The Power of the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 is a very important verse for the study of the book of Acts because it not only gives us a theme but it also gives us an inspired outline to the book.  You see Jesus prophesied to his disciples that they would be witnesses for him starting out in Jerusalem, then moving into Judea and Samaria, and finally to the uttermost parts of the earth; and this is exactly what happens.  The Gospel slowly progresses outward from Jerusalem and travels some 1,800 miles to Rome.  The mission of the Gospel is not a static one, nor is it stagnate, but it is moving and it is powerful.  However, the Gospel’s progress is only as powerful as the people who are surrendered to taking it to the ends of the earth.

 “But” you will receive power is how Acts 1:8 starts out.  The “but” is contrasting the thought of verse 7.  You see in verse 7 the disciples were concerned with the coming kingdom that Christ had promised, and Jesus tells them that they don’t need to worry about that at this time.  They rather need to focus on being his witnesses on earth.  “Witnesses” becomes an important term in Acts, used some 19 times in the book of Acts alone.  When our Western minds kick into gear some of us have fond memories of witnessing to others about Christ; or we might say that were going out soul-winning. Then others might say that our memories of soul-winning were much more discouraging and frustrating.  We’re going out to wins some souls for Christ – a command from the very pages of Scripture.  But, does the term “soul-winning” really catch the essence of what the early church was supposed to be?  You might say it’s a matter of semantics, but I think there is more to it than that.   

“Witnessing” means to testify of the person and work of Christ; it’s where we get our term testimony.  But according to the words of Scripture the disciples were to do the witnessing and then the Holy Spirit was to do the saving.  Soul-winning sounds like we (the believers) are the ones who do the saving.  Some like to major so much on the methodology of soul-winning that they forget to give the Holy Spirit room to do his convincing work.  Believe you me, I think some methods are better than others and I am not condemning any one type of method.  What I am saying is that some magnify their methodology over the very message that they preach.  Sound familiar?  Do the Pharisees and religious leaders ring a bell?  They were guilt of magnifying the oral law (their traditions, codes, and laws) over the very written words of Scripture.  Their traditions and laws could not save, but God’s Word can! 

We are not the ones who do the saving, the Holy Spirit does.  The early church, and the church of today, is given a task of witnessing or testifying to others of what Christ has done; leave the saving part to the Holy Spirit.  Because, really, if it were up to us, we could not save a single soul from the punishment and fires of hell; but the Holy Spirit can and He still does!