Then the Spirit Came

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit ... before the great and terrible day of the Lord come" (Joel 2:28, 31)

There is a great modern error which I want to mention: it is that the coming of the Holy Spirit happened once for all, that the individual Christian is not affected by it. This error asserts that the coming of the Holy Spirit is an historic thing, an advance in the dispensational workings of God; but that it is all settled now and we need give no further thought to it. It is all here and we have it all, and if we believe in Christ that is it, and there isn't anything more.

Listen, brother. Our Lord Jesus Christ advertised that He was going away to the Father and He was going to send back for His people a wonderful gift.

Then the Spirit came. Was He equal to the advertising? Did they say, "Is this all He meant! Oh, it is disappointing!" No. The Scripture says they wondered. The word "wonder" is in their mouths and hearts. He gave so much more than He promised, because words were the promise and the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment.

The Holy Spirit is always within reach, if we are in a condition to receive and absorb Him.

~A. W. Tozer~