On the Day of Pentecost we have recorded for us the initial descent of the Holy Spirit to
earth – the coming of the Comforter. Many of the Jewish folks assembled there that day were already
believers in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. However, these believers did not yet have the Holy Spirit
living within them and were not yet part of the body of Christ, the Church, simply because the Spirit had
not yet come as Christ had promised. When the Spirit did come, accompanied by the sound of a mighty,
rushing wind, these believers assembled in the upper room were finally “saved” in the New Testament sense of the word. The Holy Spirit baptised them into the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:13) and they in turn
were baptised with the Spirit of God and were “born again” or regenerated.
However, another very important work of the Spirit occurred at this same time on this
particular occasion. According to Acts 2:4 these same believers were “filled” with the Spirit of God for
service. This filling was quickly evidenced in the bold and powerful preaching of the word of God that
occurred throughout that day with many thousands of people coming to Jesus Christ as Saviour. The
baptism with the Spirit that occurred in the hearts of these men was permanent – they were saved for
eternity. Their filling however was not permanent and was later repeated.
There is no other passage of Scripture that records for us anyone being saved (baptised
with the Spirit) and filled with the Spirit on the same day. Paul comes very close in that he was filled with
the Spirit of God three days after he was saved. Note in this verse how Saul/Paul is already a “brother” in
the Lord when Ananias comes to see him three days after his conversion.