I’ve heard and read about the great Pentecost revival in the book of Acts many times, but somehow the first sentence never really resonated with me before…
The very first sentence about this most famous day of Pentecost says that all of Jesus’ disciples were together and with ‘one accord’. Contrary to popular belief, this does not mean they were all crammed into a Honda sedan… this means they were all in agreement - in harmony with one another.
So the question is: If they were not in one accord would the Spirit have shown up? I believe the answer is ‘No’. I think all the events that happened – Jesus death and resurrection, the time Jesus spent with the disciples after that great first Easter sunrise, and the great commission followed by Jesus ascending to the heavens – were all combined in a way to ensure the disciples would be clinging to their hope in what was to come, and to each other.
So the next question is: When we are in discord (lack of harmony), should we expect the Spirit to be with us? Again, I believe the answer is ‘No’. To be Spirit-filled is to be in harmony – with the Spirit, of course, but with fellow believers as well! How can we expect to be filled and led by the Spirit if we cannot get along with our own brothers and sisters of the faith?
Can we so quickly and easily ignore the new commandment our proclaimed Lord and Savior gave to us?
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34)
We have a duty to our King to love our fellow believers, whether we like them or not. Let us do this out of love for our Risen Lord, and open up the doors for the Spirit to come down and fill us!
#LoveMatters