Imagine if God came to you in a vision tonight and said that he is giving you a choice: you could live the rest of your life with Jesus as your next-door neighbor and best friend, but you wouldn’t have the Spirit, or you could keep the Spirit, but wouldn’t meet Jesus face-to-face until heaven. Before reading further, pause for a moment to think about which option you’d chose.
Jesus says option B is the better option.
In his words to the disciples on the road to Gethsemane, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (Jn 16:7). Who is “the Helper”? The Holy Spirit is the Helper (Jn 15:26). And who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the third person of our Triune God, the invisible manifested presence of the exalted Jesus Christ.
Do you agree with Jesus that it’s better to have him in invisible form as the Holy Spirit who dwells in you (Jn 14:17) rather than the living breathing form of Jesus Christ whose physical presence was known only by those in his near vicinity for those few years? Does your faith reflect the “better than” reality of the Spirit alive in us?
How many are missing out on the most significant gift (Acts 2:38) God has ever offered us? This gift is so significant because only through receiving it may we experience transformation and freedom.
The story of Easter doesn’t conclude with the resurrection of Christ; it continues with the coming of the Spirit.
Before he leaves, Jesus assures us that his work is not over until he has sent the Spirit. He explains the benefits of the Spirit, “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:8-15). In short, Jesus says that the Spirit will bring the power of conviction, righteousness, judgment, and truth. That is to say, the Spirit will draw us to behold the glory of Christ.
When Christ ascended to heaven, we might think that the disciples had everything they needed to proclaim the gospel to fulfill Jesus’ calling to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20). And yet despite this assurance, the disciples spent ten days after the crucifixion of their beloved Rabbi? huddled and hiding with fear in the upper room, praying and waiting, before their ministry began.
Why? Because they hadn’t been filled with the Holy Spirit yet. The church is born not just from the death and resurrection of Christ, but from the coming of the Spirit who indwelt the followers of Jesus.
Listen to Luke tell the story, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). With each one hearing their native tongue, Peter preaches and concludes with a gospel call, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:38-41).
Faith for a Christian is not merely intellectual ascent to the truth of Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection; it is the Spirit alive in us, bringing us to faith, sealing our hearts until the day of resurrection, and conforming us to the image of Christ.
Pentecost faith is a life of surrender and sanctification, a life marked by the mortification of the flesh (Roms. 8:13). Pentecost faith is characterized by a prayer life that is dependent on the Spirit (Roms. 8:15). Pentecost faith does not strive, but walks in peace (Roms. 8:6). Pentecost faith is a life in community, where we are made one body as we serve each another by the Spirit-given gifts within us (1 Cor. 12:4-7).
Do you have a Pentecost faith?
You Might Also Appreciate our Do You Have A____Faith? Series:
Part 1: Do You Have A Gethsemane Faith?
Part 2: Do You Have a Cry of Dereliction Faith?
Part 3: Do You Have A Holy Saturday Faith?
Part 4: Do You Have A Resurrection Faith?
Part 5: Do You Have a Pentecost Faith?
Photo by Ashish Thakur on Unsplash