Pentecost

No one can exist before God as long as he remain a stranger of the heart-renewing work of the Holy Spirit. One day it must become Pentecost for us. “Verily, verily, I say unto thee,” so spoke the Lord Jesus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

How terrible will be the portion of many who will say in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?” Then Jesus will profess unto them, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Oh, that each of you examine himself. We are quickly rushing to eternity with rapid steps, and our best works are glittering sins before God. Who is equal to Him who cast out devils? Who is equal to Him who did many mighty deeds? Everything which is outside of Christ has been found to be wanting. Outside of Him are all those in whom the Holy Spirit has not made His dwelling. See, that is the wonder of Pentecost; God the Holy Spirit came down to dwell in the hearts of lost sinners. That wonder proclaims room in the salvation of the blood of Christ. Who will ever be able to comprehend this? It is especially upon this day that poor sinners are called. Oh, that we might call out so that the Lord might live in and among us. No sinner is too sinful. No heart too impure. Cloven tongues were seen upon the disciples. The gospel will be brought to all peoples and generations upon the earth, and the Lord will bring those that are His from every nation and language. No person is too wicked, and no person is too sinful. It is grace and grace alone. May this Feast of Pentecost become for us the day of our salvation. May we also learn to bow our knees before God our Judge and pray for mercy that God may be glorified in us to our salvation.

The Comforter came. Was not the Holy Spirit present before this particular Pentecost Day? Certainly, He was. As the third person of the Holy Trinity, He is God from eternity to eternity. He was, and is, and shall be. He has godly names. He has godly attributes. He works the works of God and receives godly honor. The Holy Ghost is not just a power or an attribute of God but a true Person, having wisdom and a will. Whether debating an Arian or a Socinian, a Groninger or a modern believer, let everyone keep this in mind—the Holy Ghost proceeds eternally and without end from the Father and the Son. He was there before He came on Pentecost Day, just as the Son was there before He revealed Himself in His human nature. Just as Christ was revealed in the world in the promises and cere-monies and lived in His people which through faith found rest in Him, even so the operation of the Holy Spirit was there before He descended in Person. Without the operation of the Holy Spirit, there would be no salvation under the old dispensation, no portion in Christ, no faith. The operations of the Holy Spirit before Pentecost were but as droplets from heaven. Now the Lord promised by the mouth of Isaiah, “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring.” That promise has been fulfilled.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…”

Under the signs and tokens of a rushing mighty wind and cloven tongues as of fire, the Holy Spirit was poured out. Just as one cannot turn a mighty wind, so the Holy Spirit works irresistibly in the conversion of sinners. No matter which powers come up against them, God draws His people out of the jaws of the hell, and they are drawn as a firebrand out of the fire. He purifies them just as the fire purifies. Here is the deliverance from the dominion of sin even though the strife will remain until the end. In one word, the atonement and the purifying blood of Christ is applied by the Holy Spirit to the elect so that they through faith may live and share in the communion with God.

Oh, miserable and poor people in yourselves, may the rich administration of the Holy Spirit be given unto you. No matter how guilty you know yourselves to be because the light of the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and no matter how black you may be because of sin, here is your deliverance from all of your snares. May it become Pentecost for you, and ask that the streams of the Spirit would come down into your soul. Oh, that those who await the coming of the Lord may have their strength renewed. “They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

You who have been delivered in Christ, the Lord renew His work in you. If the Spirit of the Lord did not remain in you, what would become of you? May the Lord by renewal loosen your tongue so that you would proclaim His praise. May He comfort you in your oppression and cross and cause you to rejoice in your tribulation. May He teach you out of His Word and increase the knowledge of the hidden mysteries of His covenant wherein He bequeaths His eternal salvation.

May the Spirit of the Lord prepare us more and more to that end, until the day of complete deliverance will allow us to enter into that perfect glory where the Lord shall be all and in all. Amen.

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