There is more to the Christian life than just getting your sins forgiven—much more.

The average person’s focus when they first come to the Lord is to get their sins forgiven so they can go to heaven instead of hell. Although that is wonderful and more than any of us deserve, salvation isn’t just about avoiding hell. Jesus told us to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). And Paul said that Jesus “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4), not just the one to come.

We can experience a supernatural life now, one that will be amplified and completed when we get to heaven. But sadly, this kind of life is far above what most believers are living.

Most Christians know there must be more to their salvation than what they are experiencing. They believe God can do anything, and they pray for healing, prosperity, joy, peace, and many other things that seem to be lacking in their lives. Yet the vast majority of them seem to be powerless to obtain what Jesus provided.

Why?

Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “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 Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The power to live the Christian life now, in this life, comes from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The Christian life isn’t just difficult to live; it’s impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you take what Jesus said there in context, it makes it even more powerful. He had just told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4–5). They possessed the greatest news the world had ever heard—Jesus’ resurrection and everything He had accomplished—but Jesus didn’t want them to share it until they received the power of the Holy Spirit.

Wow! That is amazing!

The disciples had just witnessed the greatest miracle the world had ever seen. They had all the facts. What more could they need?

They needed the power of the Holy Spirit. And so do we.

Prior to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, these same disciples ran and hid during the crucifixion of Jesus. They also displayed an amazing ability to not understand what Jesus was saying at times. There’s a reason they were called “duh-ciples.”

But after the day of Pentecost and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, these same men were transformed. They stood boldly before the scribes and Pharisees who had once intimidated them, fearlessly declaring their guilt in crucifying the Son of God. They performed miraculous acts like Jesus did (John 14:12), including raising people from the dead. Moved by the Holy Spirit, they wrote books of the Bible. All but one of these apostles went on to suffer a martyr’s death and held firm until the end.

Just as Jesus told them, the disciples received power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and it changed these very average men into powerhouses who set in motion the new church age and established the kingdom of God here on earth. The disciples didn’t just tell people what happened to Jesus; they demonstrated that Jesus was still alive and living in and through them. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”

Today we have more people than ever proclaiming truths from God’s Word, but few are doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit. Many who have received the Word have experienced the forgiveness of sins, but they lack the power of the Holy Spirit to live a victorious life. They talk about the power of God, but very few demonstrate it.

There needs to be an emphasis on how important the ministry of the Holy Spirit is in the life of the believer. Failure to do this has diminished our witness and produced a lot of impotent Christians. Actually, that’s a misnomer. The word “Christian” means “little Christ,” and these powerless believers aren’t living anything like Christ. I’m not saying they aren’t born again, but they aren’t Christlike.

That’s the reason the world has rejected Christianity. It’s not because the things Christianity stands for are not true but because it’s being presented in a powerless way. Jesus used miracles to draw people to Him and His message, much like we use a bell to attract attention. If Jesus

needed miracles to draw and convince the multitudes, how arrogant is it for ministers today to think they can accomplish God’s will on their own, without demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit?

On an individual level, few Christians have accessed this power of the Holy Spirit in their personal lives. Believers suffer depression and discouragement, even though the Holy Spirit was given to comfort and encourage us (2 Cor. 1:4). Jude said that we build ourselves up on our most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). That’s talking about praying in tongues.

When I was born again at eight years old, I became one of these powerless Christians that I’m speaking about. Faith comes by hearing the truth of God’s Word (Rom. 10:17), and my denominational church didn’t preach about the power of the Holy Spirit. But all that changed on March 23, 1968, when I came face to face with God’s glory. I received this baptism of the Holy Spirit, and my life has never been the same.

Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues isn’t just a one-time experience. Those who have the Holy Spirit have God’s power, but it has to be accessed. The Holy Spirit doesn’t force Himself and His ability on anyone. You have to pursue God’s power in order to get it to manifest in your life. Spirit-filled believers need to pursue and appropriate more of the Holy Spirit’s power manifesting in and through them.

I have a lot of information about the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, and I’ve just completed a new series titled The Importance of the Holy Spirit. It’s available in CD, DVD, and USB formats, and I believe it will really bless you. To order it, go to awme.net/SpiritPower or call our UK Helpline at +44(0)1922 473 300.

If you have not received the Holy Spirit and this gift of speaking in tongues, please call our UK Helpline. They will pray with you to receive this powerful, life-changing experience. They will also give you a free book that explains true salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the gift of speaking in tongues.

We love you
Andrew and Jamie