那不勒斯足球俱乐部

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary defines power as the 鈥渁bility to do things, by virtue of strength, skill, resources, or authorization.鈥� The Bible says a Christian鈥檚 power comes from God through the Holy Spirit.

God is the ultimate source of power. All power comes from Him and is subject to Him: 鈥淵ours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all鈥� (1 Chronicles 29:11–12).

Many Old Testament passages speak of God giving His power to the weak: 鈥淗e gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak鈥� (Isaiah 40:29). Psalm 68:35 says God gives power to His people: 鈥淵ou, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!鈥� Frequently, we read of God鈥檚 power being given to kings (1 Samuel 2:10) and prophets: 鈥淏ut as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin鈥� (Micah 3:8).

God鈥檚 inexhaustible power poured forth in the lives of His people is seen in various applications in Scripture. The Bible says the gospel itself is the power of God for salvation: 鈥淔or I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile鈥� (Romans 1:16; also 1 Corinthians 1:18).

A Christian鈥檚 power—his ability to do anything of worth—is received from the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended on high, He told His disciples to wait for the power they needed: 鈥淏ut you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth鈥� (Acts 1:8). Without the Holy Spirit, the disciples would just be spinning their wheels, no matter how talented, energetic, or enthused they were in presenting the gospel.

A Christian鈥檚 power from God strengthens the inner being: 鈥淚 pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being鈥� (Ephesians 3:16). We do not lose heart, because, even 鈥渢hough outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day鈥� (2 Corinthians 4:16).

A Christian鈥檚 power from God enables him or her to become a servant of the gospel: 鈥淚 became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God鈥檚 grace given me through the working of his power鈥� (Ephesians 3:7).

A Christian鈥檚 power is not his own. After God used Peter to heal a lame beggar, the apostle explained to astonished onlookers that the man was healed not by Peter鈥檚 own power but through faith in the name of Jesus Christ: 鈥淔ellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. . . . By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus鈥� name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see鈥� (Acts 3:12–16).

A Christian鈥檚 power from God enables him to endure suffering in the face of persecution: 鈥淭he Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God鈥� (2 Timothy 1:7–8).

A Christian鈥檚 power is perfected in weakness: 鈥淏ut he said to me, 鈥楳y grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.鈥� Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ鈥檚 power may rest on me鈥� (2 Corinthians 12:9).

A Christian finds power in prayer: 鈥淭herefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective鈥� (James 5:16).

God empowers Christians for ministry, to speak in His name with confidence in His abiding presence: 鈥淛esus came and told his disciples, 鈥業 have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age鈥欌�� (Matthew 28:18–20).

Ephesians 3:20 says that God鈥檚 power is beyond our comprehension. Divine power is at work in Christians to do far more than all we can ask or even imagine. Ephesians 1:19鈥�20 says that nothing compares to His great power toward us who believe. The power of God working on our behalf is the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated Him in heavenly places.

Believers have a tremendous reason to rejoice. The Bible says a Christian鈥檚 power supplies all we need for living a holy life in this world of sin: 鈥淏y his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence鈥� (2 Peter 1:3, NLT).