Acts 2:1-4.
And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Acts 2:14 and Acts 2:32-36.
But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them.
This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.
Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.
For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.’”
Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.
Let us have a further word of prayer.
Dear Lord, we thank You that by Your grace, once again, we can come before Your feet. For this conference, we know You have Your purpose, and our prayer is that the purpose in Your heart will be accomplished here as we sit before Your feet.
We pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to the very depths of our hearts. Open our eyes. We do ask that You would give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
If we do not have Your revelation, we do not know God. If we do not have Your revelation, we do not know Christ. If we do not have Your revelation, we do not know the Holy Spirit.
Lord, we commit this morning to You. Lord, do anoint Your children—not only anoint the speaker, but anoint the ears of the hearers. May we not only hear the word from heaven, but may we hear the word that the Holy Spirit wants to speak to the church.
Lord, give us ears, that all of us who have ears may hear Your word. Hear our prayer. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.
We know that the theme of this conference is knowing the Holy Spirit. This morning, tomorrow morning, and Saturday evening, in this series, we are going to speak about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We are going to speak of the work of the Holy Spirit.
And we have to begin with Acts 2. Of course, we know that the Holy Spirit existed back in Genesis. When God created, the Spirit was there. In His creation, the Holy Spirit was a partaker of it.
In the Old Testament, we saw how the Spirit of God came upon men. When the Holy Spirit came upon men, they prophesied. When the Spirit came upon Gideon, he was able to go to victory. When the Holy Spirit came upon Samson, we saw that he was a very powerful hero. And when the Spirit came upon David, David was able to serve the people of his generation.
We already see that God was at work in the Old Testament. But now we turn our eyes to Pentecost.
The day of Pentecost is a very special day. On the surface, Pentecost was a holiday for the Jews. In the Old Testament, three times a year the Jewish people would go to Jerusalem for the feasts, and the day of Pentecost was one of those occasions.
But the year that the Lord was crucified, Passover was very different, and Pentecost of that year was very different too. Whether it be Passover or Pentecost, in the Old Testament it is but a shadow. The reality had not yet arrived.
But in the year that our Lord was crucified, during the Passover, the Lord Jesus died for us on the cross. The reality had arrived. The Bible shows us that a very great thing happened, something related to the redemptive work of our Lord in the history of man.
There is one day that cannot be forgotten: the day of Pentecost in the year that the Lord was crucified. What happened that day not only shows us what happened historically, but also enables us to understand further the redemptive work of our Lord.
When we read Acts 2:1, the Bible says, “When the day of Pentecost had come.” In the original, it gives the sense of waiting, expectation, and longing. People were hoping for that day, and that day had finally arrived.
Let us remember: after the law, fifteen hundred years passed. In the history of mankind, especially among the people of Israel, there was shadow after shadow after shadow. From Passover came the feast of firstfruits, and fifty days later came Pentecost. Year after year, Passover was a shadow, and Pentecost was also a shadow.
After fifteen hundred years, finally one Pentecost arrived—and that was the true Pentecost. It is not to say that the Pentecost of the Old Testament was false, but it was a shadow. One day, the reality, the truth, would come.
Not only did the one hundred and twenty wait for ten days, but the people in the Old Testament waited for fifteen hundred years. Pentecost finally arrived, and it arrived at a very important, critical time.
The Bible tells us that the apostles were gathered together. Then suddenly there was a noise from heaven, like a rushing wind, and it filled the whole house. Tongues as of fire appeared, distributing themselves, and rested on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
This was the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down from heaven. Yes, in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit did come upon certain people, but now it was very different. The Holy Spirit had finally arrived on earth.
So the Bible tells us that it was a very special day, an earth-shattering day. There came from heaven a noise. It was not an earthly noise; it came from heaven. It was like a rushing wind, it filled the house, tongues as of fire rested upon each one, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
When we see this description, our eyes can very easily turn toward the violent noise, the rushing wind, the fire, and especially the speaking in tongues. Because this was an earth-shattering day, an occurrence that shook the whole universe, of course there was a violent noise, fire, and a rushing wind.
