Daily Devotions
Filled with the Holy Spirit
"And we are His witnesses... and so also is the Holy Spirit..."
Text: Acts 5:32
THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A WITNESS
The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples that the Holy Spirit Himself would bear witness of Him.
“But when the Helper comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
He will testify of Me.
And you also will bear witness,
because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
John 15:26-27
1. Consistent teaching
a) The Spirit of God will be sent by the Lord Jesus.
b) He will proceed from the Father.
2. Bearing witness
a) The Spirit of God Himself will testify of the Lord Jesus (“to bear witness”).
b) The Apostles will bear witness too.
FULFILMENT OF THIS WORD
The Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ were given a hard time by the Jewish religious leaders. They were queried and imprisoned. But no matter the pressure put on them, they had this to say.
“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said:
‘We ought to obey God rather than men.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus
whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.
Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour,
to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
And we are His witnesses to these things,
and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.'”
Acts 5:29-32
1. The Apostles bore witness for the Lord faithfully
a) They chose to obey God.
b) Even though they risked their lives.
2. The Holy Spirit
a) He was given by God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
b) He too was bearing witness powerfully for the Lord Jesus Christ.
This joint-witness of the Spirit of God and the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ was consistently and consciously upheld. This ministry was in fulfilment of what the Lord Jesus Christ commanded His disciples to do (Acts 1:8). Through this ministry of witnessing the church of the Lord grew significantly.