When the day of
Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came
from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house
where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and
rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).
The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to describe a
monumental event with just a few succinct sentences here. The event was so
transformational that the name of the day associated with it, Pentecost, has
since become synonymous with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of
the Church. Pentecost used to be known as the Feast of Weeks, a celebration of
the firstfruits of the annual harvest. A close examination of this event
reveals that our lives, just like the day of Pentecost, can be transformed
through the keys to the Spirit filled life.
The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit
because they were trusting His grace. We have an echo of the lesson
about obedience we learned just a few verses ago (see Acts 1:12-14).
Here we see that the blessing of obedience was the fulfillment of Christ’s promise
to deliver power for witnessing through the gift of the Holy Spirit… “You
are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my
Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on
high” (Luke 24:48-49). Obedience is trusting the grace of Christ to
fulfill the promises in His Word. The fullness of Christ’s Spirit in our lives increases
as our trust in His grace grows.
The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit
because they were together. The disciples were learning that following
Christ was not a new religion, it was a new relationship, and their
relationship with Him was to be enhanced and reflected in their relationships
with each other. He commanded them to love each other in the same way that He
loved them… “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John
13:34-35). The kind of sacrificial, need-meeting love our Father wants us
to share was clearly revealed by His Son on the cross… “God shows his
love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans
5:8). Gathering together to love and support one another placed the
disciples in the right place to receive the promised Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The fullness of Christ’s Spirit in our lives increases as we grow and serve
together with other disciples in and through the local church.
The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit
because they were willing. I believe their obedience and unity reflected
the willing hearts of the disciples. It would have been easy to give I n to the
temptation to run away and hide during those fearful days after the crucifixion.
It would have been attractive to return to their former, less complicated
lives, but these disciples, different from the rest, obeyed the instruction of
the Lord and encouraged and supported each other. Further evidence of their
willing hearts appears in their cooperation with the Spirit’s work among them. They
did not understand tongues of fire and strange languages, but they did not
resist. Our Father loves to pour His Holy Spirit into willing disciples… “If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke
11:13). The fullness of Christ’s Spirit in our lives increases as the
willingness in our hearts grows.
As we grow up into Christ, our lives can be a clearer reflection of
Christ every day as we practice…
The Keys to the Spirit Filled Life.
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