God Wants All Believers to be Empowered by His Spirit

BY DR. JOHN WYCKOFF
GRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR,
THEOLOGICAL STUDIES
JWYCKOFF@SAGU.EDU

God wants ALL born again believers to be empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Why? Because there is an important and enormous task (Matt. 28:19-20) that He wants us to accomplish. But, we cannot do it in our power and ability alone—-we need the special enablement of the Spirit. We need the power and dynamics that are associated with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We need the same supernatural power and dynamics as those manifested in the Book of Acts.

A study of the Book of Acts shows that the First Century Church was characterized by the dynamic presence, power and workings of the Holy Spirit. In fact, Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal scholars alike acknowledge that the baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, and the manifestation of the spiritual gifts were universal during that time. In the exceptions when this was not the case, the leaders of the Church took immediate action to correct the situation. Peter and John were dispatched to Samaria because "He [the Holy Spirit] had not yet fallen upon any of them" (see Acts 8:14-17). At Ephesus, Paul found some disciples who apparently did not manifest the dynamic workings of the Spirit. He did not continue his ministry until he had prayed for them and observed, "the Holy Spirit came on them" (Acts 19:1-6). In this context, the Church exploded throughout the Roman Empire!

Unfortunately, in contrast to the above, from the Second Century through the Nineteenth Century, believers usually were not baptized in the Holy Spirit. Typical Christians during those centuries were much like those Paul found at Ephesus. They knew little or nothing about the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the Church was not characterized by the dynamic workings of the Spirit as in the time of Acts. Thus, after 19 centuries of Church activity, over three-fifths of the world’s population had not received even a minimally adequate witness about Jesus Christ.

However, during the Twentieth Century, the situation has changed dramatically. The Pentecostal Movement, which began on the first day of that century, has spread around the world. Millions of believers now testify of being baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues as in the Book of Acts. A significant part of the Church is once again characterized by the same dynamic workings of the Spirit as seen in the New Testament Church pictured in Acts.

It is not a coincidence that, from the beginning of the Church to the present, the time in which the Church looks the most like the First Century, New Testament Church, is the Church of the Twentieth Century. This is because, in Topeka, Kansas, a small group of Christians, who believed the Bible to be the final rule of faith and practice, reached a significant conclusion. From their study of Scripture they concluded that in New Testament times the Church knew when believers had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. They also concluded that it was important for believers of all ages to have this experience. They were right! The results is, there are now more born again Christians in the world than ever in the history of the Church.

But, the Great Commission task still has not been completed. The Twentieth Century Pentecostal Movement has only set the stage for complete world evangelization. The Twenty-first Century Church must follow through. Pentecostals must not weaken in their conviction concerning correctness of their doctrine. They must resolve to practice what they believe. Also, the rest of the Evangelical, Bible-believing Christians need to join Pentecostals in receiving this experience and empowerment. Jesus knew that His followers, even though they had been with Him, still needed the special experience of empowerment of the Spirit. He also knows that the only way we will be able to accomplish the task is with that same empowerment of the Spirit. Follow His instructions to be baptized in the Holy Spirit!