The arrival of God’s Spirit at Pentecost was dramatically announced in wind and flames. The wind is a symbol of the breath of God, His Spirit, or ‘ruach.’ The fire represents God’s presence with His people as they were making their way through the wilderness to the Promised Land. The separating of the fire into what looked like tongues of flame on the heads of each one in the room, speaks of the making of the disciples into ‘mobile temples,’ new dwelling places of God’s presence. By this baptism in the Holy Spirit, they had become God’s temple, His Church, where He was pleased to make His dwelling in the Holy Spirit.The Apostle Paul writes it this way: ”Don’t you realize that together you have become God’s inner sanctuary and that the Spirit of God makes his permanent home in you?” 1 Cor. 3:16, TPT.
Paul again: “Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new . . . For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him.” 2 Cor. 5:17,21, TPT.
Here’s what we can so easily miss in what Paul is writing: he is saying that, since Jesus’ death perfectly fulfilled the requirements of the law once for all time, we, miraculously, now are the righteousness of God! (you may want to re-read that last part). Jesus did it! For us! No work on our part, no trying to be less bad, no effort to overcome shame, no toiling or sweating it to achieve what is our already-accomplished right standing before God. It’s fait accompli!
This detail of our Salvation in Jesus is, I’m sure, the very thing the Enemy works hardest at keeping from us, masking this most glorious truth with a nagging awareness of our sin, our failure, our past, our history, all things shaming, you name it. If he succeeds at keeping our eyes focused on our inabilities (that great, long list), then his work is done. If we ignore him, and instead, focus our eyes on the Truth, we are an unstoppable Kingdom force. In the presence of Love Himself, all fear gets annihilated (and good riddance!). “It is through [God] that we live and function and have our identity.’” Acts 17:28, TPT. Works for me. PD