Before that day, people did not speak in tongues. But because they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues. This is what happened on the day of Pentecost.
If we are to understand the work of the Holy Spirit, we are to understand His ministry. Very naturally, we begin here. Yet many times we are captivated by the phenomena of the filling of the Holy Spirit—what was seen and what was heard.
They heard a violent noise from heaven. They saw the rushing wind and the fire upon the people’s heads. They heard different tongues being spoken. But not only that: these one hundred and twenty people were changed.
Peter, who had once been like a little mouse, had forsaken the Lord three times. When our Lord was crucified, all the disciples were scattered. They gathered again, but had locked the doors tightly. Ever since they knew that our Lord was nailed to the cross, they had lost hope.
Thank the Lord, on the day of resurrection our Lord appeared to the disciples. Yet Peter still took seven disciples to the Sea of Tiberias. Peter could not recover himself. But when the Holy Spirit came upon them, Peter was changed. Peter became a bold man, and Peter with the apostles spoke up.
This is what we see and this is what we hear. But let us remember: many times we look at what we see and begin to explain the phenomena. When we see these dramatic and earth-shattering things, we naturally compare them with the Bible and with what Jesus said.
The Lord said, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father had promised.” He said that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and they would receive power.
If you put these words together, very naturally you will conclude that the Holy Spirit is one of power. The Holy Spirit can be like the wind, like a violent noise, like fire, so that we can speak in tongues. Before, we were weak; now we can be strong. Before, we could not testify; now we receive power.
From Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth, we are able to testify. We now come to a conclusion: the ministry of the Holy Spirit is power.
Ever since the Tower of Babel, there have been many languages in this world. But on the day of Pentecost, because the Holy Spirit filled them, they spoke in other tongues. No matter what language people spoke, they could hear the gospel.
These different languages, these tongues, were for people to be able to hear the gospel. The work was not something demonstrative. It was not to show off and say, “How great I am. We are all powerful.” We are not capable in ourselves. We cannot testify for the Lord unless He gives us power.
We have just returned from Europe. We know that in Europe there are many Chinese people, and many people from Wenzhou. In mainland China, the Wenzhou dialect can be difficult to understand. But if you go to Europe, in every large city you find people from Wenzhou. In Italy alone, there are twenty-eight gatherings. You can find them in Athens and in Thessalonica.
When people are scattered to many different places, the Holy Spirit has something to speak to them. If you have the opportunity, you need to preach the gospel to them. But how do you preach the gospel to them? When they hear the Wenzhou language, their ears are opened. When they hear their own language, they feel warmth.
If you have the grace or the gift to speak the language of Wenzhou, you can testify for the Lord and gain many more for the Lord. That power is the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of power, enabling us to speak the language of other countries.
But how do you preach the gospel to those who oppose it? There is a secret: a person cannot be self-conscious. The one who has thick skin is better prepared. If you always look to yourself, you can never preach the gospel.
Unbelievers may have a rebellious heart against God. They do not want to hear the gospel. These were the people who said, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” How can you enable them to hear about Jesus?
Just as if you were to go to Jerusalem today: Israel is under Judaism. How do you preach the gospel in Jerusalem? Those facing Peter, James, and John were the ones who had said, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Their attitude was one of rejection, one that was closed-minded.
Who can open them? Who can deliver them from a rebellious heart? When we see a spirit against us, even though we may have thousands of words, we might not speak one.
But when the Holy Spirit descended, Peter and John were filled. They became bold and could preach the gospel. They did not care that those to whom they spoke had originally said, “Crucify Him!”
If you want these people to turn to the Lord, humanly speaking it is virtually impossible. If you preach the gospel to the Jews, humanly speaking it is impossible. Only the Holy Spirit can do it.
When the Holy Spirit came and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, not only did they speak in tongues, but most importantly, they could boldly preach the gospel. Peter preached the gospel, and when the people heard the word, they were pierced to the heart.
Their hearts were pierced, and three thousand were saved. If you put all these phenomena together, what is the answer?
