Part 2: How to Get Empowered With God's Power Today
Once you’ve been water-baptized and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, it’s helpful to get acquainted with the fullness of the salvation message so you can confidently impart it to others. There are a multitude of Bible-based beliefs preached today, yet anything that differs from the truth is not truth. When you’re born again into the Body of Christ, you’re chosen to be an ambassador of God’s Word, to bring a simple yet powerful message to those who will listen:
Mark 16:15-17, 20, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized” (by water and by the Holy Spirit) “shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover…And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”
Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
1 Corinthians 9:16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”
2 Corinthians 5: 20, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ.”
However, it’s not your job to convince or convert. Your calling is simply to expound God’s Word unto those who are still “in the dark.” Most will likely reject you; this is scriptural. Matthew 7: 13-14 counsels us, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Yet, some will be “pricked in their hearts,” as you were. You will plant as well as water seeds of Truth, but God is the one who will work upon the hearer.
1 Corinthians 3: 7, “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”
We share more on the subject of your calling in Part 5, so you can look forward to lots of encouragement in that section. At that point, we will help you to lay hold upon the blessed opportunities before you (versus seeing anything you do in Christ as an obligation). For now, we should point out that whenever sharing salvation through the "Way” of Jesus, it’s important to warn people about what they need to be saved from. The Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6: 23).
God has made the inevitability of judgment known to us that we may fear what will happen if we don’t reconcile with Him, but also that we may be excited about what is in store for those who do. Part 3 titled “Burning Questions” discusses this in more detail.