Open Book

They had been with Jesus…Acts 4:13

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus, Acts 4:13. Of course there was another reason Peter and John spoke with boldness, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, Verse 8. 

When we read the gospels we read accounts of the reactions of people who meet Jesus. Not just meet Him but realize who He really is. We see changed people. When we read the Acts of the Apostles, we read the accounts of people who have believed in Jesus. Not just believed, but transformed by faith into new creations. You are what others are going to read regarding Jesus.

According to Paul, the believers in Corinth were epistles, forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God…2 Corinthians 3:3. Perhaps this is also true of you. You are the letter of Jesus seen by others. A letter not reproduced on a photocopier, but an original written by the Holy Spirit of the living God! Perhaps this is what the Bible means when the word speaks of you being transformed into the image of Christ, 2 Corinthians 3:18.

This is what the people in Jerusalem experienced seeing the new believers on The Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God came upon the people of God. They saw people they ‘perceived’ as uneducated and untrained. When in fact, they had spirit three years in training walking with Jesus day-by-day; like you. Their walk with Jesus was public and very visible. Your walk is private. The result is the same: people notice you have been with Jesus because you walk in His Spirit.

Do not think you need to perform miracles to prove you have the Spirit of God. God chooses those who will perform miracles not you. And certainly not someone else. Do not think you need to be ‘filled with the Spirit’ by some other personal event in your life. You are already filled with the Spirit. There is no more room in you for more of the Spirit. You cannot receive more of the Spirit. You have all of the Spirit you need. 

Put it to the test. The next time you are being tested, say to God…help me. Respond, don’t react. Notice how you respond in the Spirit and not in the flesh and rejoice with the Spirit. Let others enjoy the byproduct of you having been with Jesus!