Power and Character

Power and Character : both equally important 

Jesus gave us the promise for both regeneration of our character and power to live in His Kingdom … 

Luke 24:49 NKJV

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

John 14:12-14 NKJV

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. [13] And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 20:21-23 NKJV

So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." [22] And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

To do the same works you need the same power .. 

To forgive and walk in love you need the same character 

Paul prayed and agonised about Christ bring formed  in his disciples 

Galatians 4:19 NKJV

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Peter said it’s impossible to forgive the times he is asked to. 

Luke 17:1-6 NKJV

Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! [2] It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. [3] Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. [4] And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." [5] And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." [6] So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Character and power it takes both .. 

Matthew 3:11 NKJV

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

It takes Holy Spirit to covert and Fire to produce the Kingdom results. 

Character :  evidence of Holy Spirit is the fruits being developed .. 

Faith works by love 

Galatians 5:6 NKJV

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Gal 5:7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? [8] It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. [16] So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. [17] The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. [18] But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. [19] When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, [21] envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. [22] But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. [25] Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. [26] Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

We are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit .. this has to do with character.. 

To grieve is to be filled with sorrow, saddened.. 

Ephesians 4:30-32 NKJV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. [32] And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Power … Holy Spirit evidence is the same works that Jesus did. Gifts of the Spirit..  

1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 NKJV

Do not quench the Spirit. [20] Do not despise prophecies 

Just as it’s required not to grieve the Holy Spirit we are told not to quench Him either .. 

To extinguish… to put  out  the flow if His power 

Quenching talks about disregarding the promptings not recognising the moving of His power, and putting a stop to it so that He doesnt  have room to move. 

Several ways  that put the fire out.. 

1. To attribute works by something else other than the working of the Holy Spirit..  

Luke 11:14-20 NKJV

And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. [15] But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." [16] Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. [17] But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. [18] If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. [19] And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. [20] But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

1. Ignorant of His power nor the way they work .. 

1 Corinthians 12:1 NKJV

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. [6] And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: [8] for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, [10] to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11] But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

1. Unbelief… unbelief stops the flow of His power… 

Hebrews 3:12-19 NKJV

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; [13] but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. [14] For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, [15] while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." [16] For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? [17] Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? [18] And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? [19] So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

1. the power is not for today ..  

Mark 16:14-18 NKJV

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. [15] And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. [17] And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; [18] they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

1. God chosen only for power .. or you have to be perfect in your walk in character before God can use you.. 

Do you have to be perfect in character to be used by god in His power ?? 

Jesus gave the power of His spirit to the 12 then the seventy .. 

Was Peter one on those who was empowered ?? 

Luke 22:32 NKJV

But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

How can I develop both character and power you ask ?? 

The secret remains within the  pruning process.. 

John 15:1-17,26 NKJV

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. [2] Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. [3] You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. [4] Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. [5] "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. [7] If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. [8] By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. [9] "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. [10] If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. [11] "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. [12] This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. [14] You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. [15] No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. [16] You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. [17] These things I command you, that you love one another.

The Holy Spirit your helper

 John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

There have and will be excesses ….  However 

Character and power go hand in hand… do not chuck out one for the other but press for both.. 

Paul addressed the imbalance in Corinth… 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NKJV

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

The answer was to do both character and power 

1 Corinthians 14:1-3 NKJV

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. [2] For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. [3] But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

Trust in God, put your faith in the one who is able to do the work in you and through you. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24] He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.