Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would convict, convince, or prove the world wrong about the human condition.
“And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).
Following Peter’s sermon, given in the power of the Spirit, the crowd was convicted, convinced, and proven wrong about their actions toward Jesus.
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” (Acts 2:37).
I have seen the Holy Spirit do what good preaching and singing could never do. I have seen the Spirit awaken people to their need for Jesus and draw them into a faith encounter with the Savior. This is the work done on the day of Pentecost, and it is the work still being done today.
Repent and Be Baptized
John the Baptist taught a baptism of repentance from sin. Baptism is the outward sign of God’s inner work in a person’s heart through repentance. Like John, Peter proclaimed repentance and baptism.
Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” (Acts 2:38-39).
When John baptized people, he told them that someone would come who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came. Peter could now speak not only about forgiveness of sins, but also about receiving the Holy Spirit, which was available to everyone.
I’m happy to say that Bill Corum is a friend of mine. He is a product of the Holy Spirit’s work in all His fullness. This is a short video of Bill sharing his story. Take a minute and praise God for how He transforms humans.
Baptizing 3,000 People
Above is the story of one man, Bill Corum. Can you imagine the day of Pentecost and 3,000 stories of people who came face-to-face with the Holy Spirit, gave their lives to the Lord, and were changed by God’s loving grace?
And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. (Acts 2:40-41).
What About You?
If you have taken the time to read my blog, I expect you have already experienced the Lord. Do you know people who have not?
This is the beauty of God’s love. He reaches people like Bill Corum, me, and countless others. His Spirit leads them to think about their lives, how broken they are, and how much they need Jesus.
When we share our faith through our lifestyle and words, they have a chance to meet Jesus personally. Like the 3,000 on the Day of Pentecost, or Bill in his story, they can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and have God’s presence living in their lives.
Start praying for them. Ask God how you can minister to them effectively.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Acts 2:37-47 on YouTube today.
Real Voices 