In my previous post, I mentioned that Jesus promises signs will follow WHOEVER believes in Him:
[Jesus] said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on the sick people, and they will get well." (Mark 16:15-18)
Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. (Acts 2:38-39)
Believe me when I [Jesus] say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:11-12)
The Holy Spirit distributes to EACH ONE individually as He wills:
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)
We are encouraged to use our spiritual gifts to testify the power of God:
My [Paul] message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)
How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:3-4)
Why do so many insist that all these are of the past and those instructions were only to the people of the NT era? Is the following command from Jesus only meant for his disciples or the people of the past?
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Absolutely not! For the word of God is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12)!
God wants to work through us; He wants to be in partnership with us! Each and every one of us makes up the body of Christ and we are given different gifts for the good of all:
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)
I shall leave you with what Spurgeon said (an excerpt from Adrian Warnock's blog post on a debate about charismatics):
“… Does any man know what the Spirit of God can make of him? I believe the greatest, ablest, most faithful, most holy man of God might have been greater, and abler, and more faithful, and more holy if he had put himself more completely at the Spirit’s disposal. Wherever God has done great things by a man He has had power to do more had the man been fit for it. We are straitened in ourselves, not in God. O brothers, the church is weak today because the Holy Spirit is not upon her members as we could desire Him to be. You and I are tottering along like feeble babes, whereas, had we more of the Spirit, we might walk without fainting, run without weariness, and even mount up with wings as eagles. Oh, for more of the anointing of the Holy Ghost whom Christ is prepared to give immeasurably unto us if we will but receive Him!”
The above can be supported by this scripture passage:
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong. (Romans 1:11)
So, are you missing out on God's power?
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