“Lord Jesus, thank You very much that You give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit. It is in the fellowship of Your Holy Spirit that we enjoy this beautiful walk with You. Lord, we live in a frightening world but even in this world, we can enjoy Your assurance, which is because of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Peter spoke of repentance and baptism for the remission of sins as he brought a conclusion to his message to the Jews. The third matter that Peter brings up is the gift of His Holy Spirit, which is God’s promise to those who repent and are baptised.
Acts 2:38-40 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (40) And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
Peter had already affirmed that the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the disciples were experiencing was the fulfilment of the promise of the Holy Spirit, which the Lord had prophesied through Joel.
Acts 2:16-21 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: (17) ‘AND *IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS, SAYS GOD, THAT I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH*; YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS. (18) AND ON MY MENSERVANTS AND ON MY MAIDSERVANTS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS; AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY. (19) I WILL SHOW WONDERS IN HEAVEN ABOVE AND SIGNS IN THE EARTH BENEATH: BLOOD AND FIRE AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. (20) THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD. (21) AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.’
This promise of the Holy Spirit was to those who thirst for God. Isaiah 44:3-4 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; (4) They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.’
Are we searching and thirsting for God? Ezekiel 11:19-20 Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, (20) that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
This promise of the Holy Spirit is for those who long for a heart of flesh. It is for those who come to God and ask Him to take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh.
This is our deep problem, isn’t it? We seem as though we are God’s people, on the outside. We are experts to go through the outward signs that represent us to be His people, but deep within, our hearts are of stone. We resist God. We follow our own ways. We do not welcome His ways.
The Holy Spirit is for those who seek a heart of flesh from God. God longs that we be His people and He to be our God and this is the purpose of the gift of His Holy Spirit.
The Lord is bringing back His people of Israel, in order to reveal Himself through them to the nations. This revelation of God through the people of Israel is the gift of His Holy Spirit upon them.
Ezekiel 39:27-29 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, (28) then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. (29) And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”
It is important to note here that this gift of the Holy Spirit is for us to be families/generations that represent God. Isaiah 59:20-21 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the LORD. (21) “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”
Sadly, we have not sought to build our families in the Lord. Yes, we have done much to make sure that our children are well settled in life, materially successful and doing well in their vocations. Our priority to raise our generations to be those filled with the Holy Spirit, representing God in this evil world and being His kingdom builders is a subdued effort.
May we realise that the gift of His Holy Spirit is for us to be generations that represent God.