John Scott reminds us, 'The 3,000 do not seem to have experienced the same miraculous phenomena,' (the rushing mighty wind, the tongues of flame, or the speech in foreign languages). 'At least nothing is said about these things. Yet because of God's assurance through Peter they must have inherited the same promise and received the same gift (verses 33, 39). Nevertheless, there was the difference between them: the 120 were regenerated already, and received baptism of the Spirit only after waiting upon God for ten days. The 3,000 on the other hand were unbelievers, and received the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of the Spirit simultaneously and it happened immediately when they repented and believed, without any need to wait.'
This distinction between the two companies, the 120 and the 3,000 is of great importance, because the norm of today must surely be the second group, the 3,000 and not (as is often supposed) the first. The fact that the experience of the 120 was in two distinct stages was due simply to historical circumstances. They could not have received the Pentecostal gifts before Pentecost. But these historical circumstances have long since ceased to exist. We live after the event of Pentecost, like the 3,000. With us, therefore, as with them, the forgiveness of sins and the 'gift' of 'baptism' of the Spirit received together.
From that day onward, the Holy Spirit has lived in the hearts of all true believers beginning with the 120 disciples who received Him at Pentecost. When they received the Holy Spirit, He untied them by His indwelling presence into one body the body of Christ, which is the Church.
There were, it is true, several other occasions recorded in the Book of Acts which were similar to Pentecost, such as the so-called 'Samaritan Pentecost' (Acts 8:14-17) and the conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48). Each of these, however, marked a new stage in the expansion of the Church. Samaritans were a mixed race, scorned by many as unworthy of the love of God. Their baptism by the Spirit was a clear sign that they, too, could be part of God's people by faith in Jesus Christ. Cornelius was a Gentile, and his conversion marked still another step in the spread of the Gospel. The baptism of the Spirit which came to him and his household showed conclusively that God's love extended to the Gentiles as well.
In view of all this, no Christian need strive, wait, or 'pray through' to get the Spirit. He has received Him already not as a result of struggle and work, agonizing and prayer, but as an unmerited and unearned gift of grace.
W. Graham Scroggie once said something like this at Keswick: 'On the day of Pentecost, all believers were, by the Baptism of the Spirit, constituted the body of Christ, and since then every separate believer, every soul accepting Christ in simple faith, has in that moment and by that act been made partaker of the blessings of the baptism. It is not, therefore, a blessing which the believer is to seek and receive subsequent to the hour of his conversion!'" (End of quote from Billy Graham's book on "The Holy Spirit" published by Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Warner Books, Edition, 1978.)
Let's study further on the point of being filled with the Holy Spirit, or the fullness of Spirit. Eph. 5:18 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit." Which literally translates "KEEP ON BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT." Paul says do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. Here we find a contrast between two things: alcohol overrides a person's own normal abilities and actions and makes him do things he never would do in his own nature. Therefore, when a believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is enabled to do exploits for God that he could never do with his own natural abilities. God has made many a shy, backward man into a great preacher, etc. We should do nothing of a spiritual nature in the energy of the flesh, but rather in the power of the Spirit. The sad fact is that millions of God's people do not have this fullness of God's Holy Spirit. Why?
God wants to fill every Christian; it is a command "BE YE FILLED". The reason we are not filled is because we are so full of ourselves, our own interests, the things of the world, etc., there is no room for the Holy Spirit to fill us. It is up to each individual Christian as to how much of the fullness of the Holy Spirit he has. If we empty ourselves, halfway, He can fill us half full. If we become an empty vessel, wanting only His will in our lives, He can fill us full. Remember, this is not a one time experience; it is a daily thing! We all know that some days we spend more time in the Word of God and in prayer and are closer to God; fuller of the Holy Spirit than on other days. When we are pre-occupied with ourselves, and the things of the world, it is like the saying, "When our cup runs over, then our saucer gets some." Therefore, it is only when our "cup runneth over" that we can be of help and a blessing to others.
