What is necessary for us to live with the Power flowing through us?
Discussion question for August 19, 2011.
Jesus walked among people, pouring out the power from on high. When He ascended, the apostles also ministered with signs and wonders of miracles and healing. Can we live with that kind of power flowing through us today? What does it take for that to happen? What things can we do to enhance this way of living? How would you expect it to be expressed in 2011 America?
Here’s my summary of our discussion.
Jesus didn’t begin to walk in this power, as far as we know, until after He was baptized and the Spirit came on Him. The disciples operated with power under His authority when they were sent out, but after Pentecost and the filling of the Holy Spirit they walked in power all the time. We can have the power flowing through us in our life, but only after we are filled with the Spirit. This is promised in Jesus’ last discourse found in John 13-17.
There is an effect on the display of power based on the community or human environment. Jesus could not do miracles in Caperaenum because of their lack of faith. There are illustrations, however, where Jesus saw that someone had the faith to be healed, and so He let them. This also happened after His ascension to the disciples, where they saw the faith and a miracle or healing followed. So, living in this kind of power is dependent on the exercise of faith.
Signs and wonders are used as a testimony or an attention getter. Their purpose, simply put, is to build relationship between man and God. Sometimes God uses healing or a miracle to build relationship with the person healed (such as the man born blind). At other times, God uses healing to build relationship with others. This was the case when Jesus challenged the Jews to believe Him because of the signs He did if they couldn’t take His word for it.
We need to be one with God, as Jesus is one with the Father. Then we can live in power, because His power flows through us as as conductor. When we are living our life in opposition to God, it’s like we are wood or rubber and unable to conduct power. When we are living in oneness with Him, it is like we are gold and conduct His power effectively. This goes along with Jesus’ teaching about asking anything “in His name” and God will answer.
The purpose of signs and wonders is not to be an end in themselves, but to build relationship with God. The person chasing signs and wonders is missing out on the source of the power. God is not interested in demonstrating that He can overrule the rules He created from the beginning, just to demonstrate that He has the power. Nor should we attempt to control God so that we can demonstrate His ability to overrule His rules. That is not consistent with His purpose of building oneness.
We must overcome a frame of reference of “individualism” if we want to operate in that place of power. His authority flows through us when we are aligned with Him. If we are trying to make it happen as an individual, then all the effort and power we can muster is not enough to truly impress. It takes God’s resurrection power.
The power flows like electricity. We have to be conductive. We have to be connected to the Source. We have to be grounded so it has a place to be demonstrated. We can enhance this way of living by trusting God, having oneness relationship with Him, and obeying what He says to do.