Why does God fill believers with the Holy Spirit?  How would you answer that question? 

J. Oswald Sanders, in his book Spiritual Discipleship, wrote:

It seems strange that although the twelve apostles had enjoyed three years of concentrated individual instruction under the peerless Teacher, their lives were characterized more by weakness and failure than by power and success.  Pentecost changed all that; they were filled with the Spirit.  After His resurrection, Jesus assured them that that defect would be remedied.

The apostles received the absolute best training from the Perfect Teacher for 3 ½ years, yet they were “characterized more by weakness and failure than by power and success”.  That should make us take a step back any time we are tempted to rely on our abilities.  No matter how well we have been trained, equipped or prepared, we cannot rely on ourselves to accomplish anything eternal.  God’s kingdom will not be established through our power. 

God’s kingdom will be established only through God’s power, power which is at work in and through those who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and rely on the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promised “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 1:8-9 ESV). 

As we survey what’s happening these days, it can be frightening.  If we are relying on our own strength personally or even nationally, we will be distressed over our inability to make any significant, beneficial changes.  It’s time we stopped relying on our abilities.  It is the power of the Spirit of God working in and through us that will make all the changes God wants to see take place.  We will never change the world on our own, but through the Spirit we can.  When the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, they became known as those who had turned the world upside down, (Acts 17:6).  Let’s surrender to the Holy Spirit and rely on His power.  When we do, we will become known as those who have turned the world right side up.