His Effect On Us To Change From Old To New

Devotional #11

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and sound mind” 2Tim 1:7

“And now Lord, … and grant unto they servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word” Acts4:29

“And when they had prayed, … and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31.

Judas Iscariot betrayed our Lord and delivered Him unto soldiers who took the Lord to Chief priests, scribes, and elders where they were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off and sat with the servants. Peter denied the Lord thrice as already told by the Lord fearing what would happen to him if he confesses that he was with the Lord.

But after Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, he spoke with much boldness. On the day of Pentecost, He stood up with the elven and addressed thousands of people. He lead all one hundred twenty disciples to speak in tongues and gave witness about the Lord (John 15:26-27). “Then they gladly received his (Peter’s) word… added unto them three thousand souls” Acts 2:41.

In the following days after Pentecost, God performed a miracle by using Peter and John to heal a beggar at the temple gate. This miracle has opened another wonderful opportunity to testify about Lord’s power which works on those who believe. That day about five thousand people believed.

Same day Peter and John were taken into custody. The next day when they were brought before rulers, elders, and scribes they again testified unto all of them about the risen Lord. These were the people whom Peter was afraid of and followed the Lord from afar off. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost said unto them… Acts 4:8.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John… Acts 4:13. Peter feared rulers, Chief Priests before the Holy Spirit filled him, but now the same Peter after the Holy Spirit filled him, there is a tremendous change and he testified with a boldness which was noticed by hearers as well.

After their release from custody, they came to other disciples and prayed together, asking for boldness to speak His word. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly Acts 4:31.

Saul yet breathing out threatening’s … Acts 9:1. Saul was filled with boldness because he was very zealous about Old Testament law. After his conversion, he was brought to Jerusalem by Barnabas to the apostles. He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, … Acts 9: 29. This boldness was received from above because of the filling of the Holy Spirit to testify about the Lord, knowing fully well that his life was in danger. Before conversion he was a threat to Christians, after conversion, he did not fear threats for his life coming from rulers and Chief Priests.

At the end of his life, Paul writes to Timothy saying that we have not received the spirit of Cowardice. Neither is it the fearful heart of a man like Peter that stops us from serving the Lord nor does a natural zeal-filled person like Paul give us an advantage in serving the Lord. Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit receive the boldness to testify about the Lord with all power which brings conviction to people’s consciousness and adds them to the Lord those who believe.

Lord may help us to carry this experience of filling and boldness in his service.