Live Like Jesus

We looked two weeks ago at how the prophets kept warning Israel not to break the covenant and misrepresent God’s character. In so many ways, over so many years – for generations – they kept failing to live up to the calling that God had placed on them. Sometimes, they just rebelled. Other times, it was because they kept misunderstanding what it was that pleased God because they didn’t understand what God was really like..

Either way, it didn’t seem to consistently click with them that because God was “compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth," [1], as he told Moses, that they should be looking more and more like that instead of less and less like that.  

The Prophets kept saying: “You’ve broken covenant – repent, turn around, head in the right direction.” They exposed sin and idolatry, and called for repentance and justice and holiness. They kept pointing them toward a really good God with a life-giving path not just for them but for the whole world.

Failing to get it right wasn’t just a failure to properly introduce other nations to Yahweh; it was catastrophic for the children of God. When you don’t follow the path of life, you follow a path toward destruction. If you remember Jewish history, they eventually end up in exile, separated from the Land of Promise and housed in their spiritual opposite, Babylon.

When Jesus arrived as God in the Flesh, he gave a desperately needed revelation for those who saw God through obscurity and darkness.[2]  Jesus told them, “If you have seen me, you have seen the father.”[3]As Jesus’ life unfolded, he demonstrated over and over that God really is “compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth.” It was a game-changing revelation to have the Living Word and not just the written word.

John 1:18 – “No one has ever seen God; but the one and only Son, who is himself God… has made him known.”

This may be a silly example, but as a kid, I loved reading about dinosaurs and seeing pictures of what people thought they might have looked like. But when Jurassic Park came out? I was so, so excited. So THAT’S what a dinosaur is actually like!!!  I wonder if the arrival of Jesus was something like that. ( I warned you it was silly.)Their holy scrolls came to life and walked among them as a living image of what God has always been like, even when his people misunderstood Him.

They misunderstood God and His heart as recorded in the written word, so the Living Word incarnated – God in the flesh, fully God and fully human - to show them in person what God is like and what kind of heart God has. People could still misunderstand him, of course. And they did. We still do. But it’s the clearest possible way God could make himself known.

So, we are going to revisit the list from two weeks ago with the prophetic rebukes in the Old Testament and show how Jesus stepped into each of those spaces and revealed what God is like, and what His heart is like.

But Jesus didn’t just reveal God in the flesh. Tom reminded us last week that Jesus intends to take shape in us, through us, as us (in some sense). This is theosis—participation in the very life of God.[4] Jesus invites us to not just follow him but to become the truest image- bearer we can be with the help of Holy Spirit transformation. We are invited to experience the true “life of the age” (aonios or eternal life) that God offers to us.

So we will look at 9 opportunities for theosis by looking at a) what the prophets said, b) what Jesus revealed, c) what that reveals about God, and d) what theosis looks like.

* * * * *

The prophets condemned exploitation of the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners (Isaiah 10:1–2; Amos 5:11–12, to cite two of many references).

Jesus declares his mission is “good news to the poor, freedom for the oppressed” (Luke 4:18). He singles out the widow’s[5] offering for praise. (Mark 12:41-44) He tells his followers: “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:13).

God defends the vulnerable and the voiceless; God’s power is meek (strength restrained for good), not exploitative. “Call thousands of angels,” said Satan. “Bully your way through the world.” No, not that way. That was not the way of Jesus; it’s not the heart of God.

We experience theosis when we participate in being like Jesus by siding with the vulnerable and voiceless, by advocating for justice and mercy, so that all are invited not only to feast at the banquet of God’s spiritual provision, but also to experience the provision and care of God through the people of God. That looks a lot like Jesus.

The prophets exposed the elevation of external rituals as a cover-up for corrupt hearts (Jeremiah 2:13; Hosea 8:4)

Jesus confronts a temple system that kept the poor and the Gentiles from worshipping in the Temple (Matthew 21:12-13). He taught the Samaritan woman that right worship doesn’t rely on the right buildings; true worship happens “in spirit and truth” (John 4:21-24).

God is known through relationship, not ritual. Rituals may help us order our lives in a way that keeps God on the front burner of our minds, but they are meant to give structure to relationship, not be the relationship. God wants our hearts, our time, our thoughts, our loves, in Spirit and in truth.

We experience theosis when we are in righteous relationships with God and others “in spirit and in truth.” I am pretty sure Jesus meant a) that the worship of our hearts is what matters rather than locations, and b) truth should always put false traditions or teachings in their place. When worship is our lifestyle, when we are in steady communion with God, we look a lot like Jesus.

The Prophets denounced empty sacrifices and lip-service religion (Isaiah 1:11-17; Micah 6:6-8).

So did Jesus:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matthew 23) because they strained a gnat and swallowed a camel. (Matthew 23:34). Jesus revealed God’s integrity through his priorities. He healed on the Sabbath to show that compassion and care outweigh legalistic boundaries (Mark 3:1-6). He demands authenticity in prayer (Matthew 6:5-6). Grand prayers mean nothing in and of themselves if they are not coming from the right kind of heart.

God desires mercy more than empty sacrifices that might look impressive. He wants integrity over performance. He wants authenticity over a good veneer.

We experience theosis when we let compassion interrupt our legalism. When worship leads us to love, when prayers move us toward action, and when authenticity replaces performance, we participate in life with Jesus.

The Prophets condemned nations that embraced violence and shed innocent blood. (Isaiah 59:7; Amos 1)

Jesus went even further. He commanded his followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). He rebuked Peter for using the sword (Matthew 26:52). He forgave his executioners on the cross (Luke 23:34).

God conquers by self-giving love, not force. When Jesus returns in John’s apocalyptic vision in Revelation, Jesus’ robe is dipped in blood before the battle begins. It’s his blood. That’s how the battle is won. By His word (the sword in his mouth) and His blood. God fights with truth and cruciform love.

We experience theosis when we refuse to respond to violence with violence, to harm with harm, to sin with sin. We embody the cruciform power of Christ when we forgive those who damage us, and when we let love have the last word, we look more and more like Jesus.

The Prophets said, “Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field.” (Isaiah 5:8)

Jesus agreed: “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). He saw an idol in the heart of the rich young ruler, and he challenged him to sell all and follow him (Mark 10:17-31). When he ate with Zacchaeus, he turned his greed into generosity (Luke 19:1-10).

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills  - and He gives them to his people. God gives good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11) from the storehouse of His abundance. Abundance is for sharing; possessions exist for love’s sake.

We experience theosis when we hold our resources with open hands, using what we have to bless others. When generosity loosens the grip of greed. When joy replaces anxiety because our trust is in divine provision, not accumulation, then we increasingly look like Jesus.

The Prophets said: “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty” (Ezekiel 28:17), but the arrogant will be humbled (Isaiah 2:11).

Jesus washed his disciples’ feet (John 13). He taught that, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 14:11). He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:5-8).

Ezer (helper) is used 16 times in the Old Testament to refer to God as the helper of Israel. God himself offered His people humble service.

We experience theosis when we choose humility over status, and service over self-promotion. When we lift burdens, sit with outcasts, and honor others by serving them, we reflect the God who bent low to raise us up.

The Prophets warned them not to neglect justice and righteousness (Amos 5:24, Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:17).

Jesus condemned the Pharisees tithing minutiae while “neglecting the weightier matters of the law — justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). He restored societal outcasts (lepers, Samaritans, prostitutes, tax collecters, adulterers). He began the Beatitudes with blessings on the merciful and peacemakers (Matthew 5:7-9).

Justice and mercy are the heartbeat of God’s kingdom. His love is expressed through His just and merciful care of His image bearers.

We experience theosis when we let our hearts break for what breaks God’s heart. When we use our voice for the voiceless, our influence for the oppressed, and our presence for the lonely, we reveal the image of the just and merciful Jesus.

The Prophets claimed that Israel forgot her vocation to bless the nations (Jonah; Isaiah 49:6).

Jesus honored Gentile faith (the centurion, Matthew 8:10; the Canaanite woman, Matthew 15:28). He declared the temple a “house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17). He sent disciples “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, rooted in his Great Commission).

God’s kingdom breaks the artificial borders the world puts up that separate “us” from “them.” His love reaches to all the people in all the places.

We experience theosis when we cross barriers of culture, class, and comfort to extend the welcome of Christ. When we build tables long enough for all to join us, we become participants in God’s reconciling mission.

The Prophets warned against trusting unholy alliances and military strength (Isaiah 31:1; Hosea 10:13).

Jesus rejected Satan’s offer of worldly kingdoms (Matthew 4:8-10). He enters Jerusalem on a donkey, not a warhorse (Matthew 21:5). He insisted that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36).

