Be filled with the Spirit!

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“And after this I will pour out my Spirit on all people, even your sons and daughters will prophesy;
Your elders will have dreams, and your young men will see visions; also, at that time, I will speak to your servants.
and to the handmaids pour out my Spirit” (Joel 3:1-2).

God's promise has one condition!

Already through the prophet Joel, the Lord announces to His people: “And after this [or after] I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” At the end of His ministry, Jesus prepared His disciples for this time after. They had grown accustomed to fellowship with the Lord Jesus. From morning till night, they were with the Lord. In John 14, Jesus speaks with His disciples about His departure and return. He promises them that after His departure, He will care for them and not leave them as orphans (cf. John 14:18).

But this promise is linked to a condition: “If you love me, keep my commandments! And I will,” says Jesus, “ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever” (cf. John 14:15-16). This refers to the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who could only come because Jesus had departed (cf. John 16:7). Jesus prepared the disciples for the day when he would ascend into heaven. In Acts 1, he gathers them for a final conversation. He instructs them on what to do: “Do not leave Jerusalem! Wait for the promise of the Father!” (cf. Acts 1:4).

Today we are the ones who need the Comforter. Jesus' promise still applies today. And so do the prerequisites! To love Jesus, to keep His commandments, to be where Jesus wants us to be, always together, united in prayer and supplication, waiting for the day when we experience baptism with the Holy Spirit.

It was visible then, and it must be visible today!

The reactions of those standing nearby to what happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost were varied. People were dismayed, horrified, amazed, and some—just as today—mocking (cf. Acts 2:13). But the most important thing is not how the onlookers reacted, but how the one who experiences the presence of God reacts! They were filled with the Holy Spirit! They “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). Peter stood up and joyfully proclaimed the fulfillment of the promise from Joel 3 (cf. Acts 2:14-36). “And we are witnesses of all these things,” Peter said in Cornelius’ house (cf. Acts 10:39). Praise the Lord! Even today, we are witnesses that the Father in heaven still baptizes His children with the Holy Spirit, just as in the Acts of the Apostles.

Today, there is much discussion and debate about the Holy Spirit. We live in a time where convenience is highly valued. We want everything as quickly and easily as possible. Waiting, praying, pleading – is that still necessary today to be baptized in the Spirit? Do I have to speak in tongues if I am baptized in the Spirit? Yes! Why? Because Pentecostals say so? No! Because the Bible says so!

Paul visited the church in Ephesus and asked them a question: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2). They had no idea what he was asking. If one automatically received the Holy Spirit at conversion, the Apostle Paul’s question would be meaningless.

How does one receive the Holy Spirit?

“However bad you are,” Jesus said, “you know what good gifts are for your children, and you give them to them. How much more, then, will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (cf. Luke 11:13). A longing for the Holy Spirit in one's heart is essential! Peter preached the word of God in Cornelius's house, and God baptized the listeners with the Holy Spirit during the sermon: they received the gift of speaking in tongues (cf. Acts 10:44-47). Paul, too, prayed and laid his hands on the faithful brothers and sisters in Ephesus: they were baptized with the Spirit and received the gift of speaking in tongues (cf. Acts 19:6).

The Lord still acts according to His Word today. He gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! We should examine and put our lives in order, love Jesus, and keep His commandments. In addition, one can attend prayer meetings where there is intense prayer for baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Why is it so important to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth!” (Acts 1:8).

God empowers us through the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses.

Jesus prays to His Father and says, “Just as you sent me into the world, so I am sending them into the world” (John 17:18). It wouldn't be a problem if the world eagerly awaited us as witnesses. But it doesn't. Jesus says, “I have given them your word, and the world hates them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).

This hasn't changed to this day. When the burden we have to bear is too heavy for us, God offers two ways to prevent us from breaking under it. He can lighten the burden or He can give us more strength. In Acts 4, we see a wonderful example of this. The Sanhedrin, the leading figures in Israel at that time, see the joy of Peter and John and are amazed, for they were certain that they were uneducated laymen, and they knew them well, since they had been with Jesus.

The church was persecuted and threatened! All the more astonishing is what the apostles prayed for: “And now, Lord, consider their threats and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, to stretch out your hand for healing, and that signs and wonders may be performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29).

 

God empowers us to perform a service through the gifts of the Holy Spirit .

In every Christian, the gifts of the Spirit are manifested for the common good (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), says Paul, speaking of wisdom, knowledge, faith, the gift of healing, performing miracles, prophecy, discerning spirits, and interpreting tongues. But Paul emphasizes: “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who distributes them to each person individually, just as he determines” (1 Cor 12:11).

The Holy Spirit as personal comforter

The Holy Spirit has an even greater significance for us personally! Four times John mentions Jesus' words that the Holy Spirit is a comforter for you! The Holy Spirit teaches us, reminds us of God's word, and guides us into all truth! (cf. John 14-16).

Jude speaks of inner edification through the Holy Spirit (cf. Jude 1:20). It is something we constantly need! It was also an experience Paul had when he wrote to the Romans: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26) . A good comforter is the one who can transform your state of sadness into joy.

Paul speaks of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! He speaks of a special fellowship with God through prayer and the singing of psalms. Some Christians want to suppress prayer in the Spirit in the church and cite 1 Corinthians 14:28: “If there is no interpreter, let him remain silent in the church.” But even in this verse, Paul is not saying that one should only pray in the Spirit at home. Paul is saying here that prayer is between you and God. He exhorts the church in Corinth and says: “Make every effort to prophesy, and do not stifle speaking in tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:39).

We are transformed by the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit transforms us! It's a transformation that must be visible in our lives! Jesus says, "By their fruits you will recognize them" (Matthew 7:16). Paul speaks of this in Galatians 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." If this fruit is not visible in us, the Holy Spirit within us is grieved! That's why Paul calls the church to Ephesus and says, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30).

May God help us, as a Spirit-baptized community, to hold fast to what we have received and experienced!

Ovidiu Tiran
Municipality of Pforzheim