The active presence of the Holy Spirit can make an enormous difference in our life!
Peter was an enthusiastic follower of Jesus, but he had an unfortunate habit of stumbling at crucial moments. His Lord was praying in the garden, but Peter was dozing. Jesus was surrendering peacefully, but Peter was amputating someone’s ear. Jesus was being falsely accused and bullied while Peter was adamantly denying he knew who Jesus was. Despite Peter’s best intentions, he kept letting His Lord down.
But that was before the erstwhile disciple received the filling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. After that moment, Peter and his companions faced criticism and mocking once again. This time, however, Peter stood up, rather than slinking away. He raised his voice to be heard, rather than whispering denials. He spoke truth, boldly. In fact, he preached such a powerful, spontaneous sermon that 3,000 were immediately added to the church.
What happened? The Holy Spirit had changed Peter’s life. That’s why Jesus instructed His followers to wait until the Spirit’s filling. He knew the powerful difference the Spirit would make in His followers’ lives. Are you serving Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit? What is the evidence?