The day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came, He gave us the Spirit of power. But let us not forget: this power is the power of testimony. It is the power to preach the gospel.
The apostles were empowered to go from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and even to the remotest parts of the earth. Myriads of people depended upon these one hundred and twenty. Consider Asia Minor. Consider Europe. How could the gospel go from Jerusalem to the remotest parts of the earth? That power is the power of the Holy Spirit.
Only the Holy Spirit can carry the gospel from Jerusalem to the remotest parts. Everywhere we see Christians is the result of the power of the Holy Spirit. That power is the power of testimony. If you do not testify, the Holy Spirit will not give you that power.
Today the Holy Spirit gives you power not so that you can show off. The Holy Spirit is your power so that you can go from Jerusalem to Samaria and to the remotest parts of the earth.
Every time you preach the gospel, you feel that you are the weakest person in the world, the most useless person in the world. How can you enable people to turn to God?
When you are in school and see professors with PhDs, intellectual people, lawyers, and doctors, you may ask, “How can they believe in Jesus?” Let us remember: if they can be saved, if the gospel can be preached from Jerusalem to the remotest part of the earth, undoubtedly the Holy Spirit has given us a work to do.
Brothers and sisters, many times we feel weak. So we read the Bible, and we seek. We hope that one day we can experience what was experienced on the day of Pentecost. We hope that one day, when we gather together, we can hear the wind, see tongues as of fire distributed among us, and hear speaking in tongues.
For this reason, many who love the Lord Jesus seek after these experiences. They say, “This is the work of the Holy Spirit.” In our feeling, the Holy Spirit becomes something for us to use, like a piece of clothing for us to wear.
You know that on television there is a comic called Popeye. Popeye himself does not have much strength. When something happens and he is about to be a hero and save somebody, he does not have enough power. He immediately eats spinach, and once he eats spinach, he gains strength.
Brothers and sisters, what do I mean? In our feeling, the Holy Spirit is but spinach. When the Holy Spirit comes to us, then we can preach and do great things for the Lord. For this reason, this becomes the goal of many in the church.
But those who love the Lord, when they feel weak and seek power to come upon their lives, are not seeking for themselves. They are seeking for the sake of the kingdom. So they pray.
When they read Acts again, very clearly they see that the work of the Holy Spirit is a work of power. Yet it is as if we could use Him. Brothers and sisters, if you read the Bible carefully, what you hear and see is not necessarily your interpretation or mine. The Holy Spirit must interpret.
The most amazing thing is that Peter stood up. Peter gained boldness. This is already a miracle. If you know how Peter fell, now Peter’s standing up is a miracle. Peter boldly speaks for the Lord.
There is a greater miracle than speaking in tongues. Something enabled Peter to gain boldness. Without this miracle, we do not have an explanation for the day of Pentecost. Your explanation and my explanation are not sufficient.
Through Peter, the Holy Spirit explained the day of Pentecost. What did Peter say?
This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.
Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.
This is the explanation. Through Peter, the Holy Spirit is explaining what they had both seen and heard—the phenomena. Be careful: God’s word is complete. You cannot just take a portion of the word; you have to take the complete word of God. Then we can understand what the work of the Holy Spirit is.
Peter shows us why we saw what we saw and heard what we heard. Something had happened in heaven. God had already made Him both Lord and Christ. Because our Lord had been glorified, the Holy Spirit descended. That is the interpretation of the Holy Spirit.
If you pay attention to the Gospel of John, especially John 14 through John 17, you will see something amazing. We believe that the Holy Spirit used John to give us this account.
If we did not have the Gospel of John, we might think that the Holy Spirit is only a Spirit of power, only a power, or only a gift—just as in the Old Testament. When Samson received the Holy Spirit, he was able to gain victory. Those upon whom the Holy Spirit came could prophesy.
In the Old Testament there was power and there were gifts. In the New Testament there is also power and there are gifts. For this reason, the Holy Spirit gives us the Gospel of John.
