Christ promised His followers power for the duty of giving witness to Him. This has been a subject that has intrigued me for years. Let me compare two verses with you that seem to speak of that power and then finish with a third.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
The first verse quoted here speaks of the power that Christ supplies for the work of giving witness to Him. The second verse speaks of the deterioration of the Christian faith and the rise of those who will deny this certain power. While we must acknowledge that there is that power that is resident in the Gospel message alone (cf. Romans 1:16) it seems to me that in the previous verses there is another power that is being alluded to. It would seem to me that that power is the light that Christ creates in the life and godliness of His children. If that is true then gospel work is not only a scholastic and informational work, but also a function of the testimony of the believer’s life. Compare this with the following verse:
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
If I am right in this conclusion then gospel work may be greatly diminished by sloppy and careless living. It is something to consider!
