And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
We live in a world that offers us many choices; many options. In fact, we are convinced that the more options or choices available to us, the better our decision making can be.
The foundational teaching of Christ alone is not about religious superiority but about our utter inability to solve our sin problem without Jesus. He is the only one by which we can be saved.
There are many who have asked me questions such as:
What about the infant who dies?
What about the person who has never heard about Jesus?
All I can say is that God in His mercy will deal with them justly, and those who are saved will be rescued by the work of Jesus Christ done on their behalf, even if they lacked a full knowledge of Jesus.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
Even their enemies could see that Jesus Christ had profoundly impacted the lives of these men. Could such a statement be said of you and of me that we have been with Jesus?
Saying, What are we to do with these men? For that an extraordinary miracle has been performed by (through) them is plain to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. (Acts 4:16)
Extraordinary miracles are much needed in these end times to clear the suffocation of scepticism. We need to pray, Lord, do such miracles which cannot be denied even by the doctors and learned people of this world.
The irony was that the religious leaders acknowledged that a miracle had genuinely happened; yet they refused to submit to the God who worked the miracle. They are many like this even today.
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. (Acts 4:19)
Peter and John were threatened not to speak anymore in the name of Jesus. However, they refused to compromise. What motivates us to do wrong even when we know what’s right?
Fear of Criticism
We live in a society in which people want to do the things they feel is right. When we take a stand for our Christian convictions or tell those around us what God says about their conduct, it undoubtedly attracts criticism.
Fear of Rejection
The fear of rejection is the fear of not being accepted by those around us. Hence, we sacrifice our biblical standards and values to gain acceptance. For many, the fear of rejection has led them to do things that are even illegal, immoral or simply distasteful. It’s much better to live for Christ and follow His commandments so we can receive God’s best.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:20)
They had to, not only because of the inner compulsion of the Holy Spirit, but also because of the command of Jesus: You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31)
We don’t know the extent of the ‘shaking’, however, it may have been confined to the perimeter of the house.
They were filled with the Holy Spirit, again. The experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was not a one-time experience. For Peter, this counts as the third time he is specifically said to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the tool that can cause all to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
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