People are into power. Who wants a gutless car when you could have one with power instead? There is a longing in the human heart to control. This desire for power can seep into our walk with Christ as well. The other night our family read of Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8 who for a long time had captivated the people of Samaria with sorcery. Philip preached the Gospel to the people and his words were attended with powerful wonders and signs no one could deny. Though a sorcerer, even Simon was convinced by the truth of the Gospel and believed. Peter and John then came to the city, desiring the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit. When they laid hands on Christians, they received the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The text does not say if Simon also received the Holy Spirit. But he was not one to stand by idly when actual power from God was potentially available! He offered Peter money and said in Acts 8:19, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter sternly rebuked Simon for his foolishness, thinking that the power of God could be purchased with money. It can only be received by faith. He added in Acts 8:21-23: "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Simon is like many people today. They are willing to offer God something in exchange for spiritual power or a particular manifestation of the Holy Spirit. People still look for the simplest way to obtain our ends under the guise of doing all for God's glory.
So people buy books, ask for people to lay hands on them and pray, go to conferences, and try to figure out the formula to obtain this power from on high. The whole problem with this approach is God does not give the Holy Spirit based upon what you do but based upon what He has done. Following a seven-step formula to receive a spiritual gift might as well be offering God a wad of cash. In the Bible, it is clear there is no formula. Sometimes people were gathered together praying in one accord and the Holy Spirit fell upon them in power. Other times hands were laid on people to receive the Holy Spirit. On one occasion, Peter was simply telling Cornelius and his household the words of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit fell on them without them even specifically asking! The manifestations of the Holy Spirit coming upon people are as varied as the people themselves. The common denominator is faith in Jesus Christ and humbly presenting ourselves before Him as living sacrifices.
God has given us insights into the filling of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 3:2 tells us the Holy Spirit can only be received in fulness through faith: "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" It is a scriptural principle that we ought to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus taught that we ought to ask God the Father for the Holy Spirit. He says in Luke 11:9-13: "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Our obedience is another factor God reveals as a requirement for the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:32 reads, "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." As James says, I believe in many cases we have not because we ask not. Or when we ask, we ask according to our lusts. God desires obedience over sacrifice. If we are disobedient in worldly matters, why should God commit to us the true riches? If we have not been faithful with another man's things, why should God give us our own? (Luke 16:11-12)
Maybe you are thinking, "Well, that's fine for people when the church was first starting up. I mean, they needed the power of God revealed to confirm their words." To that I say, do we need God's power any less today? A blight upon the modern church is lack of power and faith that God still operates according to scripture! Miraculous works ought to attend our ministries (Mark 16:14-20)! If paralytics were healed, cancers were disappearing, and demon possessed were delivered with a word in Christ's name, would not there be additional power behind our words? The Bible makes it clear, my friends: the promise of the Holy Spirit with power has been offered to all who are in Christ. Acts 2:38-39 tells us, "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." The promise is to you and me! I was once far from God but have been brought near by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. It is not by works of righteousness I have done, but according to His mercy He has saved, reconciled, filled, and empowered me.
Maybe you are not sure if you have received this filling of the Holy Spirit experienced by many in the book of Acts. A.W. Tozer used to say that everyone who has been filled with the Holy Spirit have three things in common: 1) they know for certain they have been filled; 2) they know exactly when it happened; 3) and it was not a gradual process, for God gives the Holy Spirit without measure. Just like you know when you were baptised with water, you will know when you were first baptised with the Holy Spirit. So the question is: have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Have you been endowed with power from on high? If you have not, perhaps it is because you have not met God's conditions. Perhaps you have been like Simon, who was interested in the power but was not concerned with repenting of the sin which festered in his heart. God is good, and He gives good gifts. God the Father has provided His Son to redeem us and the Holy Spirit to regenerate us. Let us not be deceived to think we can do God's work without the power of God. Be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit today!
The text does not say if Simon also received the Holy Spirit. But he was not one to stand by idly when actual power from God was potentially available! He offered Peter money and said in Acts 8:19, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter sternly rebuked Simon for his foolishness, thinking that the power of God could be purchased with money. It can only be received by faith. He added in Acts 8:21-23: "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Simon is like many people today. They are willing to offer God something in exchange for spiritual power or a particular manifestation of the Holy Spirit. People still look for the simplest way to obtain our ends under the guise of doing all for God's glory.
So people buy books, ask for people to lay hands on them and pray, go to conferences, and try to figure out the formula to obtain this power from on high. The whole problem with this approach is God does not give the Holy Spirit based upon what you do but based upon what He has done. Following a seven-step formula to receive a spiritual gift might as well be offering God a wad of cash. In the Bible, it is clear there is no formula. Sometimes people were gathered together praying in one accord and the Holy Spirit fell upon them in power. Other times hands were laid on people to receive the Holy Spirit. On one occasion, Peter was simply telling Cornelius and his household the words of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit fell on them without them even specifically asking! The manifestations of the Holy Spirit coming upon people are as varied as the people themselves. The common denominator is faith in Jesus Christ and humbly presenting ourselves before Him as living sacrifices.
God has given us insights into the filling of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 3:2 tells us the Holy Spirit can only be received in fulness through faith: "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" It is a scriptural principle that we ought to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus taught that we ought to ask God the Father for the Holy Spirit. He says in Luke 11:9-13: "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Our obedience is another factor God reveals as a requirement for the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:32 reads, "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." As James says, I believe in many cases we have not because we ask not. Or when we ask, we ask according to our lusts. God desires obedience over sacrifice. If we are disobedient in worldly matters, why should God commit to us the true riches? If we have not been faithful with another man's things, why should God give us our own? (Luke 16:11-12)
Maybe you are thinking, "Well, that's fine for people when the church was first starting up. I mean, they needed the power of God revealed to confirm their words." To that I say, do we need God's power any less today? A blight upon the modern church is lack of power and faith that God still operates according to scripture! Miraculous works ought to attend our ministries (Mark 16:14-20)! If paralytics were healed, cancers were disappearing, and demon possessed were delivered with a word in Christ's name, would not there be additional power behind our words? The Bible makes it clear, my friends: the promise of the Holy Spirit with power has been offered to all who are in Christ. Acts 2:38-39 tells us, "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." The promise is to you and me! I was once far from God but have been brought near by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. It is not by works of righteousness I have done, but according to His mercy He has saved, reconciled, filled, and empowered me.
Maybe you are not sure if you have received this filling of the Holy Spirit experienced by many in the book of Acts. A.W. Tozer used to say that everyone who has been filled with the Holy Spirit have three things in common: 1) they know for certain they have been filled; 2) they know exactly when it happened; 3) and it was not a gradual process, for God gives the Holy Spirit without measure. Just like you know when you were baptised with water, you will know when you were first baptised with the Holy Spirit. So the question is: have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Have you been endowed with power from on high? If you have not, perhaps it is because you have not met God's conditions. Perhaps you have been like Simon, who was interested in the power but was not concerned with repenting of the sin which festered in his heart. God is good, and He gives good gifts. God the Father has provided His Son to redeem us and the Holy Spirit to regenerate us. Let us not be deceived to think we can do God's work without the power of God. Be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit today!
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