The Evidence of the New Creation

Acts 2:44 "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Acts Chapter 2 is the source of two different Christian perspectives. All genuine bible-believing Christians acknowledge the Holy Ghost, even those who fail to understand the trinitarian concept! Of course those "Christians" who fail to believe that scripture is God's word, and those whose theology is in vogue with the world, would have no way of knowing nor understanding the Holy Ghost!

The two Christian perspectives are "holiness" churches and traditional. Let me first explain the "holiness" movement. That term includes pentecostal beliefs, traditionally those who practice "speaking in tongues", but the holiness movement is much more than that!

John Wesley is the progenitor of modern holiness. He recognized that, although he was a believer, he was missing something; even after being a propagator of the gospel in the mid-eighteenth century in Georgia. As such Wesley  recognized the scriptural teaching of "entire sanctification".  Basically, that's the belief that what happened to believers at Pentecost, still happens today. Wesley believed that Christians indeed had the Holy Ghost at salvation, but with a second "miracle", called a "second act of grace" that Christians are filled with the Holy Ghost and as such are "sanctified" or set apart for God as a righteous person.

Sanctification was an instantaneous work of the Holy Ghost and is the "new creation", one of righteousness. It's the belief that sin is a choice and that Christians don't have to sin. They will never be perfect, but are called to live their lives as close as possible as to how Jesus lived. We are to seek "entire sanctification".  Holiness is not accompanied by speaking in tongues by most holiness people, that miracle being a sign for the times.

Ephesians 5:26 "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word..."
1 Thessalonians 5:23 "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

In a nutshell most evangelical Christians believe in "sanctification".  The issue is the "when".  Some claim it's at the time of salvation, others at baptism and even others a second act of grace subsequent to salvation and baptism. Those in the holiness movement rightfully claim a "second wakening" as exemplified in Acts Chapter 2 . Those gathered there were already Christians and were in one accord. Then they received an added "thing". They were filled with the Holy Ghost.

Those most opposed to the holiness movement are those of reformed theology; Calvinists. Most churches who identify as "baptist" have remnants of Calvinism. The most prominent being sola gratia, by grace alone. It's this concept which minimizes our own actions. Obedience is taught as desirable, but a mere means of showing gratitude and love. Holiness adherents believe that righteousness in a Christian is a reflection of the Holy Ghost residing within.

For a moment, let's ignore holiness and reformed theology and look at what happened after the coming of the Holy Ghost. (Refer to the scripture at the top of the page).

There was unity (verse 44), they had charity and love (verse 45), there was no dissension among them (verse 46), they communed together in love and peace (verse 46), they were joyful and with a single-purpose (verse 46), they praised God (verse 47) and were a witness to those around them! (verse 47). And guess what? They grew. They multiplied! Old persons died off and they were amply replaced with a new creation! God said "be fruitful, and multiply" (Genesis 1:28) and with his double entendre, he meant more than having babies. He meant growing Christianity!

With the advent  of the Holy Ghost, things changed. The change witnessed with the previous scripture is sanctification. Of course there was peace among them (in one accord) to prepare a time for the Holy Ghost, but with the Holy Ghost, things became rosy for spirit-filled people. Acts 2:44-47 describes the rosiness of the spirit, or sanctification of the Holy Ghost. There were spiritual gifts:

Hebrews 2:4 "God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?"

It's a shame! Among Christians we all want salvation. With that said, this act is basically the preservation of our own "idol" for eternity. The focus on salvation is to keep the "self" from destruction! That's ironic, but true; we turn to the One True God (Jesus) to keep our little god "the self" alive forever!

Then what makes us Christians if we are "born again" to create new everlasting idols? We become vessels for the Holy Ghost and with that, our idol becomes a temple! The temple, filled with the Holy Ghost, topples the little idol "the self". Yes, idols fall in the presence of God:

 1 Samuel 5:2 "When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3b ...behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again."

God IS all about grace. He is patient with us! Just as he was patient with those who placed the "ark of God" in the presence of Dagon, Jesus is patent with those who bring our own little idol in his presence! He does that so that he can topple "the self". Dagon was left a stub. He was dismembered. The Holy Ghost emits from Jesus and dismembers that "self" and we become a new creation. That's grace! The Holy Ghost topples our Dagons!

There is a point to all this holiness "madness". Regardless of when we receive the Holy Ghost, all true Christians have him! On the other hand, it's difficult to look at Christians and see any manner of the gifts of the Spirit at all! The most important is missing! Among Christians there appears to be no true Christian love. Yes, people love their friends, unless they are wronged; or even perceived that they have been wronged! Why?

That idol of "the self" is not yet toppled. Regardless of what they got when they were saved, they need another dose! Perhaps those Christians without the love of others are believers, but their belief is to the extent that they save their own god for eternity. Their idol of "self" hasn't been sacrificed yet. Dagon yet stands right there alongside God!

Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

The way to sanctification is being of one accord in God. We prepare ourselves to be toppled by being obedient. Those in dissension unite for the purpose of magnifying God. When we present our temple for the single-purpose of magnifying God, the Holy Ghost will clean that temple, topple our idol and fill it with God's own Spirit. With the Spirit of God residing within us, we have sacrificed our living god, our little idol, and are filled with God's goodness!

Then why do Christians still hate, lack charity, are divided, have dissensions, are unforgiving, self-preserving, and frankly, without joy? It's because they haven't sacrificed their "self' yet. Dagon still stands in the presence of God! That's called syncretism! Christians believe in God, but yet haven't abandoned their other god yet! The Jews were continually guilty of that, and so are we!

If you can't love your neighbor, God protect your enemy because Dagon is a dirty god, and he still fills part of that temple within Christians who fornicate with other gods. Yes, Christians without Christian love fornicate with their own god of "the self". That's disgusting in God's eyes! For those without joy, they still live for the self, and their god needs to be toppled! That old creature still has a personality inside that new creature. Let the Holy Ghost drive him out!

Note: Don't think the term "Holy Ghost" is pentecostal. It's in the King James version. We're more refined now. He has been renamed by modern scholars. He's now the Holy Spirit. (Smile!)