There were some godly Jews in Jerusalem at this time. They were from every country in the world. A large crowd came together because they heard the noise. They were surprised because, as the apostles were speaking, everyone heard in their own language. They were all amazed at this. They did not understand how the apostles could do this. They said, “Look! These men we hear speaking are all from Galilee. But we hear them in our own languages. How is this possible? We are from all these different places...We are from these different countries, but we can hear these men in our own languages! We can all understand the great things they are saying about God.” The people were all amazed and confused. They asked each other, “What is happening?” But others were laughing at the apostles, saying they were drunk from too much wine.

Acts 2:5-8, 11-13 (ERV)

 

The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was to give the 120 believers the boldness to proclaim the gospel. They were so overfilled with joy that those who saw them thought they were drunk from too much wine. The question is, will people likewise charge us for being "under the influence" of the Holy Spirit when they see how we live our faith?

Some Christians are so stern and strict that they give others the impression that Christianity is a joyless, rule-bound religion. The believers in Acts, however, were not only exuberant about their faith but they were practically unstoppable in sharing their faith. This is a clear demonstration of how a close and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit empowers us to make a difference in our world.

Is the Holy Spirit a silent partner or an active agent in your life?

The Holy Spirit is in you, and He wants you to partner with Him. But our fear of not measuring up often keeps us from stepping out and obeying what God has called us to do. When Christians allow fear to cripple their lives and not resist it, they have in some manner either forgotten or not fully accepted God's perfect love. This will, in turn, prevent them from attempting new things because they seem hard or outside their comfort zones.