Today is Pentecost Sunday in the Christian Calendar. One could call this day the birthday of the Church. It was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. Shortly before His Ascension back into heaven, Jesus had promised His followers that He would send the Holy Spirit, and this promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. Let’s take a look at what the Scripture records of this very special day.
As our Scripture passage in the second chapter of the Book of Acts opens, the disciples and followers of Jesus were gathered together. Suddenly there came a sound like that of a mighty wind, and what appeared like tongues of fire appeared above all of them, as they were each filled with the Holy Spirit (vs. 1-2). Not only did this fulfill the promise of Jesus, that He would send the Holy Spirit, but this also fulfilled John the Baptist’s words of the Holy Spirit’s baptism with fire (Luke 3:16). The tongues symbolize speech and communication, which would spread the Gospel. Fire symbolizes God’s purifying presence, which burns away the undesirable elements of our lives, and sets our hearts aflame to ignite the lives of others.
Another specific thing that occurred when the Holy Spirit came upon these disciples was the ability to speak with other languages (vs. 4). As we read further in the passage, we see that these were languages that were spoken by the many foreigners who had come to Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost (vs. 6-11). One of the reasons that the Lord gave the Holy Spirit was to enable believers to spread the message of salvation to others, to bring the Gospel all around the world. Today if one wishes to learn another language, there are all sorts of ways and opportunities. There are courses online, on CD, and classes in high school and college. Back in the days of the Bible if one was wealthy and intelligent enough to get an advanced education, then perhaps they might learn a second language. Otherwise one usually learned another language by going to where it was spoken. God wanted His Word to be spread around the world, and so He enabled the disciples here with the ability to speak in the languages and dialects of many of the people who were in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost.
Since this Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has been given to all believers to abide permanently. Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit’s work had been from without. He came upon people, and was temporarily given for certain occasions and tasks. After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit’s work is from within believers. He indwells every believer permanently.
Reading through the New Testament we come across two terms with reference to the Holy Spirit - the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. There is a difference between the two. Following that first Pentecost Sunday, every believer is baptized with the Holy Spirit. It automatically comes when one is saved. Nowhere in the New Testament is anyone commanded to get baptized with the Holy Spirit. They are when they accept Jesus as their Savior The filling with the Holy Spirit is not necessarily experienced by all believers, and so it is commanded (Ephesians 5:18).
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is permanent. It happens once for all. He comes to indwell permanently. The filling with the Holy Spirit is ongoing. It is something we should continually be doing, by letting the Holy Spirit control our life. The filling with the Holy Spirit is the controlling influence of the Spirit within the believer. Not every believer allows the Holy Spirit to have control of their life. Those who obey this Biblical order must continue to allow the Holy Spirit to control their life each day.
That day, the disciples were both baptized and filled with the Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit which came, and both indwelt and filled Peter that day enabled him to preach his first sermon, without any previous public speaking training or advanced theological degrees. That day he preached to the crowds about Jesus and salvation, and 3,000 people were saved! (Acts 2:40-41). How many preachers today can claim that at least 3,000 people were saved following one of their sermons?! If you are saved today, you have already been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you each day, to enable you to live for Him, and to bring His message to others.
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