Written by Aisha Darwesh
The Word
15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” –Acts 11:15-18 ESV
Aisha’s Analysis
Today’s passage from the Book of Acts illuminates God’s master plan of saving all who believe in Him. Prior to Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection, there were certain commands and traditions the Jewish people followed to outwardly display their exclusivity with God.
What did this look like? They could not eat certain foods, underwent circumcision, prayed only to God as opposed to other gods or deities of the land they were in whether it was Egypt, Babylon, etc. As history shows us, they could not follow these laws perfectly and did not.
This is what makes Jesus’ arrival so hopeful and miraculous. God wrote Himself into the story to fulfill God’s law, so that sinful humanity (Jews and gentiles alike) could enter God’s Kingdom. Jesus changes everything. The gospel is good news because it shows us the way back to God. What the Jewish people were previously powerless to do (i.e. live in holiness), they could now do inherently through the power of the Holy Spirit.
When Peter told the apostles and other Jewish believers that the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles just as He had for them, they fell silent (See Acts 11:15-18 above). The Holy Spirit falling on Gentiles removed the criticism and judgment of wrongdoing on Peter’s part.
What does this mean for us? Whether you are of Jewish descent or a Gentile, it means no human has to fulfill the law in order to be righteous, and no human can. All that is needed is believing in Jesus and trusting in His holiness to grant you entrance into God’s kingdom and covenant. Even the faith that is needed to believe in Jesus is a gift of God (see Ephesians 2:8-9).
Also, when we place our faith in Jesus, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and it is through living in union with the Holy Spirit that we are able to live in holiness. He transforms us from the inside out. This law applies to all, whether Jew or Gentile, as seen in the verses above.
The gift of the Holy Spirit falling on people of all nations displays God’s inclusivity to all people. The presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within each of us individually is evidence of our transformed hearts and exclusive devotion to One, our Lord Jesus.
Application
How can the Holy Spirit’s presence silence any criticism that is running in the background of your mind? You may not even be aware of what you are criticizing/judging as wrong. Even this takes the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate.
Doing what appears to be right in our own sight cannot always be trusted. In fact, doing what seems right often opens the door to sin and straying away from God’s path. This shows us how desperately we need the Holy Spirit to show us the way, and He is so faithful to guide us into all Truth.
As a practical way to show your reliance on God’s righteousness over self-righteousness, make some time and space for prayer and worship in your life. Is it on your commute, in the shower, 5 minutes, 20 minutes, on your lunch break, the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? There’s no right or wrong answer; just find something that works for you, and use that time to seek God in prayer. Ask Him to show you where you might be missing it, and ask Him for guidance on where you might need to make a course correction. Trust that He will show you.
Prayer
Father God, I am so grateful that You sent Jesus to the world to lift us out of the pit we dug for ourselves. Lord Jesus, I am eternally grateful that You sent the Holy Spirit to help me live in holy surrender to Your ways. I pray my spirit will be empowered by Your Spirit to see through lies and discern Your will for me today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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