What Pentecost Means for our Work

(Note: This article was written for and published on The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog in two parts, here and here. It made their Top Ten list of articles for 2023. It was also posted on the Coram Deo blog and the Aquila Report blog.)

The Day of Pentecost has sometimes been overlooked in many churches I have attended, which is unfortunate. What happened with the early church in Jerusalem fifty days after the Passover clearly empowered them to do the work Jesus had called them to do, which radically changed the civilized world as we know it. The Holy Spirit’s power and presence continues to impact our workplaces today.

In my Christian walk, I have observed several key truths about the Holy Spirit I would like to explore. The power of the indwelling Spirit enables Christians to do great things for Christ’s Kingdom. We experience God’s presence through the Holy Spirit as He teaches us and reminds us of Jesus’s words. The gifts of the Holy Spirit help us to find our purpose. The fruit of the Spirit makes us like Christ.

The power of the Holy Spirit

The best place to start our discussion on the impact that the Day of Pentecost had on the work of Jesus’s disciples and with believers today would be to unpack the power of the Holy Spirit. Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem to “wait for the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4). Jesus said that they would “receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” and that this gift would enable them to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

In Acts 2:1-41, the Holy Spirit did a mighty work among the ethnically diverse crowd gathered on the Day of Pentecost to expand the church to 3,000 new believers. The Spirit worked in and through Peter as evidenced by his powerful preaching where He moved in the hearts of the Gentiles who had heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in their own language and repented. The church continued to work in the power of the Holy Spirit as God’s coworkers to expand His church in Jerusalem on a global scale.

This power the apostles had enabled them to do the challenging work Jesus called them to do. This same power that resides in us gives us strength to obey God in order to live the Christian life. The Holy Spirit gives ordinary Christians the ability to work with a renewed mind and a higher purpose.   

Tom Nelson, in Work Matters, heartily echoes this concept, “You were created with work in mind. You have been gifted to do a particular work. As a follower of Christ who has been born from above, you have been equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit to make an important vocational contribution, a contribution that God has providentially arranged for you to make in this world.”  

The presence of God in the Holy Spirit

Wayne Grudem, in his book, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine defines one attribute of the Holy Spirit: “The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially in the church. This definition indicates that the Holy Spirit is the member of the Trinity whom the Scripture most often represents as being present to do God’s work in the world.”

Let me highlight a few key verses from the Gospel of John where Jesus mentioned the Holy Spirit. In John 14:17, Jesus taught His disciples that the Father would give them a Counselor, who “lives with you and will be in you.” His constant presence and still, small voice would teach and remind them of what Jesus said (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit would guide them in the truth (John 16:13). Since Jesus was about to depart, He wanted to assure them that both His Father and He would be with them at all times so that they could know Him, follow Him, and remain faithful to fulfill their calling.

The Apostle Paul taught that every follower of Jesus Christ is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). We are like “walking tabernacles” of God’s presence wherever we go, including the workplace. Just like the tabernacle, the portable temple where God’s presence resided that the Israelites carried through the wilderness for 40 years until they entered the Promised Land, we too can experience the presence of God as we travel through the wilderness of our workplaces over our 40-year careers. He blesses our employers, coworkers, subordinates, and customers as He works with us, in us, and through us.

Miroslav Volf, in his book, Work in the Spirit concurs. He emphasizes that “the whole Christian life is a life of cooperation with God through the presence of the Spirit. A Christian’s mundane work is no exception. Here, too, one must say: I work, and the Spirit of the resurrected Christ works through me.” In my own faith and work journey as a follower of Jesus Christ, I know the presence of the Holy Spirit makes a huge difference in my life at home, at work, at church, and everywhere I go. I can honestly say that even now, I am experiencing His presence as I write this article about His presence.