God, the true King, rules through peace, through love. His most powerful moment was demonstrated on the cross. Then He rose again. He doesn’t need any help. There is no need to find worldly allies. God is enough.

We experience theosis when we lay down our need to control outcomes and trust in the Lamb’s way of power. When we choose faithfulness over fear, prayer over panic, and peace over coercion, we manifest a kingdom that cannot be shaken while looking more and more like Jesus.

* * * * *

Let’s use this opportunity to move toward spiritual reflection and theosis. 

Jesus stood with the poor, the sick, and the overlooked.

Jesus’ heart moved him toward the vulnerable; does mine? Is there pain Jesus sees that I don’t want to see because it makes me uncomfortable? Do I use my strength to protect the weak? Do I increasingly look like Jesus to the poor and powerless around me?

We know God desires worship built on relationship.
Am I more focused on doing the right religious things, or on being a Christ-follower in right relationship with God and others? Am I embracing worship as my lifestyle, not just something that happens on Sunday? Do I increasingly look like Jesus as my life reflects true devotion to God in my heart and with my hands?

Jesus warned against praying to be seen, giving to be admired, and fasting to look holy.
Do I serve because I love, or because I like being seen as loving? Am I polishing the outside while neglecting the inside? Where might I be hiding a cold heart or compromised life behind a good image? Do I increasingly look like Jesus in that there is integrity - integration - between inner reality and outer expression?

We know Jesus builds his Kingdom by self-giving love, not force, because Jesus stopped the sword and forgave those who crucified him.
Do I really trust that cruciform love is powerful enough to win the day? When I feel threatened or wronged, do I respond from a place of love? Am I more interested in winning the fight or embodying the cross? Do I increasingly look like Jesus as I use the way of Jesus to partner in accomplishing the purposes of Jesus?

We know Jesus loves to see abundance generously shared.
Does the way I save and share reveal a heart shaped by fear of scarcity or trust in abundance? The heart of God is revealed in Jesus’ open, nail-scarred hands; where am I refusing to open my arms and unclench my hands? Do I increasingly look like Jesus by being 'broken and spilled out' for the sake of others?

Jesus became a servant to all and knelt to wash feet.
How do I respond when I’m asked to serve beneath my status or comfort? Do I believe humility is beneath me, or that it is the truest expression of who I am in Christ? Do I increasingly look like Jesus in my willingness to offer humble service, even if it feels embarrassing and uncomfortable?

Jesus called justice, mercy, and faith/fulness the “weightier matters” of the law. If this is the heart of God revealed in Jesus, am I committed to prioritizing those things too? Am I ignoring injustice, mercilessness, or faithlessness that should be on my radar, or do I increasingly look like Jesus?

Jesus marveled at the faith of Romans and Samaritans and called the temple “a house of prayer for all nations.”
Do I draw lines of separation God is trying to erase?  Do I believe God’s call to love stops where my discomfort begins? Who have I assumed is too far gone, too different, or too wrong to be invited tothe table? Do I increasingly look like Jesus by my invitational posture toward everyone?

Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, not a warhorse, offering a counter-cultural, peace-filled Kingdom.
Do I want a kingdom of power and privilege or one that heals the world through service and love? Can I trust that cruciform love, not coercion or control, is the power of God? As an ambassador for Jesus introducing people to the way of Jesus, do I increasingly look like Jesus?

When compassion replaces indifference, when justice and mercy guide our steps, when humility bends us in service to others, when we forgive as we’ve been forgiven, when generosity opens our hands, when love crosses every border so that “whosoever will may come,” (Revelations 22:17) we experience theosis; Christ lives through us.

This is participation already in eternal life, a life in which the heartbeat of God is shared with and growing in His people. May Christ live through us and continually transform us into his image, until the day when he promises to make all things new (Revelation 21:5)

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[1] Exodus 34:6; similar language in Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, and Joel 2:13. 

[2] Isaiah 29:18

[3] John 14:9

[4] The goal is union, not sameness: Theosis does not mean humans become God in being, but that they are filled with God's presence and grace, making them "partakers of the divine nature". “The Orthodox Church understands theosis as a union with the energies of God and not with the essence of God which always remains hidden and unknown.” (Thomas Fitzgerald)

[5] Remember, the Hebrew word for “widow” has the idea of one who has no voice in society.

What Would Stephen Say? (Acts 6:8-15; Acts 7)

Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.  Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen[1] (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 

But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 

 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”  All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

I am not going to read his speech today for the sake of time, but I encourage you to do so. Stephen's speech in Acts 7 (verses 1-50) responds to these accusations by recounting Jewish history in a way that highlights a recurring cycle.

Rejection of God's Messengers: A major recurring element is the people's rejection of God's appointed leaders, specifically Moses, who was rejected in the wilderness (Acts 7:27-29, 35). His final point is that they are doing that yet again with Jesus – and Stephen.

God's Presence Beyond Sacred Spaces: He shows that God was active and faithful before the Temple, the Law, or even the land of Israel was established (Acts 7:2-16). Abraham hears God in Mesopotamia (outside the Holy Land), Joseph thrives in Egypt, and Moses encounters God at the burning bush in the wilderness (vv. 2-4, 9-10, 30-34).

The Temple. The temple is critiqued as a human-made house that can't contain God (vv. 44-50, quoting Isaiah 66:1-2). This hints that the Temple system has become an idol, a substitute for living faith and obedience.

Israel's Consistent Unfaithfulness: Despite receiving the "living words" through angels, the ancestors resist, persecute prophets, and fail to obey. Terms like "stiff-necked" (from Exodus 32:9, after the golden calf) and "uncircumcised hearts" (from Deuteronomy 10:16 and Jeremiah 9:26), emphasize their pattern of resisting the Holy Spirit.

He finishes with this:

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him -  you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (51-53)

This highlights their hypocrisy: they cherish the Law but have completely failed at the core ethical demands of the Law. They are repeating the same pattern of resistance to God’s chosen deliverers and to His Spirit. They prove Stephen’s point immediately by killing him.

# # # # #

I did some research on what the prophets they rejected had to say. I think it’s really important that we learn from our spiritual history. This is going to become a two part series.

• The Old Testament prophets condemned behaviors that broke covenant. That’s going to be our focus today.

• The New Testament apostles will follow in their history but confront behaviors that betray Christ. That will be next week.

So today we are going to let the Old Testament prophets speak to us by looking at 8 primary themes to which they kept returning. We don’t want to reject timeless principles God has given his people that will define what covenant community does and does not look like.

1. Idolatry and Syncretism

What they did: Worshiped other gods, idols, or wealth instead of Yahweh. They sought security in alliances with nations like Egypt or Assyria rather than trusting God. Isaiah (e.g., Isa 30:1–5, 31:1–3) and Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 2:18, 37:5–10) emphasize this, as does Hosea (e.g., Hos 7:11). “Ephraim mixes himself with the nations.” (Hosea 7:8) “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help.” (Isaiah 31:1)
What God called them to: Exclusive covenant loyalty and wholehearted devotion unmixed with other gods, nations, or things (Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Joshua 24:14–15; 1 Samuel 12:24; Matthew 22:37)

2. Injustice and Oppression of the Vulnerable

What they did: Exploited the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners; bribed the courts; and favored the rich. “Woe to those who make unjust laws…” (Isaiah 10:1–2) Amos is particularly focused on this (e.g., Amos 2:6–7, 5:11–12), as is Micah (e.g., Mic 2:1–2, 3:1–3), Isaiah (e.g., Isa 1:17, 3:14–15) and Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 7:5–7).
What God called them to: Basically, defending the defenseless and giving voice to the voiceless (Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 5:6–7; Luke 4:18).

3. Covenant Betrayal and Unfaithfulness

What they did: This includes neglecting commandments, Sabbaths, and festivals. Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 11:1–8), Ezekiel (e.g., Eze 20:10–26), and Hosea (e.g., Hos 8:1) emphasize this. “There is no faithfulness or steadfast love… only swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery.”  (Hosea 4:1–2)
What God called them to: Faithful love and truth-filled integrity (Deuteronomy 7:9; Hosea 2:19–20; Matthew 19:6; 2 Timothy 2:13).

4. Religious Hypocrisy and Empty Ritual

What they did: They performed sacrifices, fasts, and feasts while ignoring justice and mercy. “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” (Hosea 6:6) “Stop bringing meaningless offerings…” (Isaiah 1:13–17).  See also Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 6:20), Amos (e.g., Amos 5:21–24), and Micah (e.g., Mic 6:6–8).
What God called them to: Authentic worship emerging from righteous integrity (Psalm 51:16–17; Amos 5:21–24; Micah 6:6–8; John 4:23–24).

