In 1964, noted Scottish Presbyterian theologian, Dr Thomas F. Torrance, addressed the World Alliance of Reformed Churches on the theme of Come Creator Spirit, for the Renewal of Worship and Witness. In that address, he said:

If our worship and witness are conspicuous for their lack of Holy Spirit, it is surely because we Protestants, whatever we may confess in our creeds, have diminished belief in the transcendent power and utter Godness of the Creator Spirit, and have become engrossed in our own subjectivities and the development of our own inherent potentialities.

Hence the first thing that must happen to us is a glad subjection to the lordly freedom and majesty of God the Holy Spirit, and a humble readiness for miraculous divine acts that transcend all human possibilities and break through the limitations of anything we can conceive. Come, Creator Spirit, is a prayer of open surrender to the absolute creativity of God. 

That is a staggering challenge from an eminent Reformed theologian of a past era. I believe the challenge is even more relevant for today. It may cause us to reflect on our experience of the Holy Spirit at this time.

The Book of Acts describes the outcome of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I follow it briefly.

A Church of Power

The disciples were promised power when the Holy Spirit would come on them.

“But 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.” Acts 1:8

Pentecost was the realisation of this promise. 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.” Acts 2:1-4

The Day of Pentecost records the outpouring of the Spirit in power. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones has said, “It is really almost incredible that people would go on saying that what happened at Pentecost was once and for all.”

In fact, the progress of the mission of the church showed this empowerment in action.

Acts 3:1-10 relates the healing of the lame man at the Temple gate. Of course, this is not a once-off event. The miraculous occurs again and again in the narrative of Acts.

Dr Craig S. Keener examines the claims for miracles in his magisterial two-volume Miracles. He draws this conclusion at the end of volume one:

Many healing claims involve blindness, inability to walk, and even raising from death. Other claims involve sudden changes in nature after prayers; despite some debatable instances, some other cases are fairly clearly extraordinary. It seems to me that to dispute such phenomena have sometimes occurred is not really possible for open-minded people.

What Keener asserts and what is reported in Acts is to be the continuing experience of the Christian Church.

A Church Unified

Here is what was said of the earliest believers after Pentecost.

“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.” Acts 2:46 (NKJ)

The term “of one accord” (omothumadon) occurs multiple times in Acts (1:14; 2:1;46; 4:24; 5:121; 7:57; 8:6; 12:20; 15:25; 18:12; 19:29). Such frequency highlights the importance of the unity the early believers experienced.

We struggle for unity today. Often, we let secondary issues restrict whom we fellowship and work with. However, our nation is in a spiritual crisis like never before. We need those who are authentic Christians believing in the inspiration and authority of Scripture, coupled with absolute faith in Jesus as the only way of salvation, to come together and work for the good of the kingdom of God.

A Church at Prayer

Faced with a crisis, the early believers were praying and then, when they heard the report of Peter and John, they broke out in this striking prayer:

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.  You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.” Acts 4:24-26

 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. “They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Acts 4:28-30

We will see the true church operating in Holy Spirit power in the days ahead as persecution of Christians standing on their faith increases. The church will be like it was in the Book of Acts and it is already in places like China, Iran and many countries in Africa where persecution of Christians is prevalent. They will be praying prayers like the one quoted above.