June 4
2 Samuel 22:1-23:23; Acts 2:1-47; Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 16:19-20
Acts 2 describes the sending of the Holy Spirit upon believers. In the Gospels, Jesus told his disciples that it was better for him to go away and the Spirit’s coming shows why this is true. In this initial manifestation of the Spirit, his coming is accompanied by a physical sign of fire and the apostles miraculously speaking in many languages. God confirms the reality of the gift through these signs.
Many Christians today try to replicate these types of signs as evidence of their salvation. They pursue speaking in tongues, ecstatic gifts, and emotional experiences. Though there is nothing wrong with these things, Acts 2 shows us that these are not the normal evidence of the Holy Spirit working in someone’s life. Instead, Acts 2:42 describes a truly transformed life. It is a commitment to God's word, to fellowship, to communion, to prayer, and to radical generosity. These are the normative signs for people who have been transformed by God and should be true of our lives as well. So let us commit ourselves to pursuing God in the context of the church and respond to the needs of those around us. That is what a life lived in response to God looks like. A new life in Christ should be evidenced in a new way of living.
God, thank you for your Spirit who empowers and indwells my life. Thank you for your Spirit who enables me to live for you and for your glory. Enable me to not continue the patterns of sin and selfishness in my life but to live in new ways that your Spirit makes available to me. Amen.
Question of the day: How well are you committed to the values expressed in Acts 2:42?
Acts 2 describes the sending of the Holy Spirit upon believers. In the Gospels, Jesus told his disciples that it was better for him to go away and the Spirit’s coming shows why this is true. In this initial manifestation of the Spirit, his coming is accompanied by a physical sign of fire and the apostles miraculously speaking in many languages. God confirms the reality of the gift through these signs.
Many Christians today try to replicate these types of signs as evidence of their salvation. They pursue speaking in tongues, ecstatic gifts, and emotional experiences. Though there is nothing wrong with these things, Acts 2 shows us that these are not the normal evidence of the Holy Spirit working in someone’s life. Instead, Acts 2:42 describes a truly transformed life. It is a commitment to God's word, to fellowship, to communion, to prayer, and to radical generosity. These are the normative signs for people who have been transformed by God and should be true of our lives as well. So let us commit ourselves to pursuing God in the context of the church and respond to the needs of those around us. That is what a life lived in response to God looks like. A new life in Christ should be evidenced in a new way of living.
God, thank you for your Spirit who empowers and indwells my life. Thank you for your Spirit who enables me to live for you and for your glory. Enable me to not continue the patterns of sin and selfishness in my life but to live in new ways that your Spirit makes available to me. Amen.
Question of the day: How well are you committed to the values expressed in Acts 2:42?
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