THE NATIONAL HOLY SPIRIT CONFERENCE
COMMONWEALTH HALL THEATRE
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON
EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT: FAITH, LOVE, AND DIVINE SERVICE
OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS
(2nd October 1989)

SYNOPSIS
This keynote address explores the Holy Spirit’s vital role in nurturing faith, imparting
divine love and power, and guiding believers into effective service and transformation
through scripture and spiritual enduement.

PREAMBLE
Christianity as we know embodies a body of beliefs or tenets which we call doctrines.
These doctrines not only teach us who God is, His view about man, and help us to obtain
knowledge about ourselves, they establish a system or basis of relationship with the
Living God for the peace, comfort, happiness and fulfillment of the believer.
The scriptures reveal that understanding of the doctrines of the Faith is a spiritual
proposition. The blessings of life, peace, comfort, healing and joy from the scriptures is
mainly the work of the Holy Spirit who administers the Word of Life to the heart and inner
man. Not only is the Holy Spirit the real teacher and minister behind the scenes, He is the
One who assists the believer to build effective relationship with God. He is the revelator
and teacher of the things of God (John 16: 13-15; 14: 26).
That is to say, it is the Holy Spirit who builds up the knowledge and faith of the saint. Not
only that, He is also the Person who imparts the Divine Nature or Character of Love,
Peace and Power to the believer. (Ye shall be endued with power, after the Holy Spirit has
come…….). It is He also that inspires, anoints, directs and accompanies the believer in
the worship and service of God.
This evening, we shall confine our discussions to the second role of the Holy Spirit in the
life of the saints, that is the enduement of Love and Power for service. Our objective in
doing that is to concentrate on the building up of knowledge in the believer’s relationship
with the Holy Spirit to enable all of us to Test, Affirm and Establish our Walk and Work
with God.
INTRODUCTION
How does this affect the topic of our discussion, The Holy Spirit and Faith. As we know
faith comes by hearing or reading and studying the Gospel. Apart from the fact that it is
the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the scriptures, it is the Holy Spirit who also
inspires the preaching and teaching of the scriptures.
Further, as we said earlier, it is the Holy Spirit who gives understanding to the scriptures.
Above all, it is He who administers the scriptures and power of the heart, inner man,
faculties and nerves to the saint, to effect the desirable end.
Thus, when the Bible talks about faith coming by hearing the Gospel, what it implies is
that the Holy Spirit inspires, anoints, and directs operations and administers the Word to
man’s spirit and intellect via his senses. The Spirit gives and builds understanding and
faith, establishing the believer in the Truth and Works of God. In Ephesians 3: 16 and 2nd
Cor. 3: 18, we learn that it is the Holy Spirit who works to strengthen the inner man of the
believer and to transform him/her into the perfect image and fullness of the structure of
Jesus Christ.
That is to say, it is the interaction between the spirit of man and the Holy Spirit through
the Word or scriptures as contact point, that not only builds up the saint in the knowledge
of God but also builds him/her up in the character and things or works of God. Our spirit
cries Abba Father because of the witness and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As the
scriptures in 1st Cor. 12: 3 says, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
Thus, although the WORD of God is the basis of knowledge and faith, faith actually comes
through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 1st Cor. 12:9 and Gal. 5: 22 both confirm that Faith
is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. We can reconstruct the scriptures as follows: –
Faith comes from the Holy Spirit through the preaching and demonstration of the Word
of God.
Now, the Word of God is sent out to accomplish three basic things in the saint’s life: –
1. To help him know God and build his relationship with God
2. To help him attain the character of God and the stature of Christ Transformation
3. To form basis of Christian service.
It is for this that the Holy Spirit has come to administer the whole process, as Jesus was
with the disciples. The Holy Spirit comes not only to work within the saint but also to
accompany him/her in the service of God. It is for this He imparts Divine Power so the
saints can move from the human to the divine, and exercise supernatural abilities.
Man is weak –
• Mentally,
• Physically/abilities/skills
• Spiritually
Enduement with power makes man transcend the human system into the Divine. This
makes it imperative for the individual saint to build an effective relationship with the Holy
Spirit.
Man’s Walk with God
• Biblical e.g. Old Testament……. Moses, Sampson filled with the Holy Spirit. David
& Prophets
• New Testament………. Jesus Christ, Apostles
• Samson’s Ministry………the nature of the process of enduement with power
• Jesus’ ministry………. John 14: 10-12, 13-14
• Apostles – Peter, Stephen, Paul……Filled with the Holy Spirit
• Acts of the Apostles – spoke and did.
There is some interaction between the Holy Spirit and the saint based essentially on the
Word and Vision which both serve as basis of Inspiration for action.
My sheep know My voice
Now the Works of God
In 1st Cor. 12: 1-11, we find some idea of the power structure – The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.