After raising from the dead, Jesus appeared to the disciples many times over a period of forty days and speaking about the things which concerned the kingdom of God. After gathering them all together He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised them. "Which," He said, "you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Even though the disciples were committed to Christ and had been born again, Jesus said they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit would empower them to be witnesses.
One of the most common excuses for not becoming a Christian is the fear of failure to live the Christian life. Besides over-looking the fact that men cannot be saved on the basis of good works, (Titus 3:5) this objection neglects the truth that God provides the power to live the Christian life. Before Christ was crucified He promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to help believers (John 16:13,14).
The Christian who struggles in his own strength to live the Christian life will fail. He must, by faith, appropriate daily the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that he must trust the Holy Spirit to empower him in any circumstance he faces in his day to day life. Aside from salvation and all the freedom that it gives the believer in every aspect of life, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift we could receive. Jesus said it was better for Him to go, because only then could He send us the precious gift of His Spirit to dwell in us. We have now become carriers or vessels of His presence! Wow! Think on that a bit until that fact gets so big in you and gives you everything you need to overcome!
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