Acts 2 shows us the incredible power of the Holy Spirit, and how He can change the world around us. It also contains some interesting reactions from those who don’t know what it’s like to feel the Spirit’s power. Bystanders in the crowd assumed that Jesus’ followers were drunk because of the things that they were saying and the array of languages that they were suddenly able to speak in. Paul clears things up, explaining a little bit about the Holy Spirit’s power and quoting prophesy from Joel (you can read the full story in Acts 2:1-41). That’s possibly why, when Paul comes to write his letter to the Ephesians, he’s contrasting being drunk to the experience of knowing the Holy Spirit. People might have confused the two, but the effects of a Holy Spirit-filled life are unmistakable. Allowing our lives to be guided by the Spirit leads to qualities that change our lives, and the lives of those around us. In Galatians 5, we find a list of the fruits of the Spirit. These are things that will be evident in our lives when we live with the Spirit. Imagine a world where everyone is filled with ‘love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV). Imagine our own days, if all of our actions were guided by those principles. A day like that would look a lot like one of Jesus’, wouldn’t it? And that’s exactly why He left His Spirit with us, so that we can be filled and guided to continue His work, here on earth.
