension:  “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you:  and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Jesus wanted this power for His disciples inasmuch as the Holy Spirit was at the heart of all He did in ministry.  It’s obvious that prior to Jesus being infused with the Holy Spirit, which happened concurrently (See Luke 3:21,22) with His baptism in water at the hands of John the Baptist, He did nothing in ministry.  Now so equipped, Jesus’ ministry began (See Luke 4:1-14).

While it’s true enough “no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit”(I Corinthians 12:2b), speaking to "conversion" and water baptism, it’s equally true that being baptized in water is not tantamount to being “baptized”(See Acts 1:5) with the Holy Spirit.  There are at least four instances in the Book of Acts where persons are “baptized” with the Holy Spirit after they had “come to faith” in Christ.

The proof of Paul’s ministry was that he came “in demonstration and power of the Spirit”.  The point here is not to argue the doctrine—we’ve had too much of that—but to ask the question, “Do you have Holy Spirit power”?  Paul did.  The early church did.  For Jesus it was a veritable “calling card”.  After Jesus resurrected Lazarus the people “met Him, because they heard He had done this sign” (John 12:18).  As news of Jesus continued to go out there were certain Greeks “who came up to worship at the feast” (John 12:20) and inquired of Philip, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21).  And why was this? Nothing more than the results of raw-boned Holy Spirit power being demonstrated through Jesus.

Jesus even prophesied that those who believed in Him would do the very works he did and “greater works than these. . . because I go to My Father” (John 14:12).  Perhaps you’ve not viewed this as prophecy before, I hadn’t, but even as I sit here at my keyboard the Lord simply “dropped it into my spirit”.  Now I will give you an iron-clad Scripture to back up this position:  “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).  This is prophecy as clear and direct as anything you will find in the Book of Revelation.

While much of the fulfillment of the Book of Revelation is beyond our scope, this prophecy of Jesus is one we can have a direct hand in fulfilling.  If the theology of your church makes excuses why we are not to do the works of Jesus then “ditch it”—both the theology and the church.  Find a church where the power of the Holy Spirit is honored; get involved; get filled with the Holy Spirit; and get about doing the works of Jesus!