The Holy Spirit and Power #7

Holy Spirit Power Overview

In this seventh installment of the Holy Spirit and Power series, Pastor Dr. William Holman delivers a theologically rich and pastorally urgent message on the distinction between the Holy Spirit within us and the Holy Spirit upon us. Drawing from 2 Peter 1:3, Titus 3:4-5, 1 Peter 2:9, Exodus 40:15, Isaiah 10:27, and 1 John 2:20, Pastor Holman builds a compelling case that genuine Christian identity is inseparable from the indwelling and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. He challenges the cultural tendency to label oneself a Christian by church attendance, baptism as an infant, or family heritage, reminding listeners that the Apostle Paul never used the word Christian in his letters but instead consistently asked whether a person had the Spirit. The message explores the anointing as a consecration, a deep covering like oil massaged into muscle, that destroys the yoke of bondage and sets believers free. Through vivid illustrations including a tragic funeral, a 50th wedding anniversary, and missions work in the mountains of Haiti, Pastor Holman calls every listener to pursue an intimate, ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit as the only true source of newness of life, liberty, and kingdom purpose.

Holy Spirit Power Outline

• 0:00:00 – Opening Prayer and Worship: The service opens with corporate prayer, stirring up spiritual gifts, and extended praise and worship setting a receptive atmosphere for the Word.
• 0:18:00 – Missions Offering and Ministry Update: Pastor shares updates on NTC Ministries’ Bible colleges and radio station in Ghana, and an urgent need to support outreach to an unreached mountain tribe in Haiti.
• 0:32:00 – Communion and 2 Peter 1:3: The congregation partakes in communion as Pastor reads 2 Peter 1:3, meditating on the divine nature and all things pertaining to life and godliness given through Christ.
• 0:44:00 – Paul Never Called Anyone a Christian: Pastor Holman establishes that Paul’s letters consistently ask whether a person has the Spirit, not whether they call themselves a Christian, challenging nominal faith head-on.
• 0:55:00 – The Holy Spirit Within Us Versus Upon Us: A foundational distinction is drawn between the regenerating work of the Spirit within the believer and the empowering anointing of the Spirit that comes upon the believer for ministry.
• 1:05:00 – The Biblical Meaning of the Anointing: Using Exodus 40:15 and Isaiah 10:27, Pastor explains that the Hebrew word for anoint means to rub with oil, to consecrate, and to fully paint, showing how the anointing destroys every yoke of bondage.
• 1:16:00 – A Royal Priesthood Called to Proclaim: From 1 Peter 2:9, Pastor affirms that every Spirit-filled believer is a chosen generation and royal priesthood anointed to proclaim the praises of God to a dark world.
• 1:27:00 – You Have an Unction from the Holy One: Referencing 1 John 2:20, Pastor calls believers to boldly confess and receive their anointing by faith rather than waiting for a feeling, emphasizing that faith pleases God.
• 1:36:00 – Closing Exhortation and Invitation: Pastor closes with an urgent invitation to allow the Holy Spirit full access, lay down personal ego and pride, and walk in the fullness of the anointing daily.

Scripture References

2 Peter 1:3, Titus 3:4-5, 1 Peter 2:9, Exodus 40:15, Isaiah 10:27, 1 John 2:20, Romans 5:5

Key Takeaways

• The Apostle Paul never called anyone a Christian in his letters but consistently asked whether a person had the Spirit of God, making the indwelling Spirit the true mark of genuine faith.
• There is a vital distinction between the Holy Spirit within us, which brings new birth and newness of life, and the Holy Spirit upon us, which empowers believers for ministry and service.
• The anointing, rooted in the Hebrew concept of rubbing oil deep into muscle and fully painting a surface, means God consecrates and completely covers every believer for kingdom purpose.
• According to Isaiah 10:27 and the Amplified Bible, the yoke of bondage is destroyed by the fatness of the anointing, meaning a believer saturated with the knowledge of God becomes too full for the enemy’s yoke to fit.
• Receiving the Holy Spirit is not a passive experience based on feelings but an active act of faith, and believers who accept their anointing by faith will see their lives transformed in mighty ways.
• A relationship with the Holy Spirit requires intimacy, the daily laying down of ego, pride, and personal will, just as a 50-year marriage is sustained not by a legal certificate but by chosen commitment.
• The anointing is not for a future generation or a select few but is available right now to every believer who yields to the Holy Spirit and allows Him to come upon their life for service.

Holy Spirit Power Notes

Paul’s Surprising Standard for Christian Identity

Throughout his thirteen or fourteen letters, the Apostle Paul never once used the word Christian to describe believers. His consistent measure of authentic faith was a single question: do you have the Spirit? Pastor Holman draws on this observation to challenge every listener to move beyond cultural Christianity rooted in family heritage, infant baptism, or church attendance. True Christian identity, according to Paul’s writings, is evidenced by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, which produces newness of life, a growing hatred of sin, and an increasing love for the things of God.

Two Distinct Works of the Holy Spirit

Pastor Holman carefully distinguishes between the Holy Spirit within and the Holy Spirit upon the believer. The Spirit within is the regenerating work of God, bringing new birth as described in Titus 3:4-5. The Spirit upon the believer is the anointing, the empowerment for ministry, witness, and service. Jesus Himself said the world cannot receive the Spirit upon them because they do not know Him, but those in whom He already dwells can ask for and receive the anointing that enables them to fulfill God’s will in the earth.

The Anointing Destroys Every Yoke

Drawing from Isaiah 10:27 and the Amplified Bible translation, Pastor Holman presents a striking image: the yoke of bondage is destroyed not by striving but by the fatness of the anointing. Just as a neck that has grown full and strong can no longer fit inside a narrow yoke, a believer who is saturated with the knowledge of God, His nature, His promises, and His power, becomes immune to the fear, oppression, and bondage the enemy attempts to impose. This is why pursuing the anointing through intimacy with the Holy Spirit is the most effective form of spiritual warfare.

A Royal Priesthood Anointed for Purpose

First Peter 2:9 declares that every believer is a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a special people. Pastor Holman connects this priestly identity directly to the anointing described in Exodus 40:15, where Aaron and his sons were anointed to minister as priests throughout their generations. The anointing is not decorative but functional. It consecrates believers, setting them apart for the specific purpose of proclaiming the praises of the One who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light, and it carries an everlasting character across generations.

Receiving the Anointing Requires Faith Not Feeling

One of the most practical challenges Pastor Holman addresses is the tendency of believers to disqualify themselves from the anointing because they do not feel different or because they are still struggling with certain habits or weaknesses. Citing 1 John 2:20, he reminds listeners that every person who has received the Holy Spirit holds a sacred appointment, an unction from the Holy One. Receiving this truth by faith rather than rejecting it through doubt is what opens the door for the anointing to actively change, transform, and empower a life from the inside out.

Intimacy with the Spirit Changes Everything

Pastor Holman closes the message with a relational framework for the Christian life, using the image of a 50th wedding anniversary to illustrate that lasting transformation comes not from religious performance but from sustained, intimate relationship. Just as a marriage that endures half a century does so because both partners deem the relationship essential and choose it daily, so the walk in the anointing requires believers to continually yield to the Holy Spirit, laying down ego and personal will, and allowing God to do in them what He alone can do.

Frequently Asked Questions