I fully realize that the baptism of the Holy
Spirit, which the apostles of our Lord experienced on the day of Pentecost, was
a singular event which confirmed the apostles as infallible witnesses of the
resurrection and ascension of Christ. That climatical outpouring of the Holy
Spirit was a coronation gift of God the Father to his Son as the result of his
finished work and exaltation as King (Acts 2:30-36; Gal. 3:13-14). Yet, the
powerful influence of the Holy Spirit is also a continual gift of God to his
Church. Without the power of the Spirit, all our religious activity and labors
in the gospel are but vanity, exercises of futility. If we are to effectively
preach the gospel of the grace of God, we must do so in the power of the
Spirit. We are entirely dependent upon God the Holy Spirit.