And when the day of Pentecost was fully come…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
The Holy Spirit is now sent forth in a new character and a new power, such as He never had come before. This new power is the very Spirit of the glorified Jesus. The work of the Son and the longing of the Father received its fulfillment. Man’s heart has become the home of his God.
The entrance of the Son of God into our flesh in Bethlehem, His entrance into the curse and death of sin, His entrance into the very glory of the Father—these were but preparatory steps so that the word could be fulfilled: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them” (Revelation 21:3).
It is no wonder that, as the Holy Spirit came down from the Father through the glorified Son, the disciples’ whole nature was filled to overflowing with the joy and power of heaven. They were filled with the presence of Jesus, and their lips overflowed with the praise of the wonderful works of God.
Such was the birth of the church. Such must be its growth and strength. The most essential element of the true church after Pentecost is a membership baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Every heart was filled with the experience of the presence of the glorified Lord. Every tongue and life witnessed to the wonderful work God had done in raising Jesus to glory and then filling His disciples with that glory.
The baptism of power is not just for preachers, but for every individual member of Christ’s body. The Spirit of God cannot take possession of believers beyond their capacity to receive Him. The promise is waiting. The Spirit is now in all His fullness. Our ability to receive needs to be enlarged. Pentecost comes when believers continue with one accord in praise and love and prayer. The Holy Spirit comes when faith holds fast the promise and gazes upon the exalted Lord in the confidence that He will make Himself known in power in the midst of His people.
Let us yield ourselves in strong, expectant faith to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to testify for Jesus. Let the indwelling Christ be our life, our strength, and our testimony. From such a church, Spirit-filled preachers will rise, and the power will go forth, making Christ’s enemies bow at His feet.