They Were All Filled With The Spirit

Acts 2:1-4

Jesus had celebrated the Passover the night before he was crucified. Three days later he was resurrected and spent forty days with his disciples, preparing them to take leadership of the church. At the end of the forty days he told them to wait until they received the Holy Spirit before going into action and they spent the next couple of weeks praying and selecting a replacement for Judas.

The feast of unleavened bread began the day after the Passover, with a special day dedicated to the Lord and ending with another. After the feast of unleavened bread they were to wait seven Sabbaths, and the day following, they were to celebrate the day of Pentecost or fifty days, as described in Leviticus 23:1-21. This would place the day of Pentecost on a Sunday two months after the crucifixion.

The feast of unleavened bread was a feast celebrating the flight from Egypt, when they had no time to wait for their bread to rise. The days between Passover and Pentecost reminded them of the period when they had only the manna to eat during the exodus, and the day of Pentecost, celebrated coming into the land and enjoying the abundance of food. Many Jews came from other countries to celebrate the entire season.

Our word church comes is translated from the Greek word ecclessia, or assembly. The disciples had been assembling to pray for the Holy Spirit’s power and leadership in establishing the Church. There was at the time, total unity of purpose, and everyone was onboard.

“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 unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” (Acts 2:1-3)

God revealed himself to Moses as a fire that did not consume the burning bush. He used a pillar of fire to lead them in the wilderness. When he spoke to them sat Mount Sinai, he descended in fire. He kindled his own fire on the altar when they dedicated the tabernacle. God’s fire destroyed Korah and Dathan’s followers. It burned the sacrifice in Elijah’s day and Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire. Time after time God used a supernatural fire to make people aware of his power and action. It is not surprising that he would use a familiar means to reinforce their recognition that this was of God.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4)

The first thing we notice is that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. What is meant by the filling of the Spirit is a source of controversy in the modern church, because many have failed to see what the Bible actually says about it. This involves far more than just speaking in tongues. Up until the day of Pentecost, the disciples did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them, although Jesus had promised that he would come after Jesus departed in John.

Romans 8:9 makes it cleat that every Christian receives the Holy Spirit. “But ye 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.” If the Holy Spirit is not present, the person is not one of God’s children.

One very important job of the Holy Spirit is to gibe assurance of our salvation according to Romans 8:16-17, especially in times of trial. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” If the Holy Spirit doesn’t provide assurance of their salvation, we definitely aren’t qualified to do so. I wonder how many people will be in hell because someone tried to do the Holy Spirit’s job and convinced them they were already saved, and didn’t need to worry about it?

Another job the Holy Spirit does in the Christian life, described in Romans 8, is giving victory over sin. I John 3:9-10 sums it up. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” Please understand that this does not mean that Christians are incapable of committing individual sins, but that they are no longer given over to sin. Hebrews 12:6-8 tells us that God will correct every one of his children. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” If they were incapable of doing wrong, there would be no need of chastisement, but a person who can freely continue in sin without God’s judgment is not God’s child.

In our natural state, we are incapable of full understanding many spiritual things, no matter how carefully they are explained. I Corinthians 2:14 states, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to make us understand. John 14:26 promises, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Jesus reiterated the statement in John 16:13. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”

The Holy Spirit working in our lives will produce certain results, described in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” These are not actions, but show up in the Christian attitude or spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is nothing more than allowing him to have free reign in our lives, rather than limiting his action to a little part of it. I Corinthians 14:32 tells us we have the power to limit the Holy Spirit’s action. “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” As a result, I Thessalonians 5:19 warns, “Quench not the Spirit.”

On the day of Pentecost, the entire church submitted themselves to receive the Holy spirit’s power. Sadly, many Christians are content to limit him to saving them without allowing him to work freely in other areas of their lives.