Baptized by the Holy Ghost

Background Scripture: Acts 1-2; 19:1-7
Lesson Scripture: Acts 1:5-11; 11:13-18

Introduction

For members of the church of God, social life as well as religious activity revolves around church. It is comprised of those we know, trust, and love. Our fellowship is much more than just worshipping together; we are involved with each other in family life, familiar with each other’s businesses and vocations, and have a general idea most times what everyone is doing within the congregation.

Though some may almost object to this closeness and interaction, it is the result of the church’s institutions of truth. These are based upon the timeless principles of the Word of God. For the people of God, believing in the visible, unified church and the way God has given to us is a special part of embracing a lifestyle that becomes complementary to true Christian faith. Culture is not something to disdain; it is an unavoidable consequence of being human. Faithfully living the teachings and doctrines of the Bible will produce a culture and lifestyle just like living a life of unbelief will. Trying to blend the lifestyle of the world with that of the church because we are dissatisfied will only result in feeling like we do not belong anywhere.

For this quarter of Sunday school, we will be studying in the book of Acts. This book, of course, is about the beginning of the New Testament church. There are more than just thirteen lessons to be found in the book of Acts; hopefully everyone will find multiple topics worthy of study within each lesson.

Acts is a book of recorded history that, by God’s design, became part of the Holy Scripture. In consideration of the social issues and pressures imposed upon the church today, it is easy to see why. Acts has provided a foundation and pattern for God’s people ever since the advent of the church age. While studying these lessons, take note of some of the underlying social issues and pressures these believers were subjected to and how they were dealt with. Keeping the true faith has always been closely connected to lifestyle; it must be in order to distinguish the difference between the visible church and the world.

Baptized by the Holy Ghost

Lesson 1

June 4, 2023

Background Scripture: Acts 1-2; 19:1-7

Lesson Scripture: Acts 1:5-11; 11:13-18

Introduction

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. He should not be referred to as it because He is just as real as the Father and the Son, even though He is a spirit.

Perhaps no other doctrine of the Holy Scriptures generates more discussion and disagreement among professing Christians than that of the Holy Spirit. An unbelieving world has difficulty comprehending how an infinite and eternal God can make Himself known to man. God does so, to a great extent, through human interaction and conduct; we feel and sense each other’s spirits, dispositions, and attitudes. God touches the temporal bounds of human existence by the power of the Holy Spirit’s influence over the evil nature of man. The mind and willpower of mankind is bound by physical matter and time, while the Holy Spirit has no bounds nor limitations.

Our explanation of the Holy Spirit and his work must go no further than what is revealed by the Word of God. How the Holy Spirit represents God and how He performs that divine will within humanity cannot be changed or adulterated by our own passions, ideas, or knowledge. His work is inexplicable by human intellect, but his presence is undeniable when it becomes evident in the life of a believer because it reflects the image of Jesus Christ.

Key Verse

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions (Joel 2:28).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Could there be a note of exasperation in the disciples’ question when they asked, “Are you finally going to restore the kingdom of Israel now?” After all they had been through, both disaster and triumph, there may have been a whisper of frustrated anticipation in their question. We wonder why they could not at last comprehend, but in looking back, it becomes a little more understandable. The Jewish people had an intense desire to again be an independent nation answerable to God alone. It was part of their national identity. The idea of a spiritual kingdom governed by spiritual laws was inconceivable. Their present traditions and customs had generationally evolved through years of law and ritual, and the disciples’ perspective would change only after the Holy Spirit was given. The Spirit taught them, opened their minds, and caused them to remember and recognize what Jesus had been telling them while He was still with them.

The outpouring and the infilling of the Holy Spirit gave them the mind of Christ and therefore enlightened their vision and understanding. The disciples changed into fearless soldiers of the cross, fighting with spiritual weapons and power far beyond what they could have anticipated. Their work after their spiritual baptism bears witness to the effectiveness the Holy Spirit had in their lives.

