“…wait for the promise of the Father, which , saith he, ye have heard of me. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:4b,8
One of the great blessings of Christian service is to come to understand the difference between our human sufficiency and the strength that comes only from the Lord. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” 1 Corinthians 3:5
All during the earthly ministry of Christ, the disciples had drawn their strength from being with the Lord. At that point, they were functioning as followers and learners (disciples), being nurtured and sustained by Him. Jesus corrected, inspired, and assigned them in their ministries. And when things got tough, they could just flee to Him and lean upon Him.
While He was with them, Jesus taught them that after he would leave them, He would send the Comforter, the new role of the Holy Spirit: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” John 16:13
Things went so well for the disciples as they were in the company of Christ’s ministry unto them, that they really didn’t grasp the difference between human sufficiency and being empowered by the Lord. And when the time came for Christ to leave them to go to the cross of Calvary, they were so confident of their own sufficiency to stand, that they did not heed the admonition to watch and pray in order to be delivered by God’s power from the coming temptations. And, with their own strengths being insufficient, they were all offended and forsook Christ and fled.
The message of Acts 1:4-8 by Christ unto them, implies: “Don’t repeat that mistake of just relying on your own sufficiency. But see the absolute necessity of waiting on and relying upon the strength that comes only from the Holy Spirit to go forth and serve.”
All through the book of Acts, the Apostles exercised great caution not to go forth on a declaration of their own sufficiency, but rather prayed unto being filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word…And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:29,33
SHARING
