Winter 1984
The Alternative of God - BUT
The purpose of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

By Wade Taylor

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

One of the major transitions in the Lord’s dealings with His people takes place in Acts 1:8. In this verse, the word “BUT” becomes the pivotal point. The disciples were very concerned with the setting up of a literal kingdom and their place in it and had asked when this would happen. Had Jesus answered that it would be at least two thousand years away, His disciples would have been greatly discouraged. Rather, He gently said: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons . . . “BUT.” He then turned the focus of their attention from something they would do, (“rule”), to something they would become, (“qualified to rule”). They were to become an expression of His very life on the earth.

His purpose now was to give them the power to make this possible. “Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me,” that is, “I will so enable you and work in you that the manifestation of your life among men will be just as mine was. You will be a witness (sample) of what I would have been in the very situations you find yourselves in. This will bring about the growth and maturity that will qualify you for the coming day of my kingdom. This is my purpose for now, rather than the establishing of an external kingdom at this time.”

This is restated in Acts 15:14-17 where these two steps are given. “God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.” And secondly: “After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David . . . that the residue of men might seek after the Lord . . .” Today we are close to the end of this first part—the taking out of a people for His name. The second part was the “WHEN” of the disciple’s question. It will come in His time.

Jesus always speaks to us in terms that we can understand, but Peter did not understand this. He had said to Peter, who was a fisherman, “Come ye after me, and I will make you to BECOME fishers of men.” Peter heard the FISHING rather than the process—“make you to become.” He was constantly concerned with the aspect of time—“When?” He was more interested in what his position in the kingdom would be rather than in his being made ready for his place in the kingdom.

It is the same today. A message on WHEN draws much attention. The divine alternative “But” still rings clearly. There is yet to be a people so completely identified with Jesus that they will be able to say as Jesus said to Philip: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). Does my life so completely reflect Jesus that His life can be recognized in me? “Ye shall be witnesses (samples) unto me.” The “unto me” means our life is to perfectly mirror His life. Jesus said concerning Himself: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). The seed is to bring forth after its own kind. This is a law of harvest, that the harvest will be exactly like the seed.

This power that has been made available to us, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, is far more than just being blessed or speaking in tongues. It is the enabling power to bring us to maturity, that we might be qualified to rule with Him. “But ye shall receive power . . . and ye shall be . . .”

This must be fulfilled. Our Lord will have a people that are qualified to rule with Him in the coming day of His Kingdom.

Then the question of when will be fully answered.