Gloria Copeland — The Power That WorksPosted on March 3rd, 2010

Gloria Copeland

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

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