Enduring evidence
By George O. Wood
We must live beyond the initial evidence of Spirit baptism.
Recently, I was in a conference with 200 of our national
leaders and missionaries from the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.
In 16 countries — most of which are very sensitive — the gospel of
Jesus Christ is seeing significant advance despite great hardship, threats and
persecution.
Over the course of three days, we listened to reports from
the delegations in country after country describing the coming of the gospel in
power to their lands. I sat with countless numbers of these leaders, including
the two young sons of martyrs for the gospel who are now ministers where their
fathers laid down their lives for Christ.
In many countries and cities where the church did not even
exist 15 years ago, there are now individual congregations numbering more than
4,000 people. One such church is only 11 years old but has planted more than
100 other churches. Countries where two decades ago you could count the number
of believers on one hand now have thousands of believers in Assemblies of God
churches.
I ask myself, “How has this happened?” The Lord has
impressed me with the fact that these flourishing congregations are
demonstrating the “enduring evidence” of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
In so many of our American churches today, little emphasis
is placed on the Holy Spirit. Those of us in leadership, out of concern over
this neglect, urge our pastors and churches to pray and provide opportunities
for people to receive Spirit baptism with the initial evidence of speaking in
other tongues. But we must not stop there.
Pentecostals have always believed and taught that speaking
in other tongues is the initial physical evidence. But it is initial. We must
have the initial evidence, but we must also go past the initial to the enduring
and ongoing work of the Spirit. The seventh doctrine of our Statement of
Fundamental Truths declares that with the baptism in the Spirit “comes the
enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their
uses in the work of the ministry” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8; 1 Corinthians
12:1-31).
This tenet also states: “With the baptism in the Holy Ghost
come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39;
Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 12:28), an
intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a
more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost” (Mark 16:20).
We believe the baptism in the Spirit brings the delight of
initially speaking with other tongues, but if we stop there this Pentecostal
experience will have no ongoing fruitfulness. I grew up in the Assemblies of
God when it was preached that the baptism in the Spirit is for the empowerment
of believers for life and service. In short, the enduring evidence of the
baptism in the Spirit results in our fulfilling Acts 1:8. Evangelism and
outreach are substantial evidence of the Spirit’s work. If we are not seeing
this evidence — fruitfulness — we’re in trouble.
Practicing what we preach
As Pentecostals, we also hold out a promise. We say that our
churches are blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. But what if, when
people come, there is no sign of His presence, no joy, little love and no
manifestation of the grace and power of Christ?
The fact is, we must become what we advertise or we simply
have no credibility. A “fighting” Pentecostal church is a contradiction in
terms. A Pentecostal church without an emphasis on missions is also a
contradiction, as is a Pentecostal church without outreach or new believers. In
too many of our churches there is little emphasis placed on people receiving
the baptism and fullness of the Spirit. And we get what we preach or don’t
preach.
The church is supposed to be what it advertises.
Unfortunately, some Pentecostal people have, at one time, had an experience
with God, but the work of the Spirit has diminished in their lives. It has not
continued to affect how they live. I know this firsthand because I receive
their critical and judgmental letters. It is amazing to see in so many people
the disconnect between Spirit baptism and the Spirit-filled life.
Authentic Pentecost
Many years ago, an article appeared in a business magazine
by a man who had been studying the economic recovery in Brazil after a period
of the nation’s worst inflation. One of the major factors to which he
attributed the economic recovery was the Pentecostal revival, especially
singling out the Assemblies of God. He interviewed non-Christian factory owners
who said they want Assemblies of God employees because they don’t come in with
a hangover on Monday mornings, they don’t steal and they work a full day. This
calls to my remembrance another example.
A man who worked in a factory was known for foul language
and telling off-color stories. Friday night after he’d get his paycheck, he
would go down to the bar and spend most of his money. By the time he got home,
he didn’t have much left for groceries or rent that week.
One night, he went into a church service and was wonderfully
saved and transformed. When he went back to work, he was no longer swearing or
telling off-color stories, and he was coming home with his full paycheck.
His co-workers were not happy with the change in his life.
They taunted and ridiculed him.
One day, a co-worker asked him, “Do you believe Jesus turned
water into wine?”
He said, “Yes, I do. I wasn’t there when it happened. But in
my house, He turned beer into furniture.”
That’s an enduring work of the Spirit.
Leading by example
Many people just don’t feel the need for the Holy Spirit.
This may be because they have seen special gifts misused. I think much of it
has to do with people seeing a disconnect between the testimony of those who
say they are Spirit-filled and their actual conduct.
Jesus talked about how the anxieties and cares of this world
can crowd spiritual things out. When our life is full of appointments, when we
have what we need to make it through life’s challenges, when our relationships
are going well, we tend to get comfortable and satisfied, like the Laodicean
church — neither hot nor cold. There must be a desire for the Holy
Spirit.
I think the reason so many of our young people today are
struggling intellectually with the doctrine of initial evidence is because they
do not see enough churches with enduring evidence of the work of the Holy
Spirit. The only difference some see between a Pentecostal church and a
non-Pentecostal church is that the Pentecostals speak in tongues. The younger
generation is looking for more than words — they long to witness the
demonstration of the Spirit’s person, presence and power.
Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence at the beginning
of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but there is far more to the Spirit’s
fullness! We will have much more credibility in preaching the doctrine of
initial evidence if that proclamation is backed up by an ongoing demonstration
of the Spirit’s power. His power propels believers into this world with an
anointing to witness, a lifestyle like that of Jesus … a boldness to heal the
sick in body and heart, to cast out demons and to bring good news to the poor.
This is an hour for us as Pentecostals to proclaim with new
fervor both the baptism and fullness of the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is
that initial dynamic that catapults our experience beyond the natural into the
supernatural. But if that’s all there is, we will be like a rocket launched
into space that, instead of going into orbit, plunges to the ground. The
baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s great rocket booster to lift us past what
the flesh can do and into the orbit of supernatural usefulness to fulfill the
Great Commission of our Lord. The orbit God wants for us is that “the word of
God spread ... the number of disciples ... increased” (Acts 6:7, NIV).
It is vital that pastors and ministers live a life full of
the Spirit and call people to experience Spirit baptism and receive the
fullness of the Holy Spirit. Early Pentecostals did not try to argue people
into the baptism in the Spirit. They lived and preached in such a way that
people wanted what they had.
If we have nothing to give but arguments and theological
defenses of our doctrinal position, this generation will seek spiritual reality
elsewhere. I am not saying that apologetics are unimportant. Clearly, we must
be able to give a reason for the doctrines we hold. But we must acknowledge
that there will be no lack of people responding to the work of the Spirit when
they see a demonstration of the reality of the Spirit’s presence and power.
I want to exhort all of us to stir up the fire and preach
not only the initial evidence, but the enduring and fruitful evidence of Spirit
baptism. If we only have the initial evidence but no empowerment, our young
people will no longer be interested in the initial evidence. But if they see
the enduring evidence — the empowerment that brings people to Christ and
grows the church while God performs signs and wonders among us — then
they will want the initial evidence of Spirit baptism as the gateway to the
enduring evidence of living a Spirit-filled life.
GEORGE O. WOOD is general superintendent of the Assemblies
of God.
E-mail your comments to tpe@ag.org.