5. Corrupt Leadership — Political, Priestly, Prophetic

What they did: Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 23:1–2), Ezekiel (e.g., Eze 34:1–10), and Micah (e.g., Mic 3:5–11) devote significant space to condemning shepherds who exploit or mislead. “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep.” (Jeremiah 23:1) Leaders enriched themselves, priests profaned the temple, false prophets flattered for gain. “Her leaders judge for a bribe… her prophets tell fortunes for money.” (Micah 3:11)  
What God called them to: Humble servant leadership that speaks truth while reflecting God’s heart (Ezekiel 34:2–4, 15–16; Jeremiah 3:15; John 13:14–15; 1 Peter 5:2–3).

6. Pride and Arrogance

What they did: Israel’s pride and self-reliance, often linked to prosperity or false security, are rebuked in books like Isaiah (e.g., Isa 2:11–17), Amos (e.g., Amos 6:1–8), and Zephaniah (e.g., Zeph 3:11). They boasted in strength, wealth, and status; they rejected correction. “Though you soar like the eagle… from there I will bring you down.” (Obadiah 4) “Woe to those wise in their own eyes.” (Isaiah 5:2)
What God called them to: Humility, dependence, and repentance (Proverbs 3:34; Micah 6:8; Isaiah 57:15; Philippians 2:3–8).

7. Refusing to Repent or Listen to Correction

What they did: The prophets lament Israel’s refusal to repent despite warnings. This is explicit in Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 5:3, 8:4–7), Ezekiel (e.g., Eze 3:7), and Zechariah (e.g., Zech 7:11–12) They rejected warnings, hardened hearts, and silenced God’s messengers. “They made their hearts as hard as flint.”  (Zechariah 7:12)  “You always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51)

What God called them to: Soft hearts and a repentant readiness to return to God (Ezekiel 18:30–32; Joel 2:12–13; Matthew 11:28–30; Luke 15:20–24).

8. Greed and Materialism

What they did: Hoarded wealth, seized land, crushed the poor. “Woe to those who join house to house.” (Isaiah 5:8) “They covet fields and seize them.” (Micah 2:2)

What God called them to: Generosity and contentment (Deuteronomy 15:7–11; Proverbs 19:17; Luke 12:33–34; 1 Timothy 6:6–10, 17–19).

*****

Stephen’s audience was convinced that they cherished Moses, the Law and the Temple in a way that pleased God. And in principle, their reverence was something that pleased God!! The Law and the Temple played a huge role in understanding who God was, how God intended to interact with humanity,  and what God called them to do. Reverence for these things was a good thing! 

But….they missed the point. They neglected their hearts. They justified their ungodly attitudes. Their motivations became tainted, and eventually the expression of their worship became evil rather than good. #killingJesus

So keep in mind that Stephen wasn’t saying their respect for these things were wrong in principle. He wasn’t trying to stop them from a proper honoring of Moses, the Law and the Temple. They were just wrong either in motivations or in practice. Their observance had stopped being life-giving; now it was robbing people of life. Literally, in the case of Stephen.

This got me thinking. If Stephen were with us today, I wonder what kind of speech he would give to church leaders? What would it sound like to say, “Look! You are not listening to the prophets!!!”

So I am going to offer something Stephen might say to us today. I’m going to do it as a conversation between a (national) Modern Church Leader (MCL)  representing the American church, and Stephen. Think of it as the MCL responding after Stephen’s speech and defening themselves. I hope to do three things

1.  Offer a MCL position about things that are good in principle.

2.  Echo Stephen’s challenge to assess our hearts, our motivation.

3.  Offer an opportunity to ask ourselves if our practice is forming a church community in line with the vision of the Prophets.

Once again, it’s not the position that will be inherently bad. It’s how our sin nature can take something that is good in principle and turn it into something bad in motivation or practice. 

A prophetic voice is supposed to be jarring and even unsettling. I hope to participate fully in that tradition. If I have prepared this right, all of you will be uncomfortable at some point as I have been this week. I think that, at some point in my life, I have probably found myself in all of the categories I am about to offer. I invite you to be uncomfortable with me this morning as we all try to take seriously the kind of discipleship to which God has called us.

In the process, we will use that uncomfortableness to point toward the beauty of what could be in a kingdom community centered around the heart of God for the world.

MCL: We’ve been blessed! Our church is thriving! Three campuses, a broadcast network, thousands tuning in online. We’re showing the world what excellence for God looks like!

Stephen: Spreading the gospel aligns with the Great Commission, so well done. Growth like that can be a sign you are doing church well. Just remember that God does not dwell in houses made by hands (Acts 7:48–50), so be careful not to automatically equate square footage or screen time with success. Growth is empty if it doesn’t reflect Christ’s compassion and love. Imagine a church culture where success is not counted in buildings or clicks, but in hearts transformed and lives shared, as the early believers did (Acts 4:32–35).

MCL: We’ve got influence! We pray with leaders, advise policymakers, and shape culture for Jesus. When it comes to promoting biblical values, we’re making a difference from the top down with laws and policies.

Stephen: When the church is salt and light, that’s beautiful, and it’s needed in all places. But remember the prophets who said, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help” (Isaiah 31:1), when Israel trusted in worldly alliances. Might you sometimes be tempted to feast at tables of influence rather than tables of those in need? You must guard your heart, lest your political alliances make you blind to systems that harm the vulnerable. Imagine a church culture where influence flows not from proximity to power, but from lifting the lowly, uniting all sides to serve the “least”.

MCL: We are promoting biblical values from the bottom up: marching for justice, raising our voices for the voiceless, and deconstructing toxic systems of oppression in our communities.

Stephen: “Let justice roll down like waters” (Amos 5:24). Your passion for justice reflects God’s own heart. But even as you pursue justice, keep in step with the Spirit (Acts 7:51). Even well-intentioned movements for justice can lose their way.  You risk this when you denounce the sins of the systems but overlook the sins of the soul. The prophets called for repentance alongside justice (Joel 2:12–13), because justice without holiness breeds new injustices. Imagine a church culture where justice and righteousness meet at the cross, where every cause for which you march leads to reconciliation with God and each other.

MCL: We must join the culture wars, fight for what’s right and defend our way of life from the decay around us! We’re standing for our nation’s moral foundation - keeping God in schools, in government, in every institution – so that secularism doesn’t crush us.”

Stephen: The gospel in every sphere is a worthy aim. Just remember how easy it is for compromise to creep in, to let noble ends justify ignoble means. You might bless blistering partisan battles and call them righteous, or use intimidation rather than invitation to further the kingdom, or force your faith into spaces instead of living in such a way that makes others want to join. Imagine a church culture where Jesus’ kingdom grows not through winning debates and “owning” the other side, but through love that shares tables with those who disagree.

MCL: In our church, everyone belongs. No shame, no judgment, no majoring on whatever sin you bring to the table. We just offer love.

Stephen: It is good that all are welcome at a loving table. God’s grace is wide and deep. But don’t forget that the table still belongs to a King. You’ve rightly thrown out harsh judgment that brings shame, but don’t forget that godly sorrow brings a repentance that restores the broken to God (Joel 2:12–13). Jesus is called the Great Physician because He plans to heal people. Imagine a church culture where all are welcomed to a table where the King heals the broken we have already embraced, leading them with truth and grace into transformation.

MCL: We speak loudly in culture for traditional values—strong families, biblical morality, and the historical church stance on sexuality.

Stephen: Faithfulness in family and sexuality absolutely matters deeply to God too. Just don't forget the log in your own eye. There is a reason that “judgment begins in the house of God.” (1 Peter 4:17): too often, “Your faithfulness is like a morning mist” (Hosea 6:4). Without humble, faithful adherence to biblical morality yourselves, your voice will carry no weight with those who need to hear it. Imagine a church culture that beckons to the surrounding culture because biblical morality is consistently modeled in humble obedience, reflecting God’s covenant purity in every aspect of our lives.

MCL: We’ve been blessed! Our people give generously. Our budget is growing. We’re building really beautiful churches for God’s glory.

Stephen: That sounds like a wonderful congregation responding to God’s call to generosity. Just don’t get complacent: "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1) if the outstretched hands of the needy are ignored. “Woe to those who join house to house and field to field!” (Isaiah 5:8) when suffering people lack houses and fields. Be sure you are not expanding your barns while Lazarus sits at your gate unseen. Imagine a church culture where generosity empties hands to serve the poor, building God’s kingdom in hearts before expanding the spaces.

MCL: We’re not like those churches that put so much money into all the bells and whistles. We’ve embraced a simple lifestyle of “fasting” from materialism and practice self-denial in everything!