John was the last of the apostles. At the end of the first century, he wrote the Gospel of John, the letters of John, and Revelation. When our Lord called John, he was mending nets. When the nets were broken, he mended them.
When John followed the Lord, his ministry was a ministry of mending. When the net of the gospel was broken, when people did not understand the person and work of our Lord, John had to mend the net.
Through Matthew, people knew that our Lord was King. Through Mark, they knew He was the Servant of God. Through Luke, they knew He was the Son of Man. But John shows us that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God.
He was the One who, even though He came down from heaven, was still in heaven. This is the Gospel of John. When you read John, it is very different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, because this gospel is a spiritual gospel.
Strictly speaking, the spiritual gospel is the gospel of the Holy Spirit. John speaks of life, light, and love. Brothers and sisters, if you leave out the Holy Spirit, you do not know what life, light, or love is.
When you read Matthew, Mark, and Luke, you are told to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. But in John we read that God loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.
God used John to show something more complete: not that we first loved God, but that God first loved us. Because He loved us, therefore we can love God with all our heart and mind. John is mending the net.
When we read Luke and Acts, we may feel that the Holy Spirit is just a power. But thank the Lord: the Holy Spirit is one in the Godhead. He is God Himself.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—He is not only a Person; He is God Himself. Brothers and sisters, when you see God the Father, you worship. Not only do you bow down before God the Father, but you also bow before God the Holy Spirit.
What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? It is not that we gain more of the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Holy Spirit means that He gains more of us. He is God. Only He can use us; we cannot use Him. Only He can take hold of us; we cannot take hold of Him.
Yes, the Holy Spirit is power, no doubt. But John wants to mend the net. When you read the Gospel of John, you know that the Lord has sent another Comforter.
The Lord said, “A little while, and you will no longer behold Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” What does that mean? If you see the Father, you see the Son. If you see the Son, you see the Father. And when you see the Holy Spirit, you see our Lord.
People were confused about the work of the Holy Spirit, so the Holy Spirit through John gave us the Gospel of John. When you read this Gospel, then you understand.
How did Peter know that our Lord was already glorified? How did he understand this? When he was in the upper room, he was just like the other disciples. They asked questions.
The Lord said, “A little while, and you will no longer behold Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me. And I will go to My Father.” What did that mean? At that time, they were confused. They had heard His words but did not understand them.
Why? Because the Holy Spirit had not yet descended. Before Pentecost, all these disciples followed the Lord and heard His word. But if you read John 14 through John 17 carefully, you see that although the Lord’s words were clear, the disciples could not understand.
The day of Pentecost had not yet happened, so they were confused. But very clearly, the Bible tells us that when the Holy Spirit came, He would guide them into all truth, teach them all things, and remind them of what the Lord had said.
When the Holy Spirit descended, the disciples remembered. Peter remembered the words spoken in the upper room: “I go for a purpose. If I do not go, the Comforter will not come.”
What does it mean that the Lord returned to the Father? It means that our Lord was glorified. When a person goes into the tomb, it is the end of his life. Many who were crucified went to the end of their lives. But when our Lord was crucified, it was not the end.
Not only did He die, but He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. What does ascension mean? It is to return to the Father.
Before the crucifixion, how could the disciples understand this? But now it was very clear. Peter could understand that the Lord was glorified because he was reminded of the words in John 14 through John 17.
Now a great miracle had happened. Before the resurrection, I thought the disciples were rather slow. I always felt that the Lord should have found another twelve disciples—perhaps Martin Luther or John Wesley! If you read the four Gospels, you see that the disciples were indeed very slow.
I personally believe that Peter’s memory was not very good. Mark is Peter’s Gospel. You will find the longest sayings of Jesus in Matthew, not in Mark. Peter remembered some things, but he did not remember much. Mark has only sixteen chapters.
Before the ascension of our Lord, our Lord was already the Comforter and the greatest Teacher. He was greater than Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates. They had many years of contribution, but our Lord taught for only three years. Nobody doubts that our Lord is the greatest Teacher.
