Appreciating the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost
Today is Pentecost Sunday, a day where Christians all around the world acknowledge and celebrate the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit that was first received by the early disciples fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection. Before ascending into Heaven, Jesus told His disciples that He would have to go away to be with the Father but He wouldn’t be leaving them alone. He would send them a Helper—His Holy Spirit—so that they could do even greater works for the Kingdom of Heaven. On what we now call the Day of Pentecost, 120 followers of Jesus were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and started speaking in tongues. They would then go on to do great and mighty works as they established the Church, which rapidly grew in size and influence as the supernatural power of the Spirit was poured out in full display. Today, the Holy Spirit is still actively reconciling people onto God and empowering Spirit-filled believers to do His good and perfect will.
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
At the moment we become saved, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us, giving us a brand new heart and granting us access to the supernatural power of God. As wonderful as it was that Jesus came down to earth to be with us for a time, He was limited by His human body and couldn’t accomplish the same transformative and far-reaching work that the Holy Spirit could. So God sent us His Spirit, our unseen partner who teaches, guides, helps, sanctifies and empowers us to be more like Jesus and to witness on His behalf. The Spirit doesn’t just give us the power to do witnessing but to actually be a witness for Jesus so that our lives serve to glorify Him.
God desires for all of His children to live victorious lives empowered by the Spirit. Through Him, we have been given the fruits of the Spirit as well as access to the gifts of the Spirit that help us become spiritually mature in our walk with the Lord, help others in need and ultimately reveal His glory to a world in need of Him. Why then does it seem like God’s power is not at work in Christians today? While every believer has been fully equipped with the same power that raised Jesus from the grave, we often quench His power when we become indifferent to Him. The level of His power that we experience in our lives is dependent on the level that we surrender to Him. The Holy Spirit wants to be involved in every area of our life, every single day but He will not force Himself into our situations. We need to willingly invite Him in. The more that we involve Him in our life and become obedient to His will, the better our life will become and the more of His power we will begin to see.
The Holy Spirit's power cannot be described in mere human words but simply needs to be experienced. Are you experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit at work in your life today? If not, you have likely been suppressing Him. Recognize this amazing gift that you have been given and your need for the Holy Spirit in your life. Thankfully, He is readily available to all believers who surrender to Him. Invite Him into all aspects of your life—not just the spiritual aspects—and allow Him to guide you. When the Spirit is given free reign in our life, a manifestation of His signs, wonders and miracles will surely follow. He's already equipped you, now just allow Him to work through you!