The power and presence of God is manifested in the Holy Spirit, who indwells every Christ-follower upon their conversion. God’s presence isn’t something that is given solely for our comfort and God’s power isn’t merely given to help us to overcome sin. The indwelling Holy Spirit supernaturally changes us from the inside out. His work is a major component of the sanctification process as God makes us like Jesus. The gifts and the fruit of the Spirit outwardly display this transformation.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit

Here are the passages where the Apostle Paul provides a list of spiritual gifts for all believers: Rom. 12:4-8, 1 Cor. 12:4-11, and Eph. 4:11-13. The Apostle Peter mentions them in 1 Pet. 4:10-11.

To begin, let us go back to the book of Exodus, where we see a worker who yielded his talents to serve God. Yahweh selected a craftsman named Bezalel, one of the talented construction workers that He ordained to be in charge of building and furnishing his tabernacle. God tells Moses, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.” (See Ex. 31:1-3.)

I do not think that Bezalel suddenly developed these things overnight. To the contrary, he had already possessed these technical skills, aptitudes, and know-how because God had sovereignly developed them over the course of his entire life “for such a time as this.” The presence of the Spirit of God enabled him to do the job well, with the strength that God provided to accomplish this great work.

The spiritual gifts each Christian has were designed to be used in and out of the church, wherever we work. Paul indicated that this outworking of the Holy Spirit was “given for the common good.” (See 1 Cor. 12:7.) Miroslav Volf writes, “As the firstfruits of salvation, the Spirit of Christ is not only active in the Christian fellowship but also desires to make an impact on the world through the fellowship.”

The fruit of the Holy Spirit

In contrast to the gifts, which are assigned at conversion, the fruit of the Spirit develops over time. Paul lists them in Gal. 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” If we display these qualities at work to our bosses, coworkers, employees, and customers, which lines up perfectly with what Jesus taught His disciples to do, this could radically change the world we know it as well.

Let me focus on two examples from the list above that can make an impact at work: love and joy.

A good friend of mine whom I have known for over 30 years and is a pastor in the Seattle area shared in his blog about Jesus’ teaching on treating others with the same kind of love that God does in Luke 6:27-36. He asks some hard questions: “What would happen in your workplace if a couple of people began treating everyone at work this way? Would that change the environment of your work place? I think so. Treating others this way has the potential to transform your workplace relationships.”

Christians who display joy will bring something positive to the workplace that the world cannot provide. When we go through a trial and have confidence in God’s ability to work out all things for good, those who do not know Him may ask us where this joy comes from. At that moment, we have earned the right to explain to our co-workers the reason for the hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15.)

Where do we go from here?

Writing about deep theological topics is a fun hobby for me. However, if I don’t make it practical or if the average Christian reading what I’ve written doesn’t have a clue what to do with it, I’ve failed. There are a number of ways that these reminders about the ministry of the Holy Spirit that Christians celebrate on Pentecost Sunday can impact what we do at work the following Monday morning.

Thank God for His Holy Spirit. Ask Him to help you to understand His power in your life, experience His presence every day. Use your spiritual gift(s) inside and outside the church. Develop the fruit of the Spirit. Intentionally interface with the Holy Spirit by focusing on how we are called to relate to Him; i.e., be led by (Rom. 8:14), walk by (Gal. 5:16), and be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 4:29).

I trust that this exposition of how Pentecost impacts our ordinary work will cause you to experience the power and presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit at work, so that you can give hope to a lost world.

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 42 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is passionate about helping people with ordinary jobs experience God’s presence at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math teacher and youth minister. He served for 20 years on active duty and has worked for 15 years as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written over 200 articles on faith and work topics. Over one hundred of these have been published or posted on several Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See complete list of published articles on Linktree.)

I Don’t Know What I’d do Without You

(Note: This article was published on the Christian Grandfather Magazine.)

One morning on the way to work a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired when a familiar Christian song by David Meece came up on Spotify. The song is called, “I Don’t Know What I’d do Without You.”

