“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” (Acts 3:1-10)

Peter is often a very maligned biblical character. Whether it is the “get behind me, Satan” line from Jesus or the sinking in the water, or the denial at the trail, Peter is usually set up as a “don’t be like him” kind of person. That, however is a small part of his history and minor contributions to the biblical story. Aside from authoring 2 books (and most likely being the source behind Mark’s gospel), Peter was a major player in the book of Acts and even in Galatians (though that was not one of his shining moments).

Peter himself, I think, is one of the most completely fleshed out characters in scripture. We see him grow through his experiences, change (both over time and drastically at Pentecost), and get a sense of his motivations and how he sees things through the Lord. It is also quite obvious that pre-Holy Spirit Peter and post-Holy Spirit Peter couldn’t be more different from each other. Though clearly the same person, Peter’s impetuousness in the gospels is replaced with power and Spirit-led intensity in Acts. Fear is replaced with confidence in God and even though he still sins (see Galatians 2), God is clearly using him to lead the early church.

This is exactly why the main character in Acts (and in the church age) is the Holy Spirit. Who is the One responsible for Peter’s change? Who is the One able to perform these miracles? Peter was always the same person – but in him was someone who was far greater and who often goes forgotten: the Holy Spirit. Praise the One who inspired Peter to tell that man to get up! Praise the One who restores the soul! Praise the One who is currently working individually in each believer to will and to work for God’s good pleasure!

Celebrate and enjoy that God the Spirit is working in you, growing you closer to Himself and using you to bring life to other people. The power comes from the Spirit; the same Spirit that healed the lame man, the same Spirit that made all the people hear the apostles in their own language, the same spirit that turned Peter into a powerhouse. It is that Spirit in you. Praise God!