When we allow the Spirit to work, when we put ourselves in the best places for God to use us, miracles occur. God's purposes for life here will be fulfilled, no matter what. Peter and John, all the apostles, actually, got that. They also got that they were a key part of that plan, took action, and there was no denying what was happening. The world around them, in disbelief, could only try to ignore or discredit them. God would have none of that.
In Acts 4, immediately following the miraculous healing of the lame beggar, Peter and John are arrested, simply for teaching the people and declaring Jesus as resurrected. 5000 had gotten saved by this teaching, and the religious elite were nervous and unsettled. Peter and John had credited this resurrected Jesus for the miraculous healing, and here stands in the midst of the crowd the very same healed man! Unsatisfied, they are asked by whose authority they performed such a feat. Cue Peter, he's got another sermon to deliver.
He points to the healed man, and points he people to God, who raised Jesus Christ. The end of this mini-sermon is completed by one of the most popular verses in sharing the Gospel, verse 12, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
The text describes Peter and John as having "confidence" while being "uneducated and untrained." The religious leaders make it clear that they cannot deny the healing that took place. Their answer to their "problem"? Just don't preach Jesus anymore, and all will be OK. Peter and John quickly retort that they will obey God in this matter, rather than man. They simply cannot stop speaking about and teaching what they have seen and heard, what they know to be the truth about God and salvation.
When the religious leaders saw all those people simply praising and glorifying God, what else could they do but let them go? Notice that the people were not disturbing the peace, causing riots, none of that. They were simple glorifying God, inviting others to do the same.
Christians, we'll be faced today with opportunities to be bold, to speak of for God, and to most around us it will not be an "acceptable" message. And if we truly believe this message about "no other name under Heaven...", then really, what else can we say but the truth? Like the apostles, we should let the world judge what they think of us having a higher allegiance to God, as opposed to man. What they think really does not matter. I'm more concerned about what God thinks. How about you?
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator
No comments:
Post a Comment