March 15

Receiving The Holy Spirit

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. — Acts 2:4 BSB

On the day of Pentecost, everyone in the upper room was filled with the Holy Spirit—both women and men, both unknown disciples and well-known apostles. Even those appointed to handle the Church’s practical matters were required to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Barnabas was described as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, and this was more significant than his generosity in giving up his land.

Many Christians have believed that the filling of the Holy Spirit was reserved for a select few, never considering that it was available to them. As a result, the Church has been weakened, lacking the only power that can truly prevail against the world—the power promised by our ascended Lord. Pentecost was meant to be the model for every day of this age, but we have fallen short—not because God failed, but because the Church has neglected its privilege.

We must desire to be filled with the Spirit for the glory of God, not for our own benefit or to be more effective, but so that “Christ may be magnified in our bodies, whether by life or by death.”

We must come as clean vessels. God will not pour His precious gift into unclean containers. We must be washed in the blood of Christ from all known sin before we can expect to receive what we seek.

We must receive the Holy Spirit by faith. There is no need to wait, for the Holy Spirit has already been given to the Church. We do not need to struggle or plead; we simply need to take what God is eager to give. He gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32).

We must be ready to let the Holy Spirit have His way with and through us. There must be no hesitation, no holding back, no conflicting purposes. Let us believe and trust that we are being filled with new power and joy, for the glory of God and the service of others.

Prayer

We pray, O God, that the Holy Spirit may so fill us that sin and self have no control over us, but that the fruits of the Spirit may abound for Your glory. Amen.