Learn to continually pray this prayer
from Ephesians 3:14-21 for yourself:
For this cause I bow my knees unto
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
of whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named, that he would
grant you, according to the riches
of his glory, to be strengthened with
might by his Spirit in the inner man;
that Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, may be able to
comprehend with all saints what is
the breadth, and length, and depth,
and height; and to know the love of
Christ, which passeth knowledge, that
ye might be filled with all the fullness
of God. Now unto him that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the
power that worketh in us, unto him
be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without
end. Amen.
According to the power that worketh in
us! His unlimited ability to work in our lives is
according to the power working in us. God’s
design is that He abide continually inside our
spirits and come upon us in power to carry
out His work.
In the early Church, much of the time,
people were born again and received the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit at the same time.
In Acts 8 however, we can see the two different
experiences. It tells us that Philip in Samaria
preached the things concerning the kingdom
of God and the Name of Jesus. Verse 12 says
they believed, and both men and women were
baptized. These people were believers.
Later, Peter and John came to pray for
them that they might receive the Holy
Ghost. “(For as yet he was fallen upon none
of them: only they were baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands
on them, and they received the Holy Ghost”
(Acts 8:16-17).
The term “receiving the Holy Ghost” is
also correct in speaking about the Baptism
in the Holy Spirit. Paul asked the men at
Ephesus, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed? And they said unto him,
We have not so much as heard whether there
be any Holy Ghost” (Acts 19:2).
These men had been baptized into John’s
baptism. Paul told them that John said to
believe on Jesus. “When they heard this, they
were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them,
the Holy Ghost came on them; and they
spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts
19:5-6). In this instance they were baptized
in water and then Paul laid hands on them to
receive the Holy Ghost.
From these scriptures we can see that the
apostles laid their hands on men who were
already believers, to receive the Holy Spirit.
These scriptures reveal that this enduement of
power called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is
not the same experience as the new birth. In
these two examples, this enduement of power
came as hands were laid on them.
However, on the Day of Pentecost, at
the house of Cornelius, the Spirit of God fell
upon those present and they began to speak
in other tongues. They received the new birth
and the enduement of power simultaneously.
Gloria Copeland
Tags: Baptism, enduement, Holy Ghost, laying of hands, power, Prayer, work
Jesus taught the disciples about these works
in John 14, talking to them about the Holy Spirit:
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and
the Father in me? the words that I speak unto
you I speak not of myself: but the Father that
dwelleth in me, he doeth the works…. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater
works than these shall he do; because I go unto
my Father” (John 14:10, 12).
They were to continue to do the same
works that Jesus Himself had been doing and
it would take the same power and anointing
of the Holy Spirit He had. (See Acts 10:38;
Matthew 3:16-17; John 14:10; Luke 4:18-21;
Acts 5:12-16.)
That power came on the Church on the
Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is still
assigned to the Church today to help us fulfill
our commission. Didn’t Jesus say He would
abide with us forever?
Jesus stated that it was not Him but the
Father in Him who did these works. When
He said, “But ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you…” (Acts
1:8), they knew what He meant!
The Greek word dunamis, translated power,
means “ability and might.” When you receive
the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you receive the
ability of God to do His work in the earth. The
Spirit within is for fruit bearing—for your own
personal life (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus talked
about this in John 4:14. He called it: “…a well
of water springing up into everlasting life.” But
the Spirit upon is for service. Jesus talked about
this in John 7:38-39. He described it as “rivers
of living water.” The well is for your own life
and the rivers flowing out of you are for others.
The dictionary says a witness is “evidence
or confirmation.” This power of the Holy Spirit
living in you can transform your life into
evidence to the world that Jesus has been
raised from the dead and is alive today. Jesus
said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me…” (Acts 1:8).
The traditions and doctrines of men have
robbed many believers of this power to be a
witness. The world is not only supposed to
hear words but see proof that Jesus is alive
today. As new converts, we should be taught
to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit—
the enduement of this power to reveal Jesus
to lost humanity.
Many believe that He is automatically
received at the time of salvation, and that’s all
there is. It is certainly true that if you are born
again, the Holy Spirit has come to live in you
and endeavors to work in your life. I had been
born again and the Holy Spirit was living inside
me, but the power Jesus spoke of was not evident
in my life until after I received the Baptism in
the Holy Spirit. I wanted to do right, to follow
God and be a strong Christian, but outwardly
I didn’t change much until after I received the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit and began to speak
in other tongues. The combination of the power
of God upon me and the Word of God in my
heart began to change weakness to victory. As
I learned truth from God’s Word and acted on
it, the Spirit of God upon me enabled me to
overcome in my own life and to help others
overcome.
Gloria Copeland
Tags: Baptism, Holy Spirit, life, power, salvation, witness, Word Of God
From that moment they were changed.
They were no longer troubled, afraid or sad.
