BY Argie Simonis
What do we celebrate on the day of Pentecost?
The day of Pentecost is 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus.
It was the day the people of Israel celebrated receiving the 10 commandments at Mount Sinai. And this was 50 days after the Passover, when they had painted their doors with the blood of a lamb, were protected from the angel of death, and freed from the bonds of slavery (Leviticus 23:15).
Then they celebrated that God gave them the Law, now we celebrate that God gave us the Holy Spirit. Let's take a look at an analogy here:
Then God gave the Law on stone tablets and 3000 people died. This was when Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the commandments. Because the people saw that he was taking a long time to return, they forced Aaron to make a golden calf for them to worship. When Moses returned and saw this descent, he ordered an exemplary punishment for the sin they had committed:
"And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men." Ex. 32:28
But when the Lord wrote His law not on stone tablets but on hearts, 3000 people were saved:
"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls." Acts 2:41
The Law brings death, the Spirit brings life.
2. What happened at Pentecost?
On this day the Lord's promise is fulfilled. See what Jesus spoke to His disciples shortly before His ascension:
"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come on you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8
Let's see how God's word describes us on that day:
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat on each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:1-4
Peter took this opportunity and explained to them what happened:
"For these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
And it shall come to pass in the last days, said God, I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" Acts 2:15-17
"For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call on the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent." Zeph. 3:9
In other words, when the Messiah comes, the Lord will RESTORE a clean language to the people. The word restoration means
"the act by which something damaged or impaired is restored to its former good condition."
Someone will ask "And when did this happen? When did the language of the people become polluted and need to be restored?"
Let's go to Genesis chapter 11. What language did they speak then?
"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelled there.
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach to heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the face of the whole earth.
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from there did the LORD scatter them abroad on the face of all the earth." Gen. 11:1-9
The day of Pentecost is the toppling of the tower of Babel. You cannot be at one with someone you do not understand. With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives the ability to overcome this obstacle:
"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What means this?" Acts 2:5-12
3. Can I experience this?
Let's take Easter first. Easter was fulfilled on the day of the Crucifixion and we can experience it when we accept Jesus into our lives:
"But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you." Rom. 8:9-11
Paul continues a little further and says:
"For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" Rom. 8:15-16
"Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:3-6
This is exactly what the apostle Paul meant when he said:
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2Cor. 5:17
In the same way we experience Pentecost, when we are baptized in the Spirit.
Peter explains it below:
"Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call." Acts 2:38-39
Let's look at some other passages and pay attention to the choice of words used:
"Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John:
Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
(For as yet he was fallen on none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Acts 8:14-17
"And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
He said to them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? And they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
And he said to them, To what then were you baptized? And they said, To John's baptism.
Then said Paul, John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied." Acts 19:1-6
This last is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Being born again and the baptism in the Holy Spirit are two different experiences, which do not need to be far apart as we have just seen.
Remember what Jesus did when, after He was resurrected, He met His disciples:
"And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, Receive you the Holy Ghost:" John 20:22
Here is the point where the disciples were born again. The Spirit came and dwelt in them. On the day of Pentecost, the same disciples together with others (120 in total) when they were in the upper room, were baptized in the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues and prophesy. That's where they got power. Do you understand the difference?
The reason some people come to the Lord and takes time until they experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I believe is basically due to ignorance. Some have no idea about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and some think that this is something that only applied to the early church. And yet, Peter refutes this:
"Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call." Acts 2:38-39
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I will also say a few words about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit, as we have said before, is not simply the active power of God. It is the person of the Godhead, the Paracletos, who gave us the word of God:
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" 2Tim. 3:16
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2Pet. 1:21
He is the Comforter sent to our aid:
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you." John 14:16-17
Jesus had already warned His disciples that He would leave and go to the Father, and where He was going they would not be able to follow Him. There they understood that He was speaking to them of His death, and because they were under the impression that when the Messiah came He would establish a physical kingdom on earth, they were confused:
"But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart." John 16:6
The disciples really loved Jesus because no one had ever spoken like Him, nor done all that He had done. But then he tells them something awesome:
Consider what the Lord is saying to them here:
"It is better not to have Me in my physical body with you, but to have the Advocate with you."
I believe this was one of the most hard to swallow statements not only for His disciples, but for many believers today. This is exactly why Jesus began this statement:
"But I'm telling you the truth..."
That is, it is much better for us to have the Paracletos, the Holy Spirit to minister to us, than to have Jesus himself physically with us. And I will explain it.
Jesus in the physical, could only be in one place and that limited Him. He also had to eat, sleep and rest. The Holy Spirit is constantly with us 24/7. He is not just next to us, but lives in us:
"Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 1Cor. 3:16
"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Of sin, because they believe not on me;" John 16:8-9
What we have just read dispels the traditional notion that the Holy Spirit comes to make you feel guilt for every sin you commit. The ministry of the Spirit is not a ministry of condemnation. This is basically the devil's work,
"... the accuser of our brothers is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." Rev. 12:10
There is only one sin that will send one to hell, this is the sin that the Holy Spirit comes to convict you:
That is, if you believed in Jesus, the One who took upon Himself every sin you have committed and will commit. If we look at it deeply, the real root of every sin we commit has to do with where we are in our relationship with the Lord. This is the meaning of the word "reprove" mentioned here and it does not have a negative meaning at all. When we sin, the Holy Spirit comes and says to us:
"Isn't what I offer you enough?
Why do you not forgive your brother, since I have forgiven you for so much?
Why do you drink or take drugs to deal with your pain? Is my love not enough to heal and comfort you?
Why do you desire your neighbor's things? Are the blessings I have spoken into your life not enough for you?"
In other words, we see that the Holy Spirit's ministry is healing. Yes, He comes to show us a sin, but not with rejection and condemnation, but with love:
"Or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" Rom. 2:4
If you feel fear and guilt for a sin you have committed, know that it is not God who is condemning you. This condemnation comes either from the devil, or from your own conscience. For this specific topic there is a separate message that you can find here: "Conscience and Guilt".
The Holy Spirit is our comforter and not our accuser. He brings the testimony into our hearts:
"Why are you trying to fill the void in your life with things of the world (lust, sexual promiscuity, gambling, alcohol, drugs, etc.) and not with God? I love you so much and want to heal you. Why don't you trust Me and Are you letting me fill that void in your life?"
Let's see the following verse:
"Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more;" John 16:10
So after the Holy Spirit has convicted you for sin in the way I have explained, He will remind you that:
"But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1John 1:9
The Spirit also reminds us that the Lord has reversed all the condemnation that the devil tries to bring upon us, by already casting it upon him:
"Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." John 16:11
We are the ones who really have victory, because the Lord on the cross triumphed over sin.
Do you see how important the ministry of the Holy Spirit is? A little further down in John we read:
"However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come." John 16:13
He is our guide, and in terms of the future think of it not only as a revelation of future world events, but also as a long-term discernment of the consequences the wrong actions and decisions we make may have. Knowing something like this, how much could your life change?
Closing this message, I would like to remind you the following: The Christian life is not simply difficult. It's impossible! It is humanly impossible to love our enemies and forgive those who harm us, except by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is humanly impossible to turn the other cheek, except by the power of God. If Jesus Himself needed the power of the Holy Spirit to begin His ministry, how much more do we!
Amen;
