Social Divides and the Holy Spirit

I grew up in the South in the 1970’s, so I know what it is live with racial and social divides – such as different races attending different churches. But in Acts chapter 2, we see these divides melt away at the coming of the Holy Spirit.

What happened on the Day of Pentecost was the event foretold by the prophet Joel, some 800 years before. Peter says, “What you are witnessing is the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. In the beginning, God’s covenant was given only to the Jews. But now, God has poured out His Spirit on ALL flesh.”

Peter goes to scripture and quotes Joel to show how these cultural divisions are being removed.

2:17 – “your sons and your daughters shall prophesy”.

In this one statement, we see the divisions of gender and generation removed when it comes to salvation. Men and women are made distinct and different, yet both are made in the image of God – different in function, yet equal in value.

And this promise of the Spirit would not be limited by age. “Young men” AND “old men” will see visions and dream dreams. Unlike fashion trends, the Holy Spirit does not go out of style with one generation. He is given to every generation whom the Lord is calling to Himself.

2:18 – “even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit…”

That word “servants” is actually “slaves”. If it wasn’t enough to remove gender and age limitations to the Spirit, now God has gone and removed the division of social classes. The Holy Spirit is being poured out on all flesh, regardless of social status or age or gender or race or nationality.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” -Galatians 3:28-29

Because of the Holy Spirit, salvation would no longer have a zip code. No longer would God’s people be identified only by geography or generations, by borders or earthly bloodlines. But God’s people would be identified as “The Church” – those who share a heavenly bloodline, having been washed in the blood of the Lamb – Jesus Christ.

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Responding to the Spirit

In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples. Consider how the crowd responded outside the upper room.

And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” (Acts 2:12-13)

People’s response: some were amazed, some confused, some mocked.

These are the same kind of reactions the Holy Spirit receives today. When we see the work of the Spirit through the preached word, through the saving of souls, through some of the speaking gifts of the Spirit like prophecy or tongues, some are amazed and praise God. Some are confused and wonder is all of this real. Others simply mock and ridicule.

The modern church today has earned some of that ridicule because it does not always function biblically when it comes to the Holy Spirit.

For instance, we know that the Book of Acts is not meant to simply give us methods to reproduce. But I didn’t always believe that.

I grew up “Pentecostal” – some of it was biblical, and some of it was not. To be “Pentecostal” means, for the most part, that you emphasize a second experience after salvation. That you have one class of Christians without the Spirit, and then you have another class of Christians who have been baptized in the Spirit after salvation, usually expected to show evidence of that baptism by speaking in tongues. This belief is based on at attempt to reproduce what happened on the Day of Pentecost.

However, we know from what the Bible teaches, when a person is saved, they cannot be saved apart from the work of the Spirit. Therefore, at salvation, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us – we are baptized in the Spirit at salvation. So we do not believe a Christian has to have a second experience to have been filled with the Spirit. We can have a second experience, and a third and fourth and twentieth. The infilling of the Spirit happens when a person is saved. But I would suggest that Christians should pray for a constant “filling” of the Spirit, to be “full” of the Spirit as many were in the New Testament.

The Day of Pentecost was unique and in many ways, never to be repeated. Just as Christ died once for all, never to be repeated, the Holy Spirit was poured out once upon the Church. Yet, the same way the cross of Christ continues to have lasting effects on all of us, so should the coming of the Holy Spirit.

While we don’t believe in a mandate for all Christians to speak in tongues as a sign of the Spirit’s infilling, we do embrace the gift of tongues as an authentic gift for today. That gift is given to some, and it should be used – along with the gift of interpretation of tongues – to edify the church and to glorify God.

Paul taught extensively on the use of tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophecy to the church at Corinth, encouraging them in their proper use. And this was many years after Pentecost. So if these gifts were not for today, Paul would have never encouraged the church to use them.

So when it comes to the work of the Holy Spirit, how do we respond? Are we amazed, thanking God…Are we confused because we’re not sure what scripture says….Or do we ridicule?

One thing we can be sure of – the work of the Spirit continues today. He continues to be active in the church that was birthed on the Day of Pentecost.

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Devoted to Prayer

After Jesus ascended to heaven, the very next thing we find the disciples doing is going back to Jerusalem (just as Jesus instructed) and they prayed.

“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts 1:14)

Notice the disciples didn’t just take a moment of prayer. They were in “one accord” which means they were all in unity, in agreement, with one focus. What did they do with all that focus? They were “devoting themselves to prayer”.

And for them, this prayer wasn’t just for a couple of hours on a Sunday. There were 10 days of waiting. 10 days of unified, focused prayer. Devoting themselves – not to debate or complaining or strategizing or speculating or hiding out – but devoting themselves to prayer.

This tells me two things:

1. They knew they needed help.
2. They knew their help came from God.

A person who devotes themselves to a life a prayer is one who knows they need help – not just in a crisis, but help every moment of everyday. And they know their help comes from God.

Does that describe our prayer life? Some of us pray out of habit. And that’s fine, for a while. A good habit of prayer is better than a bad habit of neglect. But prayer should be more than a habit.

Some pray out of a motive of legalism – that is, they believe something we do saves us. But salvation is a gift – not earned. I’m not saved based on what I do, but what Jesus has already done.

And some pray to avoid guilt. They feel condemned if they don’t, so they pray to feel better about themselves.

We shouldn’t pray out of fear, but out of faith. When I go to God, I want my motivation to be this: I want to be with Jesus. I want to spend time in His word. I want my motive for prayer to be the gospel – to reflect on who Jesus is and what He has done; to be reminded that I am not self-sufficient, but I need Him and He loves me.

I want to approach God like Hebrews 4:16 teaches…

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

If you know you need mercy, if you know you’re in need of grace, run to the throne of God. Come boldly. That doesn’t mean we pray with arrogance, but with confidence. We pray with faith, knowing that God is for us, that Jesus has purchased us and is interceding for us daily.

Like the chorus of that old hymn be our plea.

“I need thee, O I need thee.
Every hour I need thee.
Oh bless me now, my Savior
I come to thee.”

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What Jesus Began

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. (Acts 1:1-2)

God never does something halfway or almost. He is faithful to complete what He begins.

So what does it mean when Luke writes in Acts 1 that he’s dealing with all that Jesus “began” to do and teach?

This doesn’t mean that Jesus didn’t complete what He was sent to do. Just the opposite. It’s because Jesus completed the work of the gospel on the cross, dying for our sins and resurrecting from the dead. But He handed off the continuing ministry of the gospel to His followers – and that ministry centered upon the preaching of who Jesus is and what He did, to spread the message of forgiveness in Christ through faith and repentance.

The Book of Acts gives us a vivid account of the work of the gospel continuing through the early church – like us today – a very imperfect church full of imperfect people, following the perfect Savior.

Jesus began His ministry and chose disciples – a strange collection of men. Simple fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, some educated but most were not. But Jesus chose them. He called them, and they followed.

And what Jesus began in preaching and teaching, He continued that work through them. They preached, God saved, and Jesus built His church. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus didn’t die for a building or an organization – He died for His people. We are His Church.

Because of this, our chief goal as Christians cannot be, simply, to have a better life or to be a better person. We have inherited a priceless treasure that is the gospel. Glorifying God by spreading the gospel and making disciples should be our highest goal.

This forces us to take inventory, asking our own hearts, “Do I really believe this?”, and “Am I willing to die for this? Am I willing to die for Jesus?” And if that answer is yes, then we should be willing to live for Him, proclaiming His gospel, and continuing what He began.

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