Stephen: Fasting and self-denial are good spiritual practices, but it’s the Pharisee who prays, “I thank You, Lord, that I am not like them.”  Don’t let your simplicity become your idol. Don’t turn rejection of excess into a self-righteousness built from contempt. Imagine a church culture where simplicity means we are using excessive resources to spread Christ’s love through sincerely and humbly sharing our provision with others as God calls us to.

MCL: We’re training bold leaders—people who speak with authority and even brashness! We tell it like it is! We will own them (liberals or conservatives).

Stephen: Boldness can be a wonderful gift, but don’t resist God’s Spirit through pride (Acts 7:51).Micah once said, “Her prophets tell fortunes for money” – which sounds a lot like viral “gotcha” moments that generate applause and revenue by publicly embarrassing people. A boldness for truth is a gift only when guided by humility and grace. Imagine a church culture where leaders wield a towel and basin first for those to whom they speak truth, with the kind of grace and love that draws even enemies to Christ.

MCL: We’re nothing like those Christians. They’ve lost their way.

Stephen: That’s what every side has said in every generation. Probably some of them were right. But be careful - the desire to be right can build its own golden calf. The prophets warned that some ended up “worshipping the work of their own hands” (Isaiah 2:8) and, “They made their hearts as hard as flint” (Zechariah 7:12). It’s possible to hold the best doctrine possible and still have a poisoned heart. The ground at the cross doesn’t tilt toward your side. Imagine a church where we hold conviction and compassion together, where we kneel together before we speak, and where truth never costs us kindness

* * * *

Pastor:
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: you have spoken through prophets, apostles, and your Son. You have called your people to truth, justice, mercy, and humble faith.

People:
Forgive us, Lord, for the ways we have resisted your Spirit. Turn our hearts again to you.

Pastor:
When our worship or preaching becomes performance, our wealth or our frugality becomes a point of pride, and we compromise a message of holiness with acts that are unholy.

People:
Have mercy, Lord. Create in us clean hearts, and renew a right spirit within us.

Pastor:
When we harden our hearts against correction, or despise true instruction that challenges what we have believed to be righteous in thought or deed,

People:
Break our hearts of stone. Give us hearts of flesh that beat with your love.

Pastor:
When we forget the poor, ignore the broken, or justify the systems that oppress, endanger or dishonor image bearers of God…

People:
Open our eyes, Lord. Show us how to participate as your justice rolls down like waters, and your righteousness like a mighty stream.

All:
Renew your Church, O God. Cleanse us from idols, remove unrighteousness, and renew a purified witness. May your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

[1] Hellenistic Jews who had been freed from slavery.

Forgiveness

When we talked about persecution, we talked about forgiveness. It generated some interesting discussion in Message+, so I figured we would do a follow-up. What does it truly mean to forgive as Christians? So, let’s unpack what it is, what it isn't, and how it shapes our lives as followers of Jesus.

I’ve been really challenged the past two years on my own journey: what does it look like to forgive people who hurt me so badly? Is it a decision, a feeling? Do others need to repent first? Should life go on as if everything is okay? Does reconciliation mean we become besties? Lots of question.

So, I am working on understanding biblical forgiveness, and I invite you to work on it with me. Think of this as workshopping how to understand forgiveness.

What is forgiveness? At its core, forgiveness is a participation in what Jesus did for us. Paul wrote,“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”(Colossians 3:13) I really loved Harrison’s explanation of how the Bible puts such great imagery around the use of aphiēmi (af-ee-ay-mee).

• Matthew 6:12 KJV: “And aphiēmi (discharge) us our debts, as we aphiēmi our debtors.”

• Matthew 4:20 KJV: “And they straightaway aphiēmi (cast away) their nets, and followed him.”

• Matthew 8:15 KJV: “And he touched her hand, and the fever aphiēmi (let her go): and she arose, and ministered unto them.”

Forgiveness is release someone of a debt, letting them go, casting away our need to see justice unfold on our terms. Forgiveness means that we hand the debt owed to us over to God rather than insisting that we collect it ourselves.  We release our burdens of hurt and sorrow to the care of a righteous judge, trusting that the plan God has for dealing with those who have hurt us is better than ours.[1]

Forgiveness Comes from the Forgiven. As Paul writes in Colossians 1:13-14, Jesus,

"…has rescued us from the dominion of darkness... in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

We've been forgiven an enormous debt (Ephesians 1:7-8). As C.S. Lewis wisely noted,

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”– C.S. Lewis

How can we, who have received such mercy, withhold it? "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13)

Forgiveness Is Mandatory.

Peter once asked Jesus if forgiveness was to be offered seven times (Matthew 18). The rabbis at the time taught that forgiving someone more than three times was unnecessary. Peter was suggesting more than double the mandated maximum. They would have been stunned by Jesus’ lavish answer of 70x7 (which was a very Jewish way of saying there is no end). They were used to a law that had limits, not a grace that did not.

Jesus followed that up with the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. God has forgiven us an enormous debt; how ungrateful must we be if we don’t do the same for others?  

But the mandatory nature of forgiveness isn’t just for the one who needs to be forgiven. It’s for the one forgiving. Think of it this way.

• God’s forgiveness is always given — that’s grace.

• Our forgiveness of others is how we live into that grace — that’s transformation.

• If we refuse to forgive, we block the flow of that grace in ourselves, not because God retracts it, but because forgiveness is the language of the Kingdom, and we’ve refused to speak it.

If I may note the wisdom of this on a practical level: we will probably assume God and others forgive us in the same way we forgive others. If we forgive partially and reluctantly and keep score somewhere, that’s probably how we view the forgiveness of God and others. This is the advice of a loving Father: forgive as God forgives. Forgive fully and freely. It will help us understand the nature of God’s forgiveness.

Forgiveness Requires Honesty. We must acknowledge the sin's impact on individuals, relationships, and communities. If someone says, “I’m sorry,” we don’t have to just say, “That’s okay. It was nothing.” It wasn't okay (though it might be eventually); it wasn’t nothing. 

Sin leaves marks; ignoring them hinders true restoration. Be honest about the offense's depth so the offender understands the preciousness of forgiveness in light of the depth of the damage.

Forgiveness is NOT saying,“It’s okay.” The sin of harming Abba’s dear children is NOT okay. Abuse and oppression are never acceptable. Forgiveness must not minimize injustice or the damage it does.

Forgiveness is NOT saying,“I'm okay.” Healing can take years. Genuine forgiveness does not ask anyone to skip any stage of the grieving and healing process.

Forgiveness is NOT saying, “You're okay.” The offender is not simply off the hook. Repentance includes facing consequences, which may include incarceration, rehabilitation, restitution and restoration.

Forgiveness is NOT saying, “We're okay.” Forgiveness may include but does not require the victim of injustice to re-enter a relationship with the offender. That may not be possible or even safe. One can forgive and be healed without ever [regaining the relationship they once had] with the offender.” (Brad Jersak)

The chorus of a popular song goes, “I’m not okay - [it's not okay, right now] -but it’s all going to be alright.” This is gospel hope. Even when it is hard to envision full recovery and genuine restoration in a world full of things that are not okay, we know there is a day when all things will be made new (Revelation 21:5), and Jesus will reconcile all things to himself (Colossians 1:20).

Forgiveness Is Patiently Anticipatory.

The Parable of the Two Sons (or the Prodigal Son) in Luke 15 reminds us that it is God who will wake people up in the midst of their sin. We may be the instrument God uses, but… we may not be. And I can almost guarantee that people who sin against us often (usually?) won’t respond with our sense of timing.

We can be so quick to want people to repent NOW and thoroughly. But… do we do this all the time? Or did it take some time to really see and understand our sin? How long did people faithfully invest in us before, like the Prodigal Son, we “came to your senses” by the grace of God and repented?

When I was coaching, there was a parent who really didn’t like me. He would write me weekly letters several pages long chronicling all the ways I failed. He would glare at me all the time. He disinvited me from his son’s wedding. Then Braden decided that this man was the coolest guy in the room during basketball games, and would climb to the top of the bleachers to sit with him game after game (Braden was probably 3 or 4). One night after a game this man was waiting for me. I braced myself. All he said was, “You and I have had our differences, but you must be doing something right as a father.” That was the most repentance I was going to get. Of course I forgive you. It took a while, but we got there. We’ve been good ever since.

Forgiveness Does Not Delete History—It Covers It. You may be thinking that God "will remember [our sins] no more" (Hebrews 8:12; Jeremiah 31:34) and removes them "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12).

Every commentary I read noted that this is not literal amnesia.[2] It’s the best human language we have to explain that God does not hold our sins against us when our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. Paul remembered his sins and wrote about them to churches. If God had forgotten, then Paul remembered something about his history that God did not. If I pray and ask God for ongoing healing for my past (forgiven) sins, God is not confused by my request. He knows why I’m asking. He just does not hold them against me.

