Often times we try to live the Christian life by sheer determination. We decide that we are going to live a holy Christian life, and dig our heels in to make it happen. We may even pray and decide we must try even harder. After all, everything we have ever gotten in this life required us to make it happen.
What we must learn, though, is that the Christian life we live is different from anything else we have ever done in our life. The fruitful, Christian life cannot be accomplished with pure will power; it must be lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. “I have come a hundred miles,” said a minister, “to get some of Mr. Moody’s spirit.” “You don’t want my spirit,” was the reply. “What you want is the Spirit of God.” Yes, the Holy Spirit is the power that we have to be able to live the holy life required of us and to be a witness to the world.
The Word of God records an event in the life of Peter and John where they performed a miracle and witnessed about Christ before the Sanhedrin. As a result, they went before the believers and explained what happened to them. After they did this, Scripture records, “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). The filling of the Holy Spirit was not for their own personal edification or enjoyment, but it was for them to witness “with boldness.” The Holy Spirit gave them the power that they needed.
The Christian’s power to live the Christian life and to witness for Him comes from the believer’s indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now!
