In Acts 5:32, Peter and the other apostles said, “we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him”. Notice “so is also the Holy Ghost”. The Holy Spirit witnesses. Look at several other instances where the Bible shows us explicitly that the Holy Spirit witnesses.
- 1 Jn 5:6 it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
- Rom 8:16 the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
- Acts 20:23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
The apostles were witnesses of the earthy ministry, and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. But they didn’t start to witness until the Holy Spirit came on them. Acts 1:8 “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me”.
You can see the power of the God’s Spirit on them in Acts 4:33 “with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus”. This happened after “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost”, Acts 4:31.
Conclusion: the point of this brief message is to encourage you in your witness. When you are saved, God gives you the Holy Ghost just like he gave him to the apostles, and just like he gave him to the Gentiles who were saved at Cornelius’s house, Acts 15:8.
With the Holy Spirit comes the power to witness. In fact, it is the Holy Ghost in you who bears witness and testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jn 15:26. In us, he just needs a willing vessel whom he can fill and through whom he can speak. The Holy Spirit witnesses. He’ll give you the power to witness if you will let him.
Why don’t we pray like the apostles prayed in Acts 4:29, and ask the Lord to help us speak the word with all boldness. And expect the he will fill us with the Holy Ghost like he filled them in Acts 4:31, so that we can speak the word of God with boldness.