Memory was not part of the fall. It’s one of the good gifts God has given us. We are meant to learn from our past successes and failures. It’s part of how we mature. We will never gain necessary wisdom if we forget what it was like to be in chains to sin. 

We will also not appreciate the forgiveness God and others show us if we forget how much we gave them to forgive. We will not be able to encourage others with our testimonies of God’s grace if we can’t remember why God showed us grace in the first place.

Forgiveness Does Not Cancel Accountability or Consequences. After Adam and Eve sinned, God provided a means of forgiveness…but also explained what the fallout was going to look like. God forgave Moses…but Moses did not enter the Promised Land. Paul noted in Galatians 6 that we will harvest what we plant. It’s a principle God has embedded in the world, and God will not be mocked.

• If I steal your wallet, but return the wallet and ask for forgiveness, forgiveness should be granted. But are you going to leave your wallet out again when I am around?  Wisdom would suggest you keep your wallet close, at least until you trust that I am trustworthy.  

• If I share a deep secret you told me in confidence, and I repent and ask you to forgive me, you should extend forgiveness. But you probably shouldn’t tell me a deep secret again until you trust that I am trustworthy.

• If you hurt or offend your spouse or a friend, ask for forgiveness. But don’t become annoyed if they put up some boundaries so they don’t get hurt again.

Charles Stanley wrote,

“Forgiveness is relational; consequences are circumstantial.”

Life is not an etch-o-sketch. We can’t just shake the picture that we’ve drawn and pretend it never happened. We have hurt people. Extending forgiveness is not the same as overlooking the impact of sin. Accountability and protection can go along with forgiveness.

Forgiveness Might Be a Process. It doesn't always happen overnight. We may forgive sincerely, yet feelings resurface, requiring repeated surrender. It's an ongoing choice, leading to healing.

When Joseph first saw his brothers as an adult, he could have forgiven them on the spot. He didn’t.

• He jailed them for three days, demanded they bring their youngest brother, threw Simeon in jail so they would have to come back, and hid their money in their grain sacks (which made for a pretty terrifying find). When they left, he wept.

• When they returned, he wept at seeing his younger brother.

• When they left again, he hid his own cup in the bag of his younger brother.

• When they were ‘caught’ and brought back to Egypt with the assumption they would all be slaves - which Joseph confirmed - Judah told him he was “just like Pharoah.”

• It was only then he revealed himself, and he wept so loudly that servants in other rooms could hear him. (Genesis 41-45)

For Joseph’s brothers to go back and forth – and to eat all their grain from the first trip before they made another trip – I assume this unfolded over months. It sure reads as if Joseph needed some time to sort some things out.

So if forgiveness feels slow or unfinished, don’t despair. Joseph’s tears and hesitation were not signs of failure; they were part of the process. God can handle your struggle. What matters is that you keep turning your heart toward mercy, one honest step at a time. In the end, forgiveness is less about how quickly we reach the destination and more about walking faithfully with the God who heals us along the way.

Forgiveness Is Worth Celebrating. The prodigal's return sparked a feast. We celebrate restoration, not to deny the past, but to revel in the present moment and future hope. The father of the Prodigal Son was overjoyed the son had returned. It was the legalistic brother who said, “How dare you celebrate that boy after what he did to you. ”

This one is hard, especially if you are the one who has been wounded by someone else’s sin. Yet I think our reactions to other situations are instructive here. Don't we love that the Amish community forgave the shooter? Don’t we love the stories of parents who forgive their child’s killer? We applaud, as we should. We aren’t opposed to the principle. It’s just hard when it applies to us. This is the cross we take up; this is cost of discipleship; this is what God commands – and equips us to do.

Conclusion/Summary

Forgiveness happens when we release our offenders to Christ’s judgment, rather than chaining our hearts to them with resentment. This doesn’t mean we bypass human justice systems when necessary. But it means our healing doesn’t depend on human courts getting it right. 

Forgiveness happens when we release our burdens of hurt, grief, anger, loss and sorrow to Abba’s care, rather than stuffing them or fashioning them into weapons. 

Forgiveness happens when we release the debt of the other’s offense into God's hands. Even if they repent sincerely and make restitution, our offenders can never cover the debt of harms done. We must let God bear that burden—ours and theirs. 

Forgiveness happens when we release our healing into God’s hands. No one’s punishment or repentance is sufficient to heal us. Only God can truly do that.

Forgiveness happens when, having let go, we surrender our lives to Christ’s love and care. 

Forgiveness is NOT easy. The Passion—the torture and death, the burden of our sin—cost Christ everything. Forgiveness is not easy for those who’ve been devastated by the hurts and trespasses (violations) of others… 

Forgiveness is the most demanding, excruciating process we’ll ever experience. Forgiveness is cruciformity itself. (Brad Jersak)

Forgiveness may feel like death—it’s cruciform—but it’s the new creation breaking in. Every act of forgiveness is a small resurrection, a sign that the Kingdom of God is alive in us. When we choose to forgive, we're not just releasing the offender; we're unlocking the chains that bind us to pain and resentment. We're stepping into the radiant light of God's love, where healing, restoration, and freedom dwell.

For this reason, forgiveness is not just personal—it’s missional. Every time we forgive, we show the world what God is like. In a culture that prizes revenge, forgiveness is a revolution. It’s how light breaks into darkness. It’s how the Church reveals the beauty of Jesus to a watching world.

So may we become a people who forgive—not because it’s easy, but because it’s Christ in us, reconciling the world to himself.

Imagine a world where forgiveness reigns, where the cycle of hurt and anger is broken, and where love and mercy flow freely. That's the world Jesus invites us to live in. This is a foretaste of the world to come, when Christ will reconcile all things to himself.

Every time we forgive, we are aligning ourselves with that future—the day when every wound will be healed, all tears wiped away, and even our enemies made friend through the reconciliation of Jesus.

________________________________________________________________________________

[1] When we hear the phrase “spiritual warfare,” we probably think of a spiritual battle taking place in the unseen world. I would like to suggest that forgiveness one of the greatest acts of spiritual warfare, because unforgiveness is a win for Satan (2 Corinthians 2:11).

[2] “This is evidently spoken after the manner of men, and in accordance with human apprehension. It cannot mean literally that God forgets that people are sinners, but it means that he treats them as if this were forgotten. Their sins are not charged upon them, and they are no more punished than if they had passed entirely out of the recollection.” – Matthew Henry, on Hebrews 8:12

“This is another phrase to express the forgiveness of sins, and distinguishes the new covenant from the old one, or the former dispensation; in which, though there were many typical sacrifices, and a typical removal of sin, yet there was a remembrance of it every year.” Gill’s Exposition Of The Bible, on Hebrews 8:12

“As far as possible; as far as we can imagine. These are the points in our apprehension most distant from each other, and as we can conceive nothing beyond them, so the meaning is, that we cannot imagine our sins could be more effectually removed than they are. “ Barne’s Notes On The Bible

“…and by this means so effectually, and so far, are their transgressions removed, that they shall never be seen any more, nor ever be imputed to them, nor be brought against them to their condemnation; in consequence of which, pardon is applied to them, and so sin is removed from their consciences, as before observed; see Leviticus 16:21.”  - Gill’s Exposition Of The Entire Bible

“He will, in the language of another prophet, “blot out” the sins which yet belong to the indelible and irrevocable past (Isaiah 43:25; Isaiah 44:22).”  Elliot’s Commentary For English Readers, on Jeremiah 31:34 

The Cost Of Following Jesus: Salt and Fire

I noted last week:

“When it stops being culturally hard to be a follower of Jesus—when it starts to be to our cultural advantage to be Christian—historically, that has always presented a danger of compromise and corruption in the church.But when the cost of being a child of God is high, a purified church filled with love and hope shines like a city on a hill into a world dark with hate and despair.”

There is something about this reality for the institution of the church that has importance for the individuals in the church as well. There is always going to be a cost to following Jesus, and it’s for our good. If we aren’t willing to pay it, we will not experience the fullness of life in the Kingdom of God.

Today I am not going to talk about what others do to us; I am going to talk about the costly discipleship God asks us to participate in with him.

• David said, “I will not give to God sacrifices that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24)

• Jesus told his disciples to count the cost, as if there was going to be a cost. (Luke 14)

• We are called to “deny yourself, take up your cross” (Matthew 16), “die daily” (1 Corinthians 15), “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12), “discipline your body” (1 Corinthians 9). 

In other words, Jesus calls us to die in the sense of making choices so that the things within us that are evil and destructive die, and that which brings life moves front and center.

