(Continuation of meditation)
c-2.) Today we want to see how God's Spirit implemented God's plan for Christ's church in New Testament times:
• The gift of God’s Spirit to Christ’s church
In Old Testament times, God's prophets announced that the gift of His Spirit to His people would be the main characteristic of His promised new [Messianic] covenant (see Meditation 33).
These prophesies came to fulfilment at the start of the celebration of Pentecost after Christ's resurrection. Luke writes: "On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus's resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. ... Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit..." (Acts 2:1 and 4)
In Peter's message to the onlookers that morning he draws the link between Jesus's enthronement and the gift of God's Spirit, just as Jesus had promised in John 14:16 and 15:26 : "Now he sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today."
(Acts 2:33)
Peter ends his words with the appeal: "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
(Acts 2:38-39)
Peter added that the gift of God's Spirit was not a one-time historic event. On the contrary, everyone who would accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, would receive the promised Spirit of God: "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off -- for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:39)
The Gospel-writer Luke tells in the book of Acts that God will give His promised Spirit not only Jewish believers in Jesus, but to everyone who would turn to Christ in faith and repentance.
That started with Peter’s Gospel preaching in the house of the Roman centurion Cornelius: “Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who had heard the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles [non-Jews], too." (Acts 10:44-45)
• The church as a Spirit-guided community
In our meditations so far we have seen that any local church stands or falls depending upon the presence and guidance of God’s Spirit. Luke gives an example of His care for the church in Acts 9:
“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.” (Acts 9:31)
The apostle Paul speaks to the church in Rome about their need to be governed by God’s Spirit: “...but you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)” (Romans 8:9)
In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul writes about the transforming work of God’s Spirit in the Christian community: “...as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him [Christ] and reflect his glory even more.”
(2 Corinthians 3:18)
• The church as ‘the light of the world’ and ‘the salt of the earth’
In our last Meditation we saw that Jesus commanded His church to display Christlike love and compassion through the power of God’s Spirit. Luke shows us in two illustrations how the early Jerusalem church manifested itself as ‘the light of the world’ and 'the salt of the earth':
Illustration 1:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people.
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)
Illustration 2:
“... After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
All the believers were one in heart and mind.
No-one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” (Acts 4:31-35)
This Spirit-given love and care which we just saw in the church of Jerusalem, is manifested again in the church in Antioch (Syria):
“... some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings to predict by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)
So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could.
This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.” (Acts 11:27b-30)
It is in this God-loving church that the Holy Spirit ‘visibly’ rules. We find another example of it in Acts 13:
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:1-3)
Later Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch in Syria and stay there for some time to teach and preach God’s Word again.
Notice Luke’s important sideline remark that God’s Spirit had raised up ‘many others’ in that church who taught and preached God’s Word: “... Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.”
(Acts 15:35)
Further on, Luke continues to mentions how God’s Spirit had worked in various churches without actually referring to Him: “... the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” (Acts 16:5) and “... In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” (Acts 19:20)
The love and compassion of God’s Spirit, which we saw at work in the early Jerusalem church and in the Syrian Antioch church, are again manifested in the Macedonian churches. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth about the exemplary way these churches send relief to the poor in Jerusalem:
“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.
Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.”
(2 Corinthians 8:1-5)
One chapter later on, Paul praises the Corinthian church for their help to the famine-stricken church in Jerusalem: “I really don't need to write to you about this gift for the Christians in Jerusalem.
For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to our friends in Macedonia that you Christians in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago.
In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of them to begin helping.” (2 Corinthians 9:1-2)
And in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 the apostle writes about the mutual love and care among the Christians in Jerusalem and Corinth:
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
There are many more fine examples in the New Testament about the ways God’s Spirit was at work in these first-century churches.
I want to mention one more account regarding the ‘prototype church’ in Thessalonica. Notice the way Paul links together the presence of God’s Spirit, their love for God, Father and Son, their obedience to God’s Word, their care for fellow Christians and their testimony to the world:
“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.
You know how we lived among you for your sake.
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia --your faith in God has become known everywhere.
Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us.
They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."
(1 Thessalonians 1:2-10)
In the last meditation we saw that God views Christ’s church as ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’. He sees it as a Spirit-guided community on pilgrimage. It is Christ’s Body that, empowered by God’s Spirit, should pursue purity, blamelessness and holiness in preparation for Jesus’ return in glory.
We might wonder how God dealt with churches in New Testament times that did not obey God’s Spirit and God’s Word and did not live up to God’s view on Christ’s church. That will be the theme of the next meditation.
Acts 2:1 and 4, Acts 2:3, Acts 10:44-45, Acts 11:27b-30, Romans 8:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 9:1-2 are quotes from the New Living Translation. The other texts are quoted from the New International Version.
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