Seeking the Spirit

“I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.”

(Isaiah 43:12, ESV)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

(Acts 1:8, ESV)

This past Sunday, we entered into a series based in the first chapters of Acts. The overall focus is to be reminded of who we are in Christ and who we are meant to be as believers who make up a local church family. We are to be centred around who we are in Christ, demonstrating His truth, redemption, and loving relationships.

But we encounter the Holy Spirit in a very real way in these chapters. In chapter one, we are called to wait prayerfully and together upon the Spirit, to receive His filling, allowing Him to be our Guide, Comforter, and Empowerment as we embrace our purpose to be His “witnesses” on earth. As witnesses, we represent Christ, speaking of His redeeming truth and love but also demonstrating it through our lives.

This is no small responsibility. The original word used here denotes speaking on behalf of another, giving supporting testimony - but the word also is closely tied to “martyr,” which means there is a high personal cost to being Christ’s witnesses.

Do our lives accurately reflect Christ? What kind of “witness” am I being? Am I willing to pay the cost of being gentle and loving instead of defensive and combative? Are my words and choices reflective of the Spirit’s filling in me?