Verse: Matthew 3:11-12
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Verse:
What an incredible promise! When we become followers of Jesus, we are not just receiving his forgiveness and cleansing from our sins. We are also receiving his Holy Spirit empowerment for living and ministering! Let's think about just a few things that Scripture tells us about the Holy Spirit:
1) The Holy Spirit empowers us for life change. In Galatians Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control." (5:22) I don't know about you, but that is very encouraging for me. I don't have to become more patient, or more kind, or more gentle all on my own strength. I can lean into the power of the Holy Spirit to shape me, to mold me, and to empower me to live a new life.
2) The Holy Spirit leads us into truth. Jesus tells us in John 14:26 that the Spirit will "teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." What an incredible promise. When we are doubting, when we are feeling lost, when we are struggling to understand God's will for our lives, the Spirit will lead us. We are people who are "led by the Spirit" (Romans 8:14) both daily and for our entire lives. We are not alone in this life, he has given us his Spirit graciously and generously to lead us, teach us, and remind us of his Word!
3) The Holy Spirit empowers us for ministry. Ministry is just a biblical word that basically means serving others in the name of Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4, and Romans 12 we learn about "gifts" that the Spirit empowers us with so that we can serve other people. These are both natural abilities he has given us, and supernatural gifts. Anything from serving to leading to healing the sick! God did not just call us to serve one another and preach the Gospel to the world, he empowered us together to do it!
This is just a quick overview, but how amazing is God's love? How amazing is his love that he would send his Spirit so we wouldn't be alone. Don't miss that. This ultimately is about his love for us. He loves you and he is offering you an empowered life. Are you open to receiving his power?