THE PROMISE IS FOR ALL

MEMORY VERSE: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:39

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 8-9

READ: Acts 2:38-39

There are many Christians who do not believe in tongues. Someone, not from the Pentecostal circle, once told me that the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially ' tongues' have been done away with. He assured me strongly that gift of tongues is not for this dispensation and he backed it up with a bible verse. 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” Do you know people mis-quote and mis- apply the scripture? Some years back, a colleague at work sat me down and began to lecture me on God’s will on marriage. Since i am always willing to learn i gave him my rapt attention. “Do you know that Christians must only marry from their tribes”, he said. Yoruba Christians (Christians from Yoruba tribe in Nigeria) must only marry Yoruba Christians; Zulu Christians (Christians from Zulu tribe in South Africa) must only marry Zulu Christians; Oromo Christians (Christians from Oromo tribe in Somalia) must only marry Oromo Christians; Bihar Christians (Christians from a Bihar tribe in India) must only marry Bihar Christians. “Oh great theologian and prophet, where did you get this heresy from?” i asked. He said the bible says, “to your tent oh Israel” (1 Kings 12:16). In other words, if you want to marry go to your tent i.e. your tribe. This is a wrong application of the scriptures. The only thing the bible says is Christians must only marry Christians. It does not matter where the fellow comes from, as far as he or she is a Christian you can marry them- provided you are led by the Spirit of God.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit especially tongues have not been done away it. It is still relevant in this dispensation. Acts 2:39 says, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” What promise is that? The gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Peter was referring to the infilling of the Holy Spirit which is also known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. At new birth, the believer receives a measure of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8, Romans 8:16). But there is also a work of the Holy Spirit that God desires to perform in the life of every believer subsequent or following the new-birth experience, and that is called the infilling of the Holy Spirit or the baptism in the Holy Spirit ( Luke 24:49 , Acts 1:8). You say, “yes I believe in the infilling of the Holy Spirit but i don't believe in tongues”? Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Speaking in tongues is an evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. According to Acts 10:45-46, speaking in tongues goes hand in hand with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

NOTE: Since the day God gave the gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, He never took back that gift.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world