Zeal For Truth

There are many benefits of the Holy Spirit afforded to those who are believers in Jesus Christ. However, the failure of many in receiving of these benefits has to do with ignorance of receiving the Spirit’s power. In fact, I dare say most Christians examine the power of God through a historical lens looking back to biblical times. Although most Christians acknowledge the miracles the early church experienced in the book of Acts, there is a disconnection in there minds between then and now.

This kind of thinking fosters within people an attitude of skepticism toward any claim of the miraculous. Those who display this attitude plainly show their lack of experience with the power of the living Christ.  Some seem to think that the power experienced by the early church has to do with their extreme persecution. While there may be truth in the reasoning that opposition causes people to draw nearer to God and him to them, it is not correct to say that the totality of God’s power through the Holy Spirit cannot be accessed without opposition. There are some Christians who attribute the great power of the early church to the apostles. This too is erroneous and unscriptural.

The Voice of the One Crying in the Wilderness
Most of us understand that John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ earthly ministry. What has received less attention, or at least has not been fully understood, was one key thing John said about Jesus’ ministry.

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (John 3:11).

This ministry of baptizing with, or more literally, in the Holy Spirit has been misunderstood for centuries. Nevertheless it is a key part of the ministry of Jesus Christ and should be experienced by all believers. This baptism is the experience of being endowed with the same power Jesus was endowed with. Jesus’ own water baptism experience demonstrates what John meant by being baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience is recorded in Luke 3.

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Here we see that following Jesus’ water baptism he was empowered by the Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, the book of Acts records similar instances in which the Holy Spirit descended on believers much the same way.

Then You Shall be Witnesses
Jesus did not baptize anyone in the Holy Spirit as part of his earthly ministry; rather this aspect of his ministry began to take place after his ascension to the right hand of the Father. Jesus alluded to this before ascended, as recorded in Acts 1.

4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But 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.”

Notice that Jesus said in verse 5 Jesus said they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit “in a few days.” This, of course, coincided with his instruction to remain in Jerusalem. The fulfilment of what Jesus said would happen took place after Jesus had ascended, for we read in verse 9, “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

We should realize that Jesus predicated their being witnesses upon their being empowered by the Spirit, the implication being that they would not have been equipped to be effective witnesses prior to their receiving the power they were instructed to wait for. Notice also that verse 4 makes clear the fact that this was a command. This is particularly important in light of the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts the unbeliever of their sin in order to reveal to them the grace of God through Jesus Christ. It only stands to reason that those who would be witnesses of Jesus be empowered by the Spirit whose function it is to draw men to the Father.

The Day of Pentecost
Jesus baptized the early believers in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost following his ascension.

1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:1-4).

What happened subsequent to this experience? Peter preached the Gospel and 3,000 people repented and professed Jesus Christ. This was made possible because he was empowered by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit worked in conjunction with the message preached by convicting the hearers of their sin. Notice the response of his audience after hearing the Gospel.

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ (Acts 2:37)

Notice the phrase, “They were cut to the heart.” This is evidence of the Spirit’s work.