02/14/22 BE PENTECOSTAL, NOT BENTECOSTAL

02/14/22 BE PENTECOSTAL, NOT BENTECOSTAL

Don't confuse the Biblical Pentecostal with the unreasonable wannabee, which I call a Bentecostal (because they have a bent belief system and present a warped message).

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit was given by God to believers to purify them (sanctify them completely) and equip them for holy, self-denying, Christ-exalting service. This fullness of the Holy Spirit enables and empowers believers by delivering them from all unrighteousness and giving them a single eye.

A simple, but careful reading of the New Testament makes it clear that there is no, "God Language," "Angelic Language," or "Heavenly Language" referred to in the Book of Acts. The "other tongues" that the believers spoke at that time were human languages that were not known to the speakers. It was for the purpose of communicating the gospel to those who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Passover and Pentecost. It was during this season of Jewish celebration that Jesus died on the cross, arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sent His Holy Spirit to baptize (fill) the believers.

God continues to save sinners (cleanse your hands you sinners) and to purify believers (purify your hearts you double-minded). God not only forgives our sins at regeneration (though He does not purify our hearts at that time), He also cleanses, delivers from the sinful nature, sanctifies believers entirely when they are filled with the Holy Spirit, as the believers were on the Day of Pentecost in Acts.

Jesus requires believers (saved people) to wait for the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit before they launch out into ministry. A believer who is still carnal is not fit to serve God, since that believer still has a double mind, a carnal mind, and is still wrestling with the law of sin and death. It is only when a believer has been crucified with Christ that he is dead to the world, the flesh, and to sin. Until the Old Man is destroyed, the carnal believer is not single-minded or of one mind with God, therefore not fit to be a Christian leader.

Physical manifestations and signs are not given as proof that we have the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The proof of our total commitment is conformity to the likeness and image of Jesus, which comes to us at the time of our Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

The true evidence of the Holy Spirit's fullness is not miracles but holiness of heart and life, conformity to the image of Jesus.