The Holy Spirit in Acts
IN THE STUDY:
In the Book of Acts the Holy Spirit is the link between the ascended Lord and His disciples. He is even called “The Spirit of Jesus” (16:7). The coming of the Spirit was the fulfilment of John’s prophesy of a coming baptism (1:5). It was through the Holy Spirit that the Lord gave His final commandment to His Apostles (1:2) and this would be fulfilled in the general out-pouring of the Spirit. Acts Chapter 2 is the fulfilment of the out-pouring of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit becomes the power and motive of the Church’s missionary witness to Jesus Christ. Peter (v.16) sees the coming of the Holy Spirit as the fulfilment of Joel’s prophesy.
This gift of the Holy Spirit was not confined to the people on the day of Pentecost. Peter said it was to their children and to all who were afar off (Acts 2:39). The Holy Spirit is to be received by all who repent of sin and are baptised for the forgiveness of sins (2:38).
From then on outstanding Christians were those who were possessed by the Holy Spirit e.g. Stephen (6:10, 7:55); Paul (13:9); Barnabas (11:24).
In the New Testament Church the Holy Spirit is the guiding and controlling power of its mission. By the Holy Spirit Philip is instructed to witness (8:29); Peter instructed to go to Caesarea (10:19); the Antioch Church instructed to send out Barnabas and Saul (13:2) and on their journeys Paul and Silas are instructed to take the gospel from Asia to Europe (16:6-7).
The question of how these early Christians knew they were filled by the Holy Spirit will be studied in a later Word Talk. Acts records the Holy Spirit coming upon converts during the preaching of the Gospel, at the time of baptism, and at times during their Christian experience.
IN THE PULPIT:
Every Christian knows that wonderful day of Pentecost when 3000 heard the word, repented, believed, and were baptised.
According to Peter’s promise they also received the Holy Spirit
On that day two groups of people received the Holy Spirit – the 120 gathered in the Upper Room (2:1) and the 3000 Baptised (33, 39).
Yet this second large group has no recorded evidence of the miracles that accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit to the 120 – the rushing wind, the tongues of flame or the speaking in foreign tongues.
The difference between the two groups is that the 120 were believers already and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit only after praying upon God for ten days. The 3000 were unbelievers who received forgiveness of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit at the same time as they repented, believed, and were baptised.
Some Christians argue for the experience of the 120 – that after waiting days of prayer and expectation they received the gift with the miraculous elements of the Holy Spirit. Other Christians believe that like the 3000 we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins at the time of baptism. There is no question that this latter experience is the normal Christian experience.
The events with the 120 on the Day of Pentecost was unique in that it was the ushering in of the new Messianic Age; it was the fulfilment of the special promises of Jesus in the Upper Room to the Apostles and those who would establish the Gospel; and it was the commencement of the first revival of Christian history.
These special experiences were to continue throughout history but they were not the norm of Christian experience.
What is normal with the Christian is that those who respond in faith to God, who repent and are baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Paul indicated the same thing. We receive the Holy Spirit by hearing with faith (Gal. 3:2). “We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:14).
AMONG THE PEOPLE:
One night in the relaxed atmosphere of my lounge, I asked Dr Alan Walker to tell me his experience of receiving the Holy Spirit in his life. He told me that on April 6th 1953, when he was about to commence the Mission to the Nation across Australia, he spent time walking in the Australian bush. He lay down in the dry grass between two towering gum trees and prayed for God’s blessing upon his nation-wide mission. As he prayed the wind sprung up and the rustling of the gum trees was obvious. He suddenly remembered Jesus speaking of the Holy Spirit coming like a wind. “The wind is in the gum trees! The phrase pressed into my mind with compelling power. The Holy Spirit came upon me with power I had never known before. I only know it changed my life”.
From that moment on Dr Walker experienced the power of the Holy Spirit. There were no tongues and no other miracles or special signs. He only knew that from now on he spoke in the power of the Holy Spirit.