Luke’s account lets us know of the change:
“And it came to pass, while he blessed them,
he was parted from them, and carried up
into heaven. And they worshipped him, and
returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and
were continually in the temple, praising and
blessing God. Amen.” (Luke 24:51-53).
Where there had been sadness, now there
was great joy—a fruit of the spirit. Where
there had been fear and confusion, now there
was continual praise and blessing of God. And
they were obedient. They went to Jerusalem
and waited for the enduement of power from
on high, expecting to receive the promise of
the Father which Jesus spoke of just before
he blessed the disciples and was carried into
heaven: “And, behold, I send the promise of
my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city
of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power
from on high” (Luke 24:49).
The account of this in Acts 1 says:
And, being assembled together with
them, [He] commanded them that
they should not depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
For John truly baptized with water;
but ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost not many days hence….
Ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and
ye shall be witnesses unto me both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth (verses 4-5, 8).
He said they were to be baptized with
the Holy Ghost and receive power! They
had already received the Holy Spirit within.
Now Jesus was instructing them what to
do to receive the power of God upon them.
Acts 10:38 says Jesus was anointed with the
Holy Ghost and power. The disciples were to
receive that same power!
He said in our everyday talk, “Don’t leave
town without it!” This enduement of power
was necessary for them to be able to carry out
the work Jesus set before them. (See Mark
16:15-20; Matthew 28:18-20.) Nothing has
changed. The Body of Christ today is still
under the same mandate.
Gloria Copeland
Tags: Baptism, blessing, disciples, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, joy, power, praise
The Holy Spirit’s ministry is not only
to impart the nature of God to the spirit of
man, but also to live in the new creature and
to reveal to him the exact knowledge of God.
The Spirit within enables the new creature to
walk in newness of life. One writer has said
that the Spirit that gives us life must also
sustain that life.
Ezekiel says, “A new heart also will I give
you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and
I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And
I will put my spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my
judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
After you make Jesus Lord, the Holy Spirit
comes to live in you. Jesus told the disciples:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with
you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth him
not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him;
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you”
(John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit had been
working with the disciples. They had been
preaching, healing the sick and casting out
devils. He had been with them and working
with them, but Jesus said when the Holy
Spirit came to abide forever, He would live
on the inside of them: “Then said Jesus to
them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father
hath sent me, even so send I you. And when
he had said this, he breathed on them, and
saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost”
(John 20:21-22).
After Jesus had been raised from the
dead, He appeared to them and they were
born again as He breathed the life of God
into them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
(Compare with Genesis 2:7.) Eternal life
came into them. They could not have been
born again until after Jesus paid the price for
sin. As they received the life of God, the Spirit
who gave that life began to dwell in them.
Gloria Copeland
Tags: born again, heart, Holy Spirit, life, new, Spirit, Spirit of truth
You have been involved with the Holy
Spirit since you first heard the good news that
Jesus took your place and bore the penalty for
your sins. It was the Holy Spirit, through the
Word, who made the truth that Jesus was
raised from the dead a reality in your heart.
Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved,”
and 1 Corinthians 12:3 states that no man says
Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Ghost.
Jesus came to make it possible for man
to receive the nature of God—eternal life
( John 10:10). Jesus could not get a man
born again while He was on the earth. He
had the power to forgive sins, but there
could be no new creatures until Jesus paid
the sin price at Calvary and became the
firstborn from the dead.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is
expedient for you that I go away: for
if I go not away, the Comforter will
not come unto you; but if I depart,
I will send him unto you…. I have
yet many things to say unto you, but
ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth: for
he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall
he speak: and he will show you things
to come. He shall glorify me: for he
shall receive of mine, and shall show
it unto you. All things that the Father
hath are mine: therefore said I, that
he shall take of mine, and shall show
it unto you (John 16:7, 12-15).
Jesus told the men who walked by His
side for three years that it was more profitable
for them if He went away and sent them the
Holy Spirit.
It was the miraculous work of the Holy
Spirit that made you a new creature. When
you made Jesus Lord over your life, the Holy
Spirit came upon you and overshadowed you,
just as He did Mary when there was conceived
in her a “holy thing” (Luke 1:35).
Spiritual death was eradicated from
your spirit. You were born again into a new
life—a new spirit. You were literally born
of God. “Beloved, now are we the sons
of God” (1 John 3:2). First John 5:1 says,
“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the
Christ is born of God.” God became your
Father by spiritual birth.
The miracle of the new birth should
never become commonplace to you. It is not a
theological idea, but an actual fact. The Holy
Spirit personally carries out this miracle when
you make Jesus Christ your Lord. He takes
a sin-ridden, selfish man and re-creates his
spirit in God’s image. This change in a man’s
nature is a great, miraculous and supernatural
event in the realm of the spirit. That is why all
of heaven rejoices (Luke 15:7, 10).
Gloria Copeland
Tags: birth, Holy Spirit, Jesus, reborn, Spirit of truth, spiritual, Truth