Yet the disciples could not understand. What was the reason? The Lord said, “I go for your benefit. If I do not go, the Comforter will not come.”
Now the Comforter has come. Now the Holy Spirit has come. What does that prove? It proves that our Lord has gone into glory.
There is a greater miracle than Peter’s boldness. The Holy Spirit does not only give us power; the Holy Spirit enables us to understand. Then Peter could remember the words of Joel, and Peter could understand the word of God.
Peter was not a Bible scholar. Peter was a fisherman at the Sea of Galilee. But when the Holy Spirit descended, it became very clear. There was the word of Joel, plus the word in the upper room. The formerly confused Peter had his eyes opened, and the Holy Spirit guided him into all truth.
To understand the work of the Holy Spirit, Acts helps us because it is God’s word. But let us not forget: John is also the word of God. If we are to understand the day of Pentecost, we must go back to John.
When John wrote the Gospel of John, he was already in his nineties. It was as if he could not do much, but he still remembered how he followed the Lord.
In John 1, he remembered how he first met our Lord. He met our Lord at four o’clock in the afternoon, at Bethany beyond the Jordan. He remembered how he followed the Lord because his teacher, John the Baptist, said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” Then he followed the Lamb.
In Revelation, it says, “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” John and Andrew were the first to follow. Wherever the Lamb goes, they follow. This is the story of John, and this is how the Gospel of John begins.
How did John know the Lord? John’s knowledge was based on the testimony of John the Baptist. What was that testimony? “Behold, the Lamb of God.”
When John the Baptist testified of our Lord, he did not give only one testimony. He gave two testimonies. Let us read John 1:29 and John 1:33.
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and saith, “Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!”
And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize in water, He said unto me, “Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.”
This is the testimony of John the Baptist. First, He is the Lamb of God. Secondly, He is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
Throughout the Gospel of John, on one hand we see Him as the Lamb of God; on the other hand, we see that He baptizes in the Holy Spirit. The Lamb of God shows us the day of Passover, and the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit shows us the day of Pentecost.
Do you remember John 7? It says that if anyone is thirsty, he may come to the Lord. From those who believe in Him will flow rivers of living water. Then an explanation is added concerning the Holy Spirit.
Let us turn to John 7:37-39.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come unto Me and drink.
He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water.”
But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believed on Him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Here we see that the rivers of living water have to do with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Of course, we know that this speaks of the descending of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was glorified, the Holy Spirit descended. The Holy Spirit is like rivers of living water.
On one hand, the Holy Spirit uses the wind to depict the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, He uses rivers of living water to depict the work of the Holy Spirit.
When John says, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” and, “He is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit,” these two things are connected. One is the story of Passover, and one is the story of the day of Pentecost.
Passover was a festival day for the Jews, and so was the day of Pentecost. But we Christians know that both Passover and Pentecost were shadows and types. What is the reality?
When you read the Gospel of John, John shows us the true Passover. John tells us that the Lord was crucified on the fourteenth day. During that time, from noon until three o’clock, the Jews were sacrificing animals. It was at that time that our Lord was crucified for us.
All those lambs sacrificed in the temple were but shadows. The reality was Christ being crucified. The true Passover had arrived.
What you see on the cross is no longer merely lambs being slaughtered, but the Lamb of God. After three days, our Lord rose from the dead. Our Lord indeed is the firstfruits, and the true firstfruits appeared in history.
More importantly, not only was He the Lamb of God, but He also baptizes us in the Holy Spirit. John shows us this reality.
If we can understand the revelation of John 1, we can understand the meaning of the day of Pentecost. Do you remember the first Passover, when God saved the people of Israel out of Egypt?
That evening, the blood of the lamb enabled the firstborn not to be slain, and the people were saved out of Egypt. That was the first Passover in history. When the blood of the lamb was on the doorposts, the destroying angel passed over.
After fifty days, God met with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. That was the first Pentecost in history. Even today, the Jews believe that the first Pentecost was when the law came.
