Pastor’s Notes - The Holy Spirit Empowers
Who do you think of when you think of someone who’s empowered? Empowered people are big deal people, right? Kings, presidents, lawyers, politicians, judges, and company CEOs… the list could go on. But … you? Empowered? Do you think of that?
Someone who is empowered is someone with authority. A judge can issue a sentence because her position empowers her to do so. Empowerment is desirable. The dictionary definition of empower is “to give power or authority to; to authorize.” It can also mean “to enable or permit.” When you are empowered, you are enabled or permitted to do that which your ministry or role requires of you.
This is what the Holy Spirit does in us. So how does this all work? Here are 3 ways in which the Holy Spirit empowers us.
The Holy Spirit Empowers Us by Giving Life
One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is the giving and sustaining of the life of creation. We read in Job that if He didn’t life would perish.
If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. Job 34:14-15
Another role of the Holy Spirit is to give us new life in regeneration.
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, - Titus 3:5
Some other verses that speak to this are found in John 3:5-8, 6:63; 2 Cor 3:6; and Acts 10:44-47.
Another note to make is that our new bodies are completed by the Holy Spirit
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus[a] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. - Romans 8:11
The Holy Spirit Empowers Us by Sanctifying Us
One of the great mysteries of God is sanctification. It is both a completed, yet ongoing thing. Completed in the sense of our spiritual bodies, and ongoing in the sense of our physical bodies while here on earth. He are some ways in which the Holy Spirit sanctifies us…
He Convicts Us of our Sin
He Leads us to Repentance
He Renews Our Mind
He Helps Us to Pray
He Draws Us Near to Christ
The Holy Spirit Empowers Us by Giving Us Power For Service
Examples in the Old Testament
Equipped Joshua with leadership skills – Numbers 27:18, Deut 34:9
The Spirit came upon the Judges to help them lead (Othniel in Judges 3:10, Gideon 6:34, Jephthah 11:29, Samson 13:25)
Came upon David as he was anointed king – 1 Sam 16:13
Protected God’s people and enabled them to overcome their enemies
During the exodus – Isaiah 63:11-12
Returning from exile to overcome fear - Hag 2:5
Examples in the New Testament
First we see the Spirit pour out on Jesus…
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness. Luke 4:1
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. Luke 4:14
Then we see the Holy Spirit at work in the church….
The HS empowered the apostles and disciples to work miracles. - Acts 6:8
The HS empowered them in preaching the word with boldness and power. - Acts 4:8, 31; 6:10, 1 Thess 1:5, 1 Peter 1:12
The HS empowers Christians for service by giving us spiritual gifts. - 1 Cor 12:11
The HS empowers prayer and makes it effective. - Romans 8:26, Eph 2:18, 1 Cor 12:10-11; 14:2, 14-17
The HS empowers us to overcome spiritual opposition. - Acts 13:9-11, 1 Cor 12:10, Eph 6:17