Here are the words to the chorus:

And I don’t know what I’d do without You
Oh, I don’t know what I’d do without You
And I don’t know where I’d be
If You hadn’t rescued me
Don’t know what I’d do without You

I was moved to worship God as I listened to the lyrics of the song. My mind flashed with images of how beautiful my life has been since I became a Christian at age 17. Here are just a few of the radical transformations I experienced since then: I have been forgiven and set free from sin and death, my relationships are sweeter and less selfish, and God has brought me immeasurable peace and joy.

Then I thought it might be worth imagining what my life would have been like if I had not been saved.

This idea connects with the classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Clarence, the guardian angel who desperately wants to earn his wings, gives Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey a wonderful gift, a chance to see what life would have been like if he had never been born. I want to give myself and my readers a gift – a chance to see what my life would have been like if I had never been born again.

I have been set free

When we become Christians, it is like the ultimate fresh start. Jesus said that we must be born again. Paul adds that if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Cor. 5:17). Scripture makes it clear that when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, all our sins are forgiven: past, present, and future. Jesus said that “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We cannot earn this; it is a free gift by grace through faith in Christ.

Moreover, we are no longer slaves to our sin or our own fleshly desires. (See Rom. 6:5-6.) We have power over the flesh, the world, and the devil that we did not have as a non-believer. When we allow the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out, He makes us more like Jesus. That process began on Day 1 and will continue until the Lord returns or takes us home. The Apostle Paul stated that he was confident “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6.) We merely have to obey what we know is true and trust God for the results.

If I hadn’t experienced all of what I just described above, I would have been a slave to my flesh. There would have been no hope of becoming a better man. I would have never felt the relief of forgiven sin.

Relationships have been transformed

David Meece sang, “I don’t know where I’d be”. I can state unequivocally that I would be in a completely different place with regards to my relationships if I had not become a Christian.

Jesus taught us to love our neighbor. This applies to how we treat people in general. It also applies directly to how I pursued relationships, specifically with regard to the opposite sex. In my teenage years before I met Christ. I know that I was using people and only looking out for my interests.

After I became a Christian, my motivation changed completely. I was committed to pursuing purity in my relationships. As a result, God led me to a woman who was also committed to the same thing. He brought us together and gave us a beautiful life and marriage the past 42 years, with three children and five grandchildren. If I had not understood the importance of loving my neighbor and never learned to truly love others sacrificially, selflessly, and unconditionally, I would have had a pretty empty life.

There is peace and joy

One of the unique elements of the Christian life is receiving the peace and joy that flow from a relationship with Christ. These hard to find qualities come from Jesus Himself. He taught, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (John 14:27). He added, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).

This aspect of my faith means much to me as I have experienced this daily. There has been peace in the midst of the storms of my life through every season, whether it was getting through college, finding my first job, learning how to be a husband and a father, getting fired, or losing a parent. The joy of the Lord has indeed been my strength. Without it, I would have been anxious and sad most of the time.

Closing thoughts

 In summary, here is the kind of person I imagine that I would have become if I’d never met Jesus.

Quite simply, I would have never found God’s forgiveness. I would have been continually frustrated about my failures and limitations, but would have had no hope of achieving any lasting results from my fruitless self-improvement efforts. I would have selfishly pursued love for many lonely years, but would have had to settle for less than God’s best because I would have had no way to find it being lost, blind, and God’s enemy. Lastly, I would have never understood God’s truth or experienced His presence in my life, which has brought me immeasurable peace and joy over the past 45 years.

I trust that this vivid contrast between what is true of my life now (only by the grace of God) and what would have been if I had never heard and responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ was eye-opening. Perhaps it will spur you to not take for granted the irreversible transformations you have in Christ.

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 42 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is passionate about helping people with ordinary jobs experience God’s presence at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math teacher and youth minister. He served for 20 years on active duty and has worked for 15 years as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written over 300 articles, most of them on faith and work topics. Over 120 of these have been published or posted on several Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See list of published articles on Linktree.)