Acts 2: 1-4; 8: 14-17; 9:17/1 Corinthians 14:18; 10: 46; 13: 52; 19: 1-6
First, let’s remove our religious glasses. Let’s just open the Bible and read it as it is and follow the leading of the Spirit to help us receive and yield to the Spirit of God.
New languages. God’s goal is for us to speak with boldness. The Spirit gave yielded people utterance in unknown tongues on the day of Pentecost when they were filled with the Spirit. By this operation of the Spirit, the hearers heard, repented and believed in Jesus Christ—3000 were saved. The people heard the gospel in their own language. This was the operation of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost in order to get people saved. Tongues are also for the purpose of self-edification to strengthen us to carry out the Great Commission. Both purposes are the operation of the Spirit today through faith in Jesus Christ and by receiving and yielding to the Spirit of God. Acts 1 & 2
Prophecy. This is speaking words under the inspiration of the Spirit to set people free, both lost and saved. Peter, filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, spoke under the inspiration of the Spirit in his native language. The people were obviously hearing in their own language, as 3,000 people understood and were saved.
Acts 20: 23; Acts 21:9; Acts 21:11; Acts 28:25-27
Love. The love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit will reach out to others with the truth of the gospel with no condemnation. The love of God is willing to lay down one’s life for the sake of others to the glory of God.
Acts 2: 14—Peter and company to same people who killed Jesus; Romans 5: 5
Boldness. There is no fear in love. Perfect, mature love, casts out fear. With no fear of what people think, one is very bold to obey God’s voice and carry out His will in setting people free. Being filled with the Spirit gives us boldness in love to speak the gospel.
Acts 2: 14/1 John 4: 17-18; Acts 4: 31; Acts 7: 55; Acts 13: 9
Signs, wonders, miracles, healing and deliverance. God has always been a signs and wonders, healing, delivering God. This was in the Old Testament, it was in the ministry of Jesus, and it was in the operation of the early Spirit-filled church—all by God’s Spirit.
Acts 6: 5, 8
Fruit of the Spirit. Holiness. Sanctification. Being full of the Spirit is a life being changed into the character of Christ. You walk what you talk in the character of Christ by faith.
Acts 13: 52—joy; Galatians 5: 22
Lives transformed and set free. A change is implemented in our heart. The Word and things of God become precious to us and Jesus is the focus of our life. Love, truth, holiness and liberty become our mode of operation. We experience liberation more and more as we follow on to know the Lord in the power of constantly yielding to His Spirit—filled and overflowing to the praise and glory of God.