Think of the Rich Young Ruler, so close to following Jesus except for that one thing. Jesus asked him if he would embrace poverty if asked, and it was too much. (Mark 10) There was something about his wealth and the life it brought him that was too high of a cost to pay in exchange for life in the Kingdom.

Think of the Sadducees, for whom staying cozy with Rome was far more important than taking Jesus seriously. The miracles done by Jesus and the apostles should have drawn them to hear the truth about Jesus. But if Jesus was who he said he was, the cost was higher than they were willing to pay.

The Pharisees loved purity and holiness (that’s a good thing), but it kept them from loving all their neighbors: the Samaritans, the prostitutes, the tax collector, the leper. The unclean. If following Jesus meant doing the messy work of interacting with the “unclean” up close and personal, it was too high of a cost.

This cost, this dying, is not pain for pain’s sake. It’s the fire of refinement, and refinement is hard but good. What comes out the other side is something purified and true.

“For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness  to the LORD. (Malachi 2:3)

“Everyone will be salted with fire and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt... Have salt in you and be at peace with one another." (Jesus, in Mark 9:49-50)

What shall we do with that imagery of salt and fire? I like the commentary from the Cambridge Commentary For Schools And Colleges:

“Salt, like a subtle flame, penetrates all that is corruptible and separates that which is decaying and foul, whilst it fixes and quickens that which is sound. Fire destroys that which is perishable and thereby establishes the imperishable in its purest perfection, and leads to new and more beautiful forms of being. Thus both effect a kind of transformation.

Now “everyone,” our Lord saith, “shall be salted with fire;” either (1) by his voluntary entering upon a course of self-denial and renunciation of his sins, and so submitting to the purifying fire of self--transformation; or (2) by his being involuntarily salted with the fire of… judgment (Hebrews 10:27; Hebrews 12:29).”

We are going to talk about the first way today. If we aren’t feeling the “purifying fire of self-transformation,”we have stopped short of really embracing what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and this stoppage will take from us the joy of bringing offerings of righteousness to the Lord.

Good news! The Bible shows us what that salt and fire look like, as well as how to apply it. There are ways to purposefully embrace the purifying costliness of our faith for the sake of transformation. Let’s start with an example, then move to principles.

When Paul talked about all the different groups to whom he took the gospel, he noted:

19 For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people…I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some… I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.

He then used an Olympic racing analogy to describe how hard this was:

Each competitor (in a race) must exercise self-control in everything… So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9)

It must have been hard work to get to know others so well in order to “speak their language.” It must have meant surrendering his preferences for how to share the Gospel in light of the best way they could understand the gospel. He had to live with integrity so as to not poison his words. And he did all this so that he could participate in the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 10 he notes,

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.  No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”

Partnering with what God is doing in the world is going to require, work, wisdom, self-control, and self-sacrificial relationships so we can participate in the gospel. We will have to get salted with that purifying fire of transformation. Here are some ideas.

1. Salty Generosity

Jesus was poured out for us; what does it look like to pour out our lives for others? A very practical way is with our resources.

 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. (2 Corinthians 9)

Give money, time, a listening ear, a car ride – whatever your resource is -  for the sake of others. Help those who can’t return the favor. Let them borrow stuff you like. Make it uncomfortable for yourself.

The story is told of the preacher who was invited to preach at a church as part of a fundraising drive for repairing several churches in a parish. One attendee told him, “I could pay to fix one of those churches and not even feel it.” The preacher responded, “Why don’t you fix two and feel it?”

What does it look like to give from whatever provision God has given us until we feel it? And in that uncomfortable space, God does work as we will need to trust on His storehouse of provision.

2. Salty Hospitality

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12)

This could be a cousin to the point I just made. Be practically hospitable by giving people a place at the table in your life or in your home. The table of Jesus should always have an extra seat.

But right now I am thinking about the hospitality of our head and heart. It’s the idea that we give the benefit of the doubt to people; we ascribe the best intentions to them until we are proven wrong.

Someone at church doesn’t talk to you one Sunday. You don’t know why.  Assume good in them and not ill. It might be really hard to deal with the anxiety or fear you have; that’s a great opportunity to give it to Jesus.

You got cut off in that roundabout? Pray that the person driving is okay. Who knows; they may have a family emergency. They might have just gotten terrible news and were distracted. Pray for them.

There is a social media post, and it really gets under your skin. You want to feel the salt of purification? Ascribe the best of intentions to the poster. If you are going to try to read between the lines, write the best narrative you can. If you wonder what the attitude of their heart is, give them the grace that you want others to show you when they are confused.

It’s easy to stew in our own assumptions and judgments, and for most of us, that stew is toxic. When we do the work of cooking with ingredients of generosity, kindness, and hope, it’s a much better meal.

3. Salty Discomfort

Fasting from food is a classic tradition. It’s a way of taking control of our body’s needs. Maybe think of fasting as challenging our bodily urges or earthly desires and focusing on Jesus to bring us peace.

Some people do digital fasting: intentionally go without screens, social media, or streaming to make space for prayer and silence. Maybe it is fasting from instant gratification – waiting for your paycheck to get something you want instead of putting it on a card.

Fasting is not punishment; it’s practice. It trains us to say ‘no’ to lesser things so we can say ‘yes’ to Jesus. Discomfort for Christ now is preparation for faithfulness when we hit even harder times in life.

4. Salty Service

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2)

“Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with the hunble. Do not be conceited.” (Romans 12)

Go regularly into places where you’re not in control or where your social status or reputation doesn’t matter (food banks, prisons, nursing homes, refugee centers, homeless shelters[1]). Commit to relationships with people who can’t “give back” -  the poor, the lonely, the marginalized, the overlooked. Maybe it is short-term or long-term service in a context that stretches your cultural or emotional comfort. Maybe it’s local mission in hard neighborhoods or to groups that make you uncomfortable.

It’s joining Jesus in the margins.  If we want to join Jesus in what he is doing today, we will often find the most tangible evidence where the need is greatest. God offers some transformation in those spaces as we “become all things to all people” because of the gospel, so we can participate in it.

5. Salty Relationships (repentance and forgiveness)

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3)

This will require honesty. Confess sin openly to trusted believers. Let them love you, correct you, encourage you, or lead you. Be humbled and lifted up.

Don’t hide from people you have wronged. Move toward them. Humbly. Honestly. Just say, “I’m sorry,” without the need for padding. Commit to not repeating whatever it was that hurt them. Do what is in your power to do for reconciliation.

Don’t reject people who offer you their repentance. Forgive them. Refuse to hold a grudge or nurse bitterness. We will talk more next week about the dynamics of forgiveness, but for today, remember that Jesus calls us to forgive.

Refuse to retaliate. Choose blessing over cursing. Pray for the people you are stewing over in your mind – not imprecatory prayers, but prayers for God to do good, healing work in their lives for their good and His glory.

6. Salty Witness

“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4)

Live the gospel all the time: that will pave the way for speaking the gospel.

Don’t be ashamed of the gospel even when it is uncomfortable. As much as is possible, live at peace with people, but don’t be afraid to own your faith. When people are talking about life, talk unashamedly about the rhythms of your faith in your life. ‘How can we not speak of what we have seen and heard?’”

Some spaces are meant for listening. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is offer a faithful presence that (hopefully) feels a lot like Jesus. Other times, the Holy Spirit is going to nudge us. Share the gospel when the Holy Spirit tells you it’s time, even if it is awkward or risky socially. Part of being salted is being patient when we want to barge in; the other is being responsive even if we are nervous.

7. Salty Sexuality

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.” (1 Thessalonians 4)

Staying within God’s boundaries in our actions and our hearts is going to test us. It’s…

• surrendering our sexual desires to the lordship and boundaries of Christ

• treating others with honor and thinking of them with honor

• building their dignity in our minds rather than fantasizing about them

• refusing to reduce people to objects of gratification, but refocusing on them as imago dei.

• refusing to take advantage of the bodies of others, but rather insisting that they all leave our presence having felt valued, not used.

I read a definition of chastity that talked about “directing all sexual emotions towards the holy dignity of the person.” If you let that fire salt you, the ‘you’ that emerges will be safe, honorable and holy (set apart from the world) in a beautiful way.

8. Salty Communication

One of our greatest areas for the potential work of God’s purifying fire to do its salty work is in the area of our words.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4)

 [The tongue] is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3)

If we want to be uncomfortable, tested, challenged, made to explore our hearts, surrender our opinions to God, work on self-control, and practice hospitable thoughts for others, this is a really great area of life for that.

There are things we must say as Christians that are necessary (truth, the gospel). There are things we can’t say if we want to follow Jesus well (slander, gossip, and lies). Then, Paul said there were things that were permissible but not beneficial or constructive.

