Historically, Pentecost was when the Church of God had its beginning, complete with signs and wonders and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. For us in the Church, the receiving of the Holy Spirit occurred at our baptism. We had hands laid upon us and if we fulfilled the requirements, we received the Holy Spirit. We read about the beginning of the Church in Acts 2.
Just what does the Holy Spirit do for a person who receives it?
We are told in John 16:13 that the Spirit will guide us into ALL truth and tell us things to come. What God is revealing to us through John is that His Spirit helps us to understand the Bible since the truth is God’s word. We also see things in the Bible we never understood before. God’s word becomes alive — a guide for our Christian living.
God also promises us through John that the Spirit will tell us “things to come,” in other words, our minds will comprehend biblical prophesies which we may not have understood before. God’s Spirit also gives us a sound mind. In John 16: 7, the Spirit is referred to as a “helper.” A helper assists us in completing a task or a job. A helper does not push, cajole or force us, but rather encourages, advises and assists us in the accomplishment of our goals. This is how the Spirit works in our lives, acting as an encouraging and helping force to do the will of God, and not our own.
With the gift of the Spirit to us, we become begotten children of God and thus if we remain faithful to the end, we will be partakers of the resurrection to eternal life (1 Cor 15:51-52), and we will rule with Christ in the Millennium (Rev 5:10; Rev. 20:4) and for all eternity (Rev. 22:5).
Let us be grateful to our God for giving us Pentecost as a reminder of our heritage and our future as kings and priests in the world tomorrow.
