Power-less or Power-full

Did you celebrate Pentecost Sunday yesterday?  Fifty days after Easter the Church historic has celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit in power upon the waiting disciples in Jerusalem in the first century.  Since then, much debate and discussion has arisen among the faithful regarding our understanding of the third person of the Trinity.  As I result, I fear, the clear and crucial role He plays in our daily lives has been neglected.  In addition, even many Christians have come to doubt His existence or His person.

Did you celebrate Pentecost Sunday yesterday?  Fifty days after Easter the Church historic has celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit in power upon the waiting disciples in Jerusalem in the first century.  Since then, much debate and discussion has arisen among the faithful regarding our understanding of the third person of the Trinity.  As I result, I fear, the clear and crucial role He plays in our daily lives has been neglected.  In addition, even many Christians have come to doubt His existence or His person.

Barna illustrates this confusion from a recent survey demonstrating that only about half (49%) of those who see the Holy Spirit as only a symbol but not a living entity also agreed that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches, even though the Bible clearly describes the Holy Spirit as more than a symbolic reference to God’s power or presence. That’s a major confusion that will affect our lives and ministry.

Before His ascension Jesus instructed those first disciples NOT to launch into ministry without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 1:4-5)  Consistently in the New Testament we see references to men who were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8, Acts 4:31, Acts 6:5, Acts 11:24) acting powerfully in God’s purposes.  Additionally a study of the Holy Spirit reveals His essential role in any ministry as well as personal life. (Romans 15:16; Ephesians 4:30,  I Thess. 1:5,  I Thess. 5:19,  2Peter 1:21.)  

With such a strategic and important role in our lives and ministry, a clear understanding God’s gracious gift of the Spirit is foundational to all Christ followers.  With the command to neither extinguish (quench) the Spirit (I Thess. 5:19) nor grieve (Ephesians 4:30) and the additional command to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) it behooves us to daily celebrate Pentecost with gratitude.

Let us not let allow discussions and disagreements about various aspects of the Spirit’s ministry to block our embrace of His powerful and essential ministry in our lives (John 15:5) with the result of a powerless life and ministry.  Celebrating Pentecost reminds me to pray that daily I will sense His leading, yield to His conviction, depend upon His guidance and draw upon His power.  How about you?