Every word we speak is either building a bridge or burning one. If Jesus is Lord of our hearts, he must also be Lord of our tongues. If we want to get refined by a fire that will burn us into maturity, this is a really, really, really good one.

9. Salty Disciplines

“People do not drift toward holiness.” (D.A. Carson)

This is #1-#8. Spiritual disciplines will do a salty work in us. Let me add some classics.

It’s early morning prayer when you’d rather sleep, or praying instead of listening to music while you are driving. It’s studying Scripture when your mind wants to be scrolling. It’s embracing silence and solitude to talk with Jesus and appreciate God’s creation when you want noise and distraction.

Spiritual disciplines are not hoops to jump through—they’re habits that shape who we are becoming. Discipline is the training ground where desire for Christ becomes delight in Christ.

* * * * *

Yes, following Jesus costs us something. We need to be salted with the refiner’s fire. But the refining is never for our destruction; it’s for the destruction of that which is sinful in us, and that’s a good thing.

Jesus promised that those who lose their life for His sake will find it. That means that on the other side of the cost is the reward of a life marked by peace, joy, and love that this world cannot take away. The abundant life of the Kingdom is not only good for us—it overflows to bless our families, our neighbors, and even our enemies.

When we embrace costly Christianity, we become a living testimony to a watching world that Jesus is real, that His Spirit transforms, and that His Kingdom is breaking in even now.

__________________________________________________________________________________

[1] See Matthew 25

An Unexpected Time To Rejoice (Acts 5:17-42)

Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.[1] They arrested the apostles [2]and put them in the public jail.[3] But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.“Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.

But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported,“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

This is the first of three “jail break” miracles recorded in Acts. Add this to the “signs and wonders” that people can see, proving that God as revealed in Jesus is, indeed, God. Just like Jesus healed a lame man – something people could see - to show that he could forgive sins – which they couldn’t see - God frees the apostles – something people can see – to prove he can free them from the chains of sin.

On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to. Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.[4]

Another great example of “enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2) in contrast to the religious authorities. So far, this is the pattern in the early church. That’s going to change before long, and we will discuss why when we get there.

The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s [5] blood.”[6]

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!  The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.  God exalted him to his own right hand[7] as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”[8]

When they heard this, they were furious (gnashed their teeth) and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel ,a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.

He referenced some incidents in Jewish history, then said,

Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged.

Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.[9]  Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

* * * * *

What happened to them is the same dynamic that followers of Jesus have faced throughout history: when our faith meets resistance, how will we respond?

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death, Christians have had very different opinions about how to understand what happened. Was he persecuted for his faith, or was he a person of faith who was killed? Was he a martyr, or simply a victim of evil?

Whatever your opinion, no doubt his death has pushed the conversation about persecution and martyrdom to the forefront. And since that is exactly where our text takes us today, I want us to focus on the deeper and timeless issue: whatever the situation, how does Jesus call us to respond when we suffer for his name?

Let’s start with a simple definition. Persecution: when harm/damage is done to us because of our faith. We are going to see the apostles take on a ton of damage in the book of Acts. Most of them will eventually be killed as martyrs.

And yet we see in today’s passage that they leave this situation not in bitterness, not plotting revenge, not wallowing in hate or self-pity, but actually rejoicing in the honor of participating in this suffering of Jesus.

Why is it a privilege to participate in the suffering of Jesus? If anyone could speak with authority about suffering for Christ, it was Paul. His own story mirrors and amplifies what began in Acts 5. Paul said suffering for Jesus was one way to get to know Jesus better.

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)

Based on that, I’d say he and Jesus got pretty close. Once, when he was making the point that if people wanted to play a “religious credentials” game he would win, he offered a window into his life.

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one — I am talking like a madman — with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned.

Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. (2 Corinthians 11)

He called this "light and momentary affliction" that is producing an "eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). He will tell the Christians in Philippi,

“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him…” (Philippians 1)

It was granted to them. It was charizomai: a gift; a favor; an act of grace. Peter – who got beaten with 39 lashes in today’s story – had a lot to say about this gift in 1 Peter. Here are two of many sections in that book.

For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Pet. 2:20–21)

But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God… Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Pet. 4:12–19)

This doesn’t mean we should seek persecution, by the way. Paul and Jesus escaped from angry crowds; Paul used his Roman credentials to remind Rome of his Roman rights. He wrote, “As much as is possible, live at peace with all people.” (Romans 12:18)

We aren’t called to push until we are persecuted; we are called to live faithfully even if we are. And when we are, we have been shown the path to follow. From the very beginning, Christians were encouraged to see persecution as an opportunity not for retaliation and bitterness, but as a means to know Christ more deeply and as an opportunity to witness to the love of God.

• From the Didache, a Christian document written around 85 AD: “Bless those who curse you, pray for your enemies, and fast on behalf of those who persecute you… But love those who hate you, and you shall not have an enemy.”

• A few years later, Justin the Martyr said: “We who formerly hated and murdered one another now live together and share the same table. We pray for our enemies and try to win those who hate us.”

• “Above all, Christians are not allowed to correct by violence sinful wrongdoings.” Clement of Alexandria (150AD – 214AD)

• Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage who died in 258: “None of us offers resistance when he is seized, or avenges himself for your unjust violence, although our people are numerous and plentiful…it is not lawful for us to hate, and so we please God more when we render no requital for injury…we repay your hatred with kindness.”

Their patient endurance, their refusal to hate, their joy even in death—this is what convinced the watching world that Jesus is Lord. The church exploded. There was something compelling about what the community of the early church offered, yes, but it was more than that. They were willing to die rather than turn away from Jesus. They had found something – someone - worth dying for.

There is an interesting historical fact about Christianity. With few exceptions,[10] it grows in quantity and quality during persecution, but too quickly loses the quality in times of comfort and privilege. Gene Edward Veith, former editor at WORLD magazine, notes:

“One of the greatest paradoxes in Christian history is that the church is most pure in times of cultural hostility. When things are easy and good, that is when the church most often goes astray… When the church seems to be enjoying its greatest earthly success, then it is weakest. Conversely, when the church encounters hardship, persecution, and suffering… then it is closest to its crucified Lord, then there are fewer hypocrites and nominal believers among its members, and then the faith of Christians burns most intensely. 2”

If you were here while we went through the Gospels, you already saw the corrosive effect of power and privilege in the Sadducees. It’s going to become obvious far too quickly in church history.

When Constantine legalized Christianity and ended their persecution in the 300s, it was a wonderful relief. The church had been growing in spite of persecution, but now they could grow freely, in the open. Constantine offered a lot to like. He ended crucifixion and the gladiatorial arena. He gave state money to churches. He made Sunday a holiday. He stopped infanticide.

But along with these blessings came a danger: cultural Christianity. When the cost of following Christ dropped, so did the church’s purity.”

• Church growth now contained a lot of people who saw the social advantage of being Christian. One could move up in Rome by moving up in the church.

• Before too long, the church started defending people and things in the Roman government that they used to prophetically call out.

• Pagan rituals started sneaking into the church.[11]

• In a discouragingly short time, Christians were persecuting others like they had once been persecuted.

When it stops being culturally hard to be a follower of Jesus - when it starts to be to our cultural advantage to be Christian – historically, that has always presented a danger of compromise and corruption in the church.  But when the cost of being a child of God is high, a purified church filled with love and hope shines like a city on a hill into a world dark with hate and despair.

I have 3 snapshots for how modern followers of Jesus have responded to horrific violence they experienced because they were people of God just so we can watch God’s intended path unfold.

First: Corrie Ten Boom (concentration camp survivor) often spoke to audiences about the gospel and of the importance of Jesus’ forgiveness and grace. One night, a former guard approached her after one of here presentations. He had experienced God’s forgiveness, but he had a different question. He held out his hand and said, “Will you forgive me?” In Corrie’s own words:

“And I stood there  - I whose sins had every day to be forgiven  - and could not. Betsie had died in that place - could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

For I had to do it  - I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses…."

And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion  - I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand, I can do that much. You supply the feeling."

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!" For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely as I did then.

Second: Steve Saint, son of martyred missionary Nate Saint, was later baptized by his father’s killer, who had become a follower of Jesus. And then, his father’s killer became his surrogate father (and grandfather to his children). Eventually, they traveled the world talking about the power of God’s redemption. You can find videos online.

Third: In Nigeria, right now, extreme persecution by Boko Haram has included mass murder as well as destruction of church buildings, houses, and businesses. People who studied this found that the Christians who responded with forgiveness, prayer, and steadfast faith saw their witness grow stronger, while those who retaliated in anger saw the gospel’s influence shrink. One Nigerian pastor put it this way: “When we sang hymns as they destroyed our homes, our neighbors saw that Christ was real.” [12]

* * * * *

When Christians face persecution for loving and living for Jesus, what is the proper response?