For the Jews, the law is very important. When did the law come down? It was when God met the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. When God came down from heaven, He brought myriads of angels, and the people of Israel met God at Mount Sinai. The law came down.
The Creator of the universe came down with myriads of angels to this earth. We know that this was the day the law was given. What does that mean?
After man fell and sinned, God had to prepare a redemptive work. When God prepared salvation, the Triune God began to work. About three thousand five hundred years ago, God came down from heaven and gave us the law to show us who God is.
He was not only the Creator of the universe, but He was a holy God. He brought down the holiness of God, His testimony, to earth. So the law came down to earth. This is the story of the first Pentecost.
The first Pentecost corresponds to the first Passover. If the people did not leave Egypt, there would not have been the giving of the law. Passover speaks of the Lamb, and Pentecost speaks of the law.
Even though the people of Israel brought many different animals, and every time there was a sacrifice their sins were dealt with, we know that in the Old Testament the blood of animals only covered man’s sin. The sin was still there.
For fifteen hundred years, the Old Testament people asked, “Where is the Lamb?” This was the question Isaac asked his father, and it was the question the people of Israel asked throughout the Old Testament.
Time after time, those animals supposedly dealt with their sin, but in the Old Testament their sin was merely covered. They needed to wait until one day when the Lamb of God truly came.
They kept asking, “Where is the Lamb?” Then one day, in the wilderness, there came a voice: “Behold, the Lamb of God.”
When they heard, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” now they understood. This is God’s redemptive work. Only the Lord Jesus coming to die upon the cross can resolve the problem of sin.
Even though there was the blood of animals in the Old Testament, they were only shadows. That was not the true Passover. Thank the Lord: John finally found the Lamb of God.
John stood beneath the cross and saw with his own eyes the Lamb of God being nailed to the cross. This is the complete work. If there is no cross, there is no Pentecost. If there is no Passover, there is no Pentecost.
On the other hand, why did God give the law? Paul shows us that the law is like a mirror, showing us that we cannot keep the law and that we need grace.
The purpose of the giving of the law is that mankind might see that they are incapable. Shortly afterward, they worshipped the golden calf. They said, in effect, “Give us more time. If You give us more time and more patience, we can keep Your word.”
The people of Israel were under probation for fifteen hundred years. At the end, they declared, “What I want to do, I cannot do.”
The law does show us what God wants. The law represents His standard. God never lowers His standard.
But thank the Lord: in the year that the Lord Jesus was crucified, during the Passover He was crucified. At firstfruits He was resurrected. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down.
Do you see these two pictures? The first Passover was but a shadow. The law came down, and God did not lower His standard. God never lowers His standard.
But when man is filled with the Holy Spirit, there is power—power to follow and accomplish the purpose of God. Now man knows that he needs a Savior. Our Lord is not only our Savior; He is also the Lord of life.
The Lord said that He came not to abolish the law, but to fulfil it. This is very clear.
In history, we see the first Passover and the first Pentecost. But when our Lord completed the work of salvation, on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came, and that power became an inward power.
Now the law is written in our hearts. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to follow His will. This is the complete work of redemption of our Lord.
Not only do we remember that about three thousand five hundred years ago God came down from heaven; two thousand years ago, the Word became flesh. He came down to save sinners. He became flesh.
When God descended at Mount Sinai, there were myriads of angels. When our Lord was born, there was a heavenly host in heaven:
Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased.
Now you see that God the Son came down to earth. If our Lord did not come down to earth, if He did not become flesh, He could not be hung on the cross. This is the story of the Word becoming flesh.
And on the day of Pentecost, God the Spirit came down. Let us remember: this is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God shows us His testimony and His purpose. We need to accept the Lord Jesus, and we need the problem of sin to be resolved. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down. When He came, it was very different from the Old Testament.
If we compare the Old and New Testaments, in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came only upon certain people, not upon the whole body. But in the New Testament, He descended upon all believers.
The Bible says that if you have the Spirit, you belong to Christ. In the Old Testament, it was not only a matter of the Spirit coming upon only a few people; it was also temporary.
Remember Moses and the seventy elders. When the Spirit came upon the seventy elders, they prophesied; afterwards, they did not prophesy anymore. This was the Old Testament pattern: the Holy Spirit came, and then He left.
When David sinned, he prayed, “Do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me.” In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit could come and could go.
But on the day of Pentecost, what happened when the Holy Spirit descended? Not only did He come upon all believers, but He also dwells in them.
Do you remember the verse our brother read yesterday evening?
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, for it beholdeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: ye know Him; for He abideth with you, and shall be in you.
Abiding or dwelling is very important. Remember, when John met the Lord, he asked, “Where dwellest Thou?” The Holy Spirit descended upon all believers, but He also abides in them.
The Bible also says:
Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
From that day, we know that we are all the temple of God, and the church is the temple of God. Paul says that the temple of God is you, and you are the temple of God. We speak of the church as the Body of Christ, but the church is also the dwelling place of God. Every believer is a temple.
On the day of Pentecost came the birth of the church. The Holy Spirit dwells in this place.
To use words we can understand, many of us who come from mainland China may first have only temporary residence when we arrive here. We still want to go back. But one day, when we receive permanent residence, when we come again, we stay.
Brothers and sisters, the day of Pentecost is the day the Holy Spirit came to remain. John tells us that the seven Spirits were sent into all the earth. The Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes. Christ, in the Holy Spirit, has returned, and now He wants to abide on earth. He finds a place, a home.
For this reason, from the day of Pentecost, the era of the Holy Spirit has arrived. Augustine tells us that the day of Pentecost is the birthday of the Holy Spirit.
This does not mean that there was no work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit did work in the Old Testament. But if we call that day the birthday of the Holy Spirit, it is according to John 7:39: “The Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
From the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit abode among men. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. Then our Lord returned, but in the Holy Spirit Christ continues to teach and continues to do His work on earth.
Now we ask the question: What is the spiritual meaning of the day of Pentecost? Simply speaking, what happened on that day?
Strictly speaking, two important things happened. First, there was the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Secondly, there was the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
If we are to understand the day of Pentecost and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, on one hand we need to understand what it means to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, we need to understand the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit has to do with His work. The anointing has to do with the Father’s work. On the day of Pentecost, it is the work of the Triune God.
Among the children of God, there are many different interpretations concerning baptism. Many times we take all the different phenomena and classify them as being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Why is there so much confusion today? Because we do not pay attention to how the Holy Spirit uses these terms. Some speak of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Some speak of receiving the Holy Spirit. Some speak of baptism in the Holy Spirit. Some speak of the filling of the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit uses a term, He is very specific. If we are not careful, we will confuse and mix them together.
What does it mean to be baptized? Does the baptism of the Holy Spirit mean the filling of the Holy Spirit? What does it have to do with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
Sometimes people ask, “Brother, have you received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?” Is this according to the Bible? Or we ask another brother, “Have you been baptized?” We are asking whether he has experienced the Holy Spirit. Does this follow the Bible?
What does sanctification have to do with the Holy Spirit? Today many people believe that when you receive a second blessing, then you receive the Holy Spirit. Many people connect the experience of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues.
What does the word of God say? During this conference, we really want to understand what it means to know the Holy Spirit.
Simply speaking, baptism in the Holy Spirit is a fact in history. When the true Passover came and our Lord was crucified, that already happened. This fact is like the fact that the Lord was hung on the cross for us.
This does not mean that we do not experience Him today. But when we speak of our experience, the Holy Spirit does not use the phrase “baptism in the Holy Spirit” again in the same way.
In the whole Bible, baptism in the Holy Spirit is mentioned only seven times. If we carefully read the Scriptures, we can understand baptism in the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the filling of the Holy Spirit, and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
How are we to experience these things? How are we to be filled with the Holy Spirit? That is what we want to share in the next two sessions.
Let us have a word of prayer.
Dear Lord, we want to commit these words back to You. Open our eyes so that we can understand Your word. Only the Holy Spirit and truth can show us. We thank You. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.