Pentecost & the Spirit filled life
Christianity is more than just a religion. Some call it a lifestyle but really, it is life itself centred on our relationship with God. In this journey of life in Christ, we are privileged to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not leave us on our own to navigate life but rather, He said to the disciples that it is to their advantage (and therefore ours) that He goes so the helper who is the Holy Spirit can come.
Have you received the Holy Spirit? Do you engage with Him constantly? Can you imagine what life without the Holy Spirit would be like?
Once, a man was driving in the wrong direction unknown to him. When he saw that he was not going the right way, he parked the car by the roadside and went to seek direction from people. On return, the man tried to start his car. He tried so many times but the car just wouldn’t start. The man was so annoyed as he was running late for an appointment which he could not afford to miss it for any reason.
He quickly took his phone and called his mechanic who on arrival went straight to the car bonnet to check what was wrong. Lo and behold! The car engine was the incorrect one for the type and model of his car. The Mechanic said to the man “The engine is the heart of the car and without the right one, there is no way this car would function properly”. Deep words! Likewise, the Holy Spirit is the power engine of every believer as He guides, instructs, comforts, strengthens and does so much more. Without the Holy Spirit, the believer is more or less an ordinary person. Basically, it would be living life without support.
This past week was Pentecost week and as much as we give attention to the celebration of the birth and death of Jesus Christ, the coming of the Holy Spirit to rest within us should also be given much attention.
What is Pentecost?
If you are wondering what Pentecost is, here is a summary. Pentecost is a Jewish holiday also known as Shavuot. Shavuot was the second great feast in the Jewish yearly cycle of holy days. It was a harvest festival which was later turned into a day to commemorate the giving of the law by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
This day became significant for Christians because, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus, during the Jewish celebration of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples of Jesus. Thus, empowering them for their mission and gathering them together as a church. Pentecost marks the beginning of the church's mission to the world.
Before the events of the first Pentecost, which came a few weeks after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples were mere followers of Jesus. There was no movement that could be meaningfully called “the church.” The descending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost gave birth to the church.
The descending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was recorded in the book of Acts chapter 2. "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them".
Impact of the Holy Spirit on the early church
When the Apostles received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, there was a visible difference between when they were just disciples of Jesus and when they became spirit filled. Below are some aspects where the impact of the Holy Spirit was shown in the lives of the Apostles.
Boldness
Before Pentecost, the disciples were just regular followers of Jesus. Peter for example had a bad temper, was arrogant, weak and timid. We see this in instances where he cut off the ear of Malchus (John 18:10), slept off instead of praying (Mark 4:32-38) and even denied Jesus three times (Luke 22:54-62).
There is a massive difference between when Peter was without the Holy Spirit versus when Peter and the other disciples had the experience on the day of Pentecost. They were transformed from being powerless, prayerless, doubtful and fearful witnesses of Christ into bold and effective servants of God's kingdom.
Peter, who at an earlier stage was not even able to admit to a lowly servant that he was a follower of Jesus but after being Spirit filled he had the ability to proclaim the gospel with great boldness to everyone that cared to listen.
Confirmation
The Holy Spirit confirmed the words that were spoken by the Apostles through miracles. God worked so many miracles through the Apostles. We see occasions in scripture where they healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out all sorts of demons just by the words of their mouth through the power of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 2:4 affirms this. “God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”
The Holy Spirit is also the seal of our sonship. Romans 8:14 reminds us that those who are led by God are the sons of God.
Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 "The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. To others He gives the power to do miracles. To others He gives the ability to prophesy. To others He gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others He gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as He decides”.
The Holy Spirit gave members of the early church different spiritual gifts in order for the church to function properly. The impact the Holy Spirit had on the early church is still present in the church today. As the Holy Spirit fills us, we are blessed with various gifts and abilities, and receive boldness to proclaim the gospel of Christ. These gifts are not given to us for our own use but for the edification of the church. This means that our God given gifts should be used to touch lives of those around us far and wide. Those around us should be living testimonies of the goodness of God through the gifts we manifest.
Living the Spirit filled life
As believers, because we have been given the Spirit, we experience the life and love of Christ. Living a life filled with the Spirit simply means that we are led by the Spirit of God. Our human Spirit is co-mingled with His and we let Him take the lead by yielding to Him. This is ultimately what it means to walk in the spirit as described in Galatians 5, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” - Galatians 5:16-17
As we celebrate Pentecost, let us take time to thank God for His Spirit; the person of the Holy Spirit and reflect on our relationship with Him. Consider using the below questions as prompts to help you as you do this and journal your responses.
Reflection questions
Who do I know the Holy Spirit to be?
Do I know Him as a person?
Do I know what it means to walk in the Spirit
Am I truly surrendered to Him? Are there areas of my life I am still holding on to?
What are the practical ways I currently fellowship with Him?
As you do so, ask the Lord to draw you on to Himself (Song of Solomon 1:4) and show you more about your engagement with the person of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to give you practical things to do to help you grow in your relationship with Him.
Resources
Here are some additional resources you can leverage. Access these by clicking on each of the links.
Devotionals:
Videos:
Playlist:
Click here to listen to this playlist which you can use in your time of fellowship
Stay blessed!
