THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

‘Every man heard them speak in his own language.’ It was an effect of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples on Pentecost. They all were witnesses of Jesus’ doctrine and the miracles He had done, but they had been heavily tried at the time when Jesus was taken captive. They all had been scattered abroad, but the Lord’s promise that He would turn His hands to the ‘little ones’ had been fulfilled by the Lord’s appearance after He was risen from the dead. Those experiences were of the greatest significance for Jesus’ disciples between the time of Easter and Pentecost. That time was for them a transition period; the promise of the Father was not yet fulfilled, and therefore they were still waiting. Christ’s resurrection had made a blessed influence upon them, for the Lord had opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. He also had commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but they must wait for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. In this way it became evident that the Lord deals with His people and servants according to a divine method.

However, the outpouring of The Holy Ghost was a particular event and of the greatest significance for the Christian Church. They, namely, the apostles, were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Scripture says, ‘…they were all filled’, which points to a great measure of the Holy Spirit, namely: faith, spiritual knowledge of the doctrine of salvation, and the extension of God’s kingdom. This was why they spoke with much feeling and spiritual warmth. They also were able to express themselves very simply and clearly.

Besides this they had received the gift to speak fluently in foreign languages. What this meant can be understood by those who have immigrated and have been confronted with the language barrier. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit caused great amazement among the people and made them to say, ‘Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?’ The apostles spoke with much freedom, also with feeling; they had a divine message for many. That the Lord made the apostles to speak in foreign languages was a clear evidence that the Lord was planning to extend His kingdom among the Gentiles who were living without knowledge of the great Creator and Benefactor. He had other sheep who still were not of His fold and must be brought to conversion. Paul says in Romans 10 vs. 15, ‘And how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’ There were also Jews born in foreign countries who had come to Jerusalem and they were very surprised to hear the language of the country where they were born. In this and many other ways the Lord sent His Word to many people who had been estranged from it.

O, that we may observe the goodness of the Lord in that the Word of God has been brought to us. However, we need more than the means of grace, for we need the blessed working of God’s Spirit in our heart. The means of grace only cannot do it, and therefore we need the blessed and powerful working of God’s Spirit in our heart. When that takes place, there will come a blessed change in our life.

That was what happened at Pentecost. The Bible says, ‘…they were pricked in their heart…’ The word of God had made a deep impression upon them, and they saw things in another light than before. O, this was a blessed moment, for God’s Spirit made them willing in the day of His power. It was by that Spirit that they were able to forsake a wordly way of living. The things of God received the highest place in their heart and in submission they prayed: ‘Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?’ This change was a permanent change, and became evident by the tremendous change of life.

However, sooner or later they found out that their soul was not saved. Though they had become very strict in every respect, nevertheless they were still unsaved. No wonder that they became very quiet and concerned. Often it has happened that they remained in that condition for a considerable time. They were under a spirit of bondage, and this was why they were very strict for themselves and other people. They were convinced that their soul problem was not solved. Often they were dejected and the question came up in their heart ‘What will the end be?’ Well, what was the thing they needed? The answer is what has been written in John 16:8 ‘And when He is come (namely the Holy Spirit) He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.’ If this takes place, then we will become a sinner before God, which means that there will come a time in our life that sin will become exceedingly sinful. This will break our heart and convince us that we are a hell-worthy creature. This will humble us in dust and ashes.

O, what a blessing it is to come to that point, for usually this is the time that the Lord drops the one or the other text in their soul by which He reveals unto them His pardoning grace. The result of it is that it changes their spiritual condition instantly, and they admire God for His pardoning grace by which their sins disappear, and joy fills their heart so that they admire God’s pardoning grace.

I believe that things like that often happened at Pentecost, and in the time following the Holy Spirit was working abundantly. This was the reason that people of different ages and classes stuck together and were like-minded. O, what a blessing it was for many people that the Lord had spoken to them, and great benefits were applied to them. Undoubtedly they had soul-profitable conversations with those who had been blessed with the same benefits. They also enjoyed the preaching of the apostles, for the Lord was working with them, and daily there were new converts who were able and also desirous to tell what the Lord had done to their soul.

There was still much ignorance at the time of the apostles, for the people accused them that they were full of new wine. O, how sad it was that they did not understand what had happened, and that they slandered the apostles that they were drunken people. It was a clear evidence of their ignorance to accuse the servants of the Lord that they were tavern people. They showed a clear sign of their ignorance of the working of God’s Spirit in the heart of man. It is the same with many people today who don’t have any knowledge of the spiritual life of those who are born again; whereof Scripture says, ‘natural man, not having the Spirit.’ ‘But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice.’ He could not stand the ignorance of the people and said: ‘But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit and they shall prophesy:’ etc. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit has become a great blessing for the New Testament Church. God’s Spirit shall never depart totally, but it would be a blessing to feel an earnest desire that the Lord’s Spirit may return. O, it would be a great blessing, for how sad it is when the Lord is hiding His face. The sad effects become evident by a lack of knowledge of the divine truth, also a lack of spiritual experiences — which have become almost general. O, how sad it is when church members are not able to tell something of those spiritual experiences which are a sign of the new life and an evidence of the work of God in the heart of man. True believers are desirous of the Lord’s presence and are mourning when He is hiding His face. O, that deliverance for Zion may come, and that spiritual growth may be given to her. Such is the desire of those born again.

It was also a great blessing that all the apostles preached on the same subject of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Though there was a difference in voice, style and temperament, undoubtedly they all recited statements of the Old Testament men of God, for they were inspired by the same Spirit. The only difference was that the men of God of the Old Testament had spoken of the promised Messiah to come, but the apostles spoke of Christ Who had come, and that they were His witnesses. They all spoke of the promised Messiah and that God had sent His Son into the world, but that the rulers of the present time had rejected Him. Therefore they recited what the Old Testament prophets had predicted of Christ, showing that those prophesies had been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, Who had come into the world as the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world. Their preaching was a divine message by which God gave testimony that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah Who had preached the Gospel — whereof God had given testimony by the miracles which Christ did.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was of the greatest significance for the New Testament Church, and although that Spirit shall never depart totally, it seems that the Holy Ghost has withdrawn Himself to a certain extent. Therefore we must say, ‘We don’t see our signs.’ And what are those signs? — namely, that sinners come to themselves, and that God opens their spiritual eyes to see the condition they are in. This is one of the first signs in the life of man which makes us hope that the good work has begun. However they cannot find rest in the change of life which has taken place in their soul — concern remains and more and more they are convinced of the things they still lack. That is something an Almighty and merciful God only can do; and it has been done to those who have experienced that no man can be justified by the works of the Law, but only by the righteousness of Him Who is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. Thus they receive that God-given Surety for their guilt and a merciful God for their heart.

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