The Spirit’s Unique Power
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.
(1 Corinthians 2:2–3 NASB)
Ponder Paul’s self-description above: “weakness . . . fear . . . trembling.” Now, if I were to ask you to describe Paul, I doubt that you would use any one of those three words. Because when we think of Paul, we think of a man of enormous strength and capability, a man who had the ability to speak on any subject with hardly a misplaced word. In fact, Apollos was the eloquent one, not Paul, who came with apparent weakness, in a spirit of fear and also much trembling.
Paul’s honesty is a good reminder for you and me when we find ourselves in places where we are intimidated, where we feel fearful and very weak. Surprisingly, that is when the Spirit of God does His best work. For when you and I are weak, God shows His strength.
How could he have been strong in his weakness, powerful in his fears, and effective in his trembling? The answer is in 1 Corinthians 2:4–5.
And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:4–5)
When the Corinthian believers left the meetings where they had come to be ministered to by Paul, they left talking about the Lord, not the one who had ministered. And that pleased Paul immensely. Why? Because he had received power from the Helper! The Helper empowered the man’s message, ignited his leadership, and shaped his inimitable style. As a result, the awesome presence of God was felt.
Don’t be afraid either of those words or of that reality. Don’t resist it because it seems “too emotional.” There are occasions where the presence of God is so obvious that it is like electricity upon the gathering. I have been in certain meetings when everyone in attendance was able to sense the dynamic power of the Spirit of God.
Paul’s experience among the Corinthians, by his own testimony, was clearly a demonstration of the work of the Spirit. God was in it from start to finish.
Taken from Flying Closer to the Flame by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1993 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Deepen your intimacy with the living God by reading Embraced by the Spirit, an updated release of Flying Closer to the Flame.
