Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We’ll read again the words in Titus chapter 3 where this is spoken of. Beginning in verse 5, in the middle of the verse,

“He,” that is God, “saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

I want you to see that there are two successive operations of the Holy Spirit. First, what I call the inward, invisible change in personality and nature: “the washing of rebirth, renewal by the Holy Spirit.” That’s an inward, miraculous change wrought by the finger of God, God’s invisible finger, the Holy Spirit, that reaches into the depths of the human heart and soul, touches areas that no one else can reach, not even the psychiatrist, and changes and transforms and renews.

But that is followed, in God’s provision, by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. So, Paul says first of all, “rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” Then he goes on to say, “whom,” that is the Holy Spirit, He, God, “poured out on us generously,” or abundantly, or freely, “through Jesus Christ our Savior.” So, in God’s provision, first of all, there comes the inward renewing of rebirth, and then the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is called in the New Testament being “clothed with supernatural power from above.”

Now, both these experiences are exemplified in the experience of the first apostles, the first disciples of Jesus. Let’s look at the experience of rebirth, the inward change that comes first. And here we look at the record of what took place on the Resurrection Sunday, the evening of that day, as Jesus appeared to His disciples. We are reading now from John chapter 20, verses 19 through 22:

“On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.”

He demonstrated to them that He was the very one whom they had seen hanging on the cross.

“The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

You see there, for the first time, they had a direct, face-to-face encounter with the resurrected Christ. And meeting the resurrected Christ, as I pointed out, we never stay the same. They were transformed, and the transforming agent was the Holy Spirit breathed into each of them by the Lord Jesus. They were born again. That inward change of character and nature had taken place. But that was not the end of the work of the Holy Spirit. Now, I’m going to go on to the second operation of the Holy Spirit, that which I’ve described, and the New Testament describes, as being “clothed with supernatural power.”

And we’re going to go on to what I call Pentecost Sunday, seven weeks later. First of all, let’s look at the promises that Jesus gave after this Resurrection Sunday experience, but before the Pentecost Sunday experience. In Luke 24:46 through 49, this is what we read. He, Jesus, told them, His disciples,

“This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city,” that’s Jerusalem, “until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

So Jesus said, “You’re going to be my witnesses of what took place through my death and resurrection.” But He said, in effect, “You’re not ready to go out yet and be witnesses. You need this supernatural clothing with power from on high by the Holy Spirit. Wait in the city of Jerusalem until you’ve received it. I’m promising it to you on my Father’s behalf.”

And then a little further on, in Acts chapter 1, verses 5 and 8, right at the end of His time together with them on earth, Jesus told His disciples this. Acts 1:5,

“For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

And verse 8,

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

So there again, He renewed the promise of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.

Then we move on to the next chapter of Acts, Acts chapter 2, and in the first four verses we read how His promise was fulfilled.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

That’s the description of this supernatural clothing with power from above to be effective witnesses for Jesus and for His resurrection.

And then the crowd gathered, and Peter gave his discourse, explaining what had taken place. And he closed his discourse with these words in Acts 2:32 and 33:

“God raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”

The language that Peter used corresponds exactly to that of Paul in Titus chapter 3. First of all, we’re reborn from within, and then, after the rebirth, the Lord Jesus pours out generously on us the Holy Spirit to equip us with supernatural power to be His witnesses. And as we read on in the record of the book of Acts, we find that this continued in an ever-widening circle: to Samaria, to Caesarea, to Ephesus.

And so, as we close, let’s just state this double purpose of these two experiences. The new birth, the inner work of the Holy Spirit, qualifies us for heaven. But the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the supernatural clothing with power, equips us for life on earth. If we went straight to heaven after we were born again, we wouldn’t really need this supernatural clothing with power. But if we’re going to live in this earth and be witnesses for Jesus, then we need the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.