Let us stand with the disciples gazing steadfastly into the sky and watch while the cloud receives Jesus out of sight. Together, we can almost feel the mixed emotions as we stand feeling alone, abandoned, and forlorn. Jesus, who had come to mean so much to us, the One whose resurrection rekindled hope after the seeming disaster and trauma of the crucifixion, has gone again, this time for good. With silent prayer and eyes glistening with tears, we strain to see at least something of his fading figure, but He is gone. What shall we do without Him?

The loving Father, seeing the longing of his disciples’ hearts, sent two angels with a message of hope and expectation. Surely they were silently comforted as they turned back to Jerusalem. Perhaps their steps were slower and the conversation hushed as they meditated and counseled together, trying to understand what Jesus’s ascension meant for them now.

It is both interesting and instructive to note how limited the perception was of God’s ultimate plan for the salvation of mankind while it was unfolding. We are able to get an insight into the level of spiritual awareness and vision of those who lived under the law of that dispensation. There were many questions regarding the messianic prophecies and the coming kingdom. The most faithful believers of that time sought to understand but were only given fleeting glimpses and partial revelations.

God’s divine plan unfolded in spite of man’s limitations. When the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the believers, they were at last convinced of the full meaning of prophecy and its fulfillment. The early church focused their gospel outreach on the privileged position of the Jewish nation. In time, however, Peter was instructed by the Holy Spirit to baptize the gentile Cornelius and his family, an abrupt departure from the thinking of the early church brethren. They asked Peter to give an account of his actions, in which he related to them the vision he saw and the instructions he received. It seems as if the Holy Spirit had prepared the minds of the other believers to accept the revelation and direction that Peter had received, and everyone was glad that so many more could be included in this wonderful new kingdom.

Practical Truths for Today

Studying the ways of the Holy Spirit will cause our appreciation for his work to grow in our hearts. Each part of the Trinity is one and inseparable. They work in perfect harmony and purpose. It is impossible for the human tongue to describe a divine being so inscrutable and infinite.

A new birth and conversion produces a changed person through the transforming work of the blood of Jesus Christ. The new spiritual life imparted by the Holy Spirit creates a person who begins to take on the likeness and character of Jesus, much like a child inherits its own family traits.

This transformation into the image of Jesus is a process that continues throughout the life of a Christian. A Christian can be filled with the Holy Spirit but is not able to receive Him in full measure. We read only of One who was given the Spirit without measure, that being Jesus Christ (John 3:34). The measure of the Spirit we receive is under the Father’s control, perhaps according to the believer’s need, his consecration, or the level of his faith.

According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, we are changed “from glory to glory” into the image of Jesus by an “open face beholding . . . the glory of the Lord.” God’s work in us is then performed “even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The “open face” could indicate the desire for truth that is free from selfish bias, offense, or other spirits. This is a result of the renewing of the mind when we are born again. To behold the glory of the Lord, we need to have a spiritual vision. The glory of the Lord is his death, resurrection, and ascension along with his exalted position at the right hand of the Father. To be changed from glory to glory could refer to a Christian’s spiritual growth and sanctification as referenced in Philippians 3:10: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

Every experience, every battle, every victory, every trial, every moment of a Christian’s life becomes a potential for experiencing the glory of the Lord. By the work of the Holy Spirit, we are changed, step by daily step, into the image of our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). To be baptized with the Holy Ghost is to be under his influence and control. As water baptism is a sign and seal of membership in the church, so the presence of the Holy Spirit is the sign and seal of the child of God. His witness is of utmost importance; it is given at the will of God upon those who desire Him and commit themselves to his keeping. The Holy Spirit’s indwelling is a wonderful gift that has been given to all Christian believers since the Day of Pentecost.

Questions

1. To what extent can we use our feelings to judge the infilling of the Holy Spirit?
2. Is it possible to always understand and discern the voice of the Spirit?
3. Identify the difference between the voice of the Spirit and the many other voices that can be heard in our daily life.
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).