Love And The Holy Spirit

We begin by acknowledging unflawed testimony of our Lord’s love for all His servants, in the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Have you thought of this? Paul is not one of Jesus’ chosen Twelve. He is not one who was present on that first Pentecostal outpouring, when the Spirit was given. Yet, all that those disciples received, Paul also received, in so much so that he has become a power witness of Jesus Christ. Ponder this. When Jesus spoke to His disciples, after His resurrection and after He had breathed the Holy Spirit on them, this is what He promised them, before His ascension. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1: 8.

Was Paul around? Did Paul receive this promise from the Living Jesus in Risen Body, one that could be visibly seen and touched as a body of flesh and bones? Absolutely not! Yet, we are witnessing every promise of Jesus, in Paul. Our Lord’s love is for all His disciples, all His servants, so that all will have Him in Spirit, not just giving them life to live, but giving them power to be His witnesses. In Paul, we see this power at work, in some most touching and ever-glorious ways.

Paul is speaking to disciples. These are not unbelievers but disciples. These are people who are believers, as we hear in Paul’s question. Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? For a fact, they are all believers. For a fact, you and I are all believers. These disciples are honest and open, for honesty is always the best policy. Albeit, there seems to be a huge and worrisome problem with many believers today, not knowing the truth about themselves, regarding the receiving of the Baptism of Jesus.

Perhaps, many believers have mixed up and still continue to mix up John’s baptism with Jesus’ baptism. These are two separate and distinct baptisms. Paul explained that John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He reminded the twelve disciples that John told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus. These twelve had to believe in Jesus, for their teacher and leader, John, taught them so to do. I ask you, is not believing in Jesus, also believing in His baptism?

Do you see? Can you hear the Love of the Lord coming through, pouring through on these believers? Whether or not this was in Paul’s plans, matters not. He is a servant of Jesus, who is filled with His Holy Spirit and the power which he carries does not allow him to leave these disciples, powerless in service. He cannot just leave them to continue in ministry, to carry on in serving the Lord, as those who are not witnessing to Him. We speak after Jesus Himself, who has made it crystal clear that no believer, regardless of how genuine and faithful that person is, regardless of how passionate and zealous to serve the Lord as that one may be, is an effective servant. It is all futile without Jesus’ baptism. Paul speaks to these believers and they hear all that he is saying. This is Pentecostal hearing, is it not? They hear Paul. On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. It was in hearing that they were baptized. Then, Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Where are many of us, believers and disciples of Jesus Christ, in this day and place? Guess what! We have no excuses, none whatsoever, to justify why many of us are powerless, ineffective and poor witnesses of Jesus. We have no excuse, because we have been told clearly by Jesus Himself, that if we do not have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, in prayer, we can ask. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven, give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Luke 11: 13.