School of the Spirit: Living the Holy Spirit-Empowered Life Sample

Day 3: The Promise of the Father

“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father.” (Acts 1:4).

The promise of the Father is the baptism in the Holy Spirit—the promise to put His Spirit inside His people.

The entire Old Testament pointed toward a time when God would pour out the Holy Spirit on all His children, not just prophets, priests, judges, kings, or select individuals. The concept of the coming Kingdom of God was a messianic promise all Jews were familiar with. When they heard Jesus proclaiming the Kingdom of God, it wasn’t a new idea to them. Instead, it was their hope and expectation.

What was a new idea was God dwelling within a person. Until Jesus came, the only thing the people of Israel knew was that God lived in the Temple, behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies. If anyone entered who hadn’t been cleansed and purified to be in right standing with God, he would instantly be struck dead. The people had an intense fear and reverence for the Spirit of God, so they must have struggled with the idea of wanting God to dwell inside them! 

Before Jesus began His ministry, John the Baptist announced that he was baptizing them with water for repentance, but the Messiah was coming to baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). After the resurrection, Jesus told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem because “...I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.” (Luke 24:49). He was about to fulfill the promise of the Father that had been foretold by the Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist.

The disciples needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to be placed upon them before they could attempt to fulfill the Great Commission. They needed His supernatural power which would give them the ability to live supernaturally and fulfill their supernatural ministry beyond their own strength.

You may be thinking, "I am saved, so don’t I already have the Holy Spirit within me?" The answer is, "yes", you certainly do. Every believer has the Holy Spirit. But there is a difference when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. It’s like God putting His hand on you and plugging you into a super-charger that gives you access to the supernatural realm and the power of heaven. It’s the promise of the Father. Jesus defined it as the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and He understood His followers would need the same power from on high that He had so they could fulfill the Great Commission. I need it, and so do you.

Father God, thank You for the promise of the Holy Spirit. I choose to receive everything You have for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.