When others urge vengeance, the forgiveness that God’s people offer should be inexplicable to the world.

While we watch fear and anger rise, the hope and peace that Jesus gives us should astonish all those who see us.

When the language of dehumanizing hate permeates the conversation, our words should unrelentingly remind the world of the dignity and value of all imago dei – even those who hurt and persecute.

When we hear the clamor for the destruction of our enemies, we surpass the noise with our prayers for the repentance, salvation, and new life in Christ for our enemies, believing the Holy Spirit’s restoration is available to all people.

This is the heart of Christian witness.

This is how the gospel has spread across centuries.

So let us be a people who—whether in ease or hardship, privilege or persecution—never stop proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah, to the glory of God.

_____________________________________________________________________________

[1] “Caiaphas and other members of the leading aristocratic priestly families were Sadducees. They had theological as well as political (cf. 4:10) reasons for wanting the movement stopped.. the popularity of Jesus’ movement is growing, risking the Jerusalem elite’s dishonor. “(NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[2] Commentaries suggest it was all 120 of the apostles.

[3] Not the Sanhedrin’s jail, into which they were put in Chapter 4. It’s escalating.

[4] “This says something about the early Christians' response to Jesus' example of nonviolence and nonretaliation during his own arrest (cf. Mk 14:43-50), for they might have begun a riot and thus extricated themselves.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[5] “Their hardened attitude is manifest in their… spitting out the epithet "this man" when they had to refer directly to him.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[6] “Those responsible for murder were “guilty” of the person’s “blood” (Dt 21:7 – 8; 2Sa 21:1; Eze 22:4). Such behavior brought judgment on the land unless the murderers were punished. The apostolic preaching thus threatens the political security of the elite.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[7] “This declaration would be understood by the Sanhedrin as a reference to the Resurrection. Such an exaltation by God would make this resurrected Jesus equal with God (cf. John 5:18; 10:33).” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[8] “For to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins] Thus offering the way of salvation to all those who were ready to accept it. These words to a Jew would have great significance, for they had a saying (T. B. Sanhedrin 113 a) that salvation was one of the things which God kept in His own power. If Christ then was to bestow this gift on Israel He must be owned by them as God.” (Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges)

[9] “Jesus’ disciples rejoice specifically because of the reason why they suffer (Lk 6:23). Jewish tradition praised suffering for “the Name,” meaning that of God; here, however, the name is that of Jesus (cf. Lk 6:22).” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible) “ To rejoice in persecution, and triumph in the midst of pain, shame, disgrace, and various threatened deaths, is the privilege of the New Testament.” (Adam Clarke)

[10] There are exceptions to this. Sometimes, the church dies out because everybody gets killed, literally. But I am not aware of any exceptions to the corollary. I have yet to find out of an example where a pure and holy church institution genuinely flourishes in righteous holiness in places of comfort, power and privilege.

[11] https://wearefaith.org/blog/constantines-influence-on-the-church/

[12] (https://place.asburyseminary.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2492&context=ecommonsatsdissertations)

The Reputation of Virtue Without the Cost of Virtue (Acts 4:32-5:16)

After the Sanhedrin couldn’t do anything to Peter and John because the people loved them, Peter and John returned to their friends – which I take to be the 120 disciples of Jesus. They prayed, the Holy Spirit surged again, and they all “began speaking God’s message with courageous confidence.” (Acts 4:31) Next, we get a repeat of something we heard earlier, but it’s going to move us into an uncomfortable story.

4:32 During those days, the entire community of believers was deeply united in heart and soul to such an extent that they stopped claiming private ownership of their possessions. Instead, they held everything in common. The apostles with great power gave their eyewitness reports of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Everyone was surrounded by an extraordinary grace. Not a single person in the community was in need because those who had been affluent sold their houses or lands and brought the proceeds to the emissaries of the Lord. They then distributed the funds to individuals according to their needs.

One fellow, a Cyprian Levite named Joseph, earned a nickname because of his generosity in selling a field and bringing the money to the apostles in this way. From that time on, they called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.”

5:1One man whose name was Ananias[1], with his wife, whose name was Sapphira, had sold his field.  And he took some of its price and concealed it while his wife was aware of it, and he brought some of the money and placed it before the Apostles' feet.

And Peter said to Ananias, "Why has Satan filled[2] your heart[3] to lie to the Spirit of Holiness[4] and to hide some money of the proceeds of the field? Was it not yours until it was sold? And after it was sold, again you had power over its proceeds. Why have you conceived in your heart to do this thing? You have not cheated men but God."

And when Ananias heard these words, he dropped dead and breathed his last.[5] And great fear came upon all those who heard. And young men among them arose and gathered him up, and they took him out and buried him.

And after three hours had passed, his wife also entered, not knowing what had happened.  Peter said to her, "Tell me if for these proceeds you sold the field." But she said, "Yes, for these proceeds."

Peter said to her, "Because you have conspired to tempt the Spirit of the Lord Jehovah, behold the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door and they will take you out."  And at that moment she fell before their feet and breathed her last, and those young men came in and found her dead.[6]

And they took her up and brought her out and buried her beside her husband.  And there was great fear (phobos) upon the entire church among all those who heard.[7] And there were occurring by the hands of the Apostles signs and many mighty acts among the people and they were all assembled together at the porch of Solomon.

And none of the other people dared to join them, but the people were magnifying/exalting them.[8] And those who were believing in Jehovah were added all the more, multitudes of men and women, so that they were bringing the sick out into the streets lying in litters, that when Peter would come, at least his shadow might overshadow them.[9]

And many were coming to them from the other cities which were around Jerusalem, as they were bringing the sick and those who had evil spirits, and they were all being healed.

I have a lot of questions about this event.

• It reads like Ananias and Sapphira make one mistake, and they are done.  One and done. It feels like there must be more to it than that.

• Why had no one told Sapphira what happened? Would she not have repented in front of Peter instead of continuing the lie?

• Peter says that Satan filled Ananias’ heart and  Ananias conceived to do this in his heart. Is it both? Did Ananias plant and Satan water?

• Peter would have been raised to practice the following in the face of an accusation: two or three witnesses had to know of the impending sin, warn of the impending sin and its consequences, and then see the sin occur.  Matthew 18 gives a whole process that wasn’t followed. Why not?

• Jesus rattled people, but He never cursed someone to die on the spot. Forgive 70x7, overcome evil with good, bless your enemy and pray for them that despitefully use you. I don't see "curse them to die or perish on the spot" on that list in Matthew 5:38-48.[10] What has changed?

• The burial does not follow Jewish protocol. There is no family involvement and no ritual.[11]

•  “Other people” didn’t dare join them after this. Is it other disciples from the 120 (Acts 1:15)? Religious leaders? Gentiles? Is this good or bad?

• Was the fear (phobos – wide range of meaning) a good thing?

• Peter had said after healing the lame man, “Why are you staring at my friend and me as though we did this miracle through our own power or made this fellow walk by our own holiness? 13 We didn’t do this—God did!” (Acts 3) Now, the people are magnifying/exalting them. There seems to be no deflection of glory here. Is that a bad sign?

Let’s walk through three main ways followers of Jesus have interpreted this passage, and then land on some things that are clear in spite of uncertainty.

OPTION #1 

This is divine judgment, pure and simple. This is an inaugural event in the early church: it’s not going to be the norm (just like tongues of fire aren’t the norm), but it establishes how seriously God takes hypocrisy and deceit.[12] The "great fear" that follows sounds ominous in my ears, but it promoted holiness and growth. The church continued to draw Jewish converts, so this act of God was not off-putting to them. Perhaps they just hyper-linked to God’s demands for holiness in the OT.  Same God, new covenant.

Things that make me say hmmm…

• The text does not explicitly state that God killed them.

• Peter’s response clashes with Jesus' mercy for sinners, culminating in a prayer for forgiveness for his murderers. Is killing God worse than lying to Him?

• If this established that God demanded holiness, it doesn’t seem to have worked any better than Old Testament punishments stopped God’s people from straying.[13] Just read the NT letters and study church history.

• It did actually deter at least some people from joining. There was respect but a reluctance to join. If the death penalty instantly applied to sin, I could see how that would be off-putting.

• “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.” (1 John 4:18) What do we do with that?

OPTION #2

Maybe Satan is the one who took their lives. Peter asked Sapphira, literally, "Why did the two of you agree to pressure the Spirit?" It carries the idea of pushing away the protective presence of God.[14]Paul will later instruct the church to “hand [a] man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 5).[15] Perhaps Ananias and Saphira were handed over to Satan. Their flesh was destroyed, but their spