Acts Chapter 2
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.”
The second chapter of Acts is an important record of the downpouring of the Holy Spirit and marks the beginning of the concept of the church where believers of Jesus Christ gather for fellowship and worship. Before His crucifixion, Jesus on an occasion told the disciples that He would ask the Father to give them another advocate to help them and be with them forever (John14: 15 – 16).
After His resurrection, He instructed the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, to wait patiently for the Holy Spirit’s descending. True to His words, the Holy Spirit came ten days after His ascension to heaven – “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enable them.” (Acts 2: 4).
This is verified through the speaking in other tongues as witnessed by people in Jerusalem, to which they were amazed and perplexed. Being the first instance, this has also set the precedence of how one asks and receives the Holy Spirit. It serves as the basis for speaking in tongues as the only evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. Henceforth this pattern is often seen where Christian who have received baptism yet not the Holy Spirt and when they seek for it, they receive it.
How did the apostle know that they have received the Holy Spirit? From the speaking in tongues (Acts 2: 4, 10: 44 – 46, 19: 5 – 6).
The coming of the Holy Spirit serves many purposes, and one of the greatest works is vitally related to salvation. This is evident from the words of Jesus Christ, prophets and apostles whom God work mightily through.
- To enter the kingdom of God, one should be reborn in the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:5, Acts 2: 38).
- The Holy Spirit gives humanity everlasting life (Ezek 37:14, Rom 8:2).
- No one belongs to Christ without the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9, 1 Jn 3:24).
- The Holy Spirit adopts the believers as children of God (Rom 8:16; Gal 4:6–7).
- The Holy Spirit gives people a pledge for entering the heavenly kingdom (2 Cor 1:21 – 22, Eph 1:13, 14).
Today, more than two thousand years later, in the True Church, we witness tongues speaking like how the disciples did when the Holy Spirit first descended. It is indeed a blessing and privilege to be bestowed with the Holy Spirit, and more importantly, have we sought the Holy Spirit?
We who have the Holy Spirit, do we frequently seek the infilling of His spirit? Constantly striving to be filled with strength to carry out His will? Convicted to confess and repent of our sins and to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit?
These are questions worth us reflecting on and may the Lord fill us with His Spirit, Amen.
