Daily Devotional: Sharing The Gospel Through The Power Of The Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Before Jesus left the Earth to ascend to His heavenly Father, He promised that the Holy Spirit would give power to his disciples. This power gave them the ability to preach the good news that God saves sinners to every tribe, tongue, and nation.

When Peter stood up for the first time in Acts 2, the Scripture says he lifted up his voice and addressed them. Here is Peter, who just a few chapters back, denied the Lord Jesus three times. He was publicly afraid to confess Jesus as His Lord and Savior.

Now, he is standing before a large crowd and convicting them of their sins. This is because, on the day of Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the power Jesus is talking about in Acts 1:8. For further study, I wrote a post on the Holy Spirit’s role in the Great commission.

It’s amazing what the Holy Spirit can do for us. When we repent and get baptized for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38), the Holy Spirit comes upon us and dwells within us. The Spirit of God is our teacher, advocate, and counselor. He not only guides us but empowers us to fulfill the great commission.

When I was filled with the Holy Spirit twelve years ago, I remember having this inward desire to share Jesus with my friends, neighbors, and family members. In fact, every weekend I would go out to the bars and open-air preach to large crowds. While I was timid at first, God’s spirit gave me the courage to stand up and preach repentance and faith in Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is vital for our success. We can’t rely on our own power, wisdom, or eloquent speech to turn people to the Lord. Only God can convict. The Lord makes this clear in John 16:8:

“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:”

Trusting in the Lord’s strength rather than our own is the key to sharing the gospel and obeying the great commission. Jesus told his followers to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them, and reassuring them that the Holy Spirit will be with them always, even to the end of the age. Are you allowing God’s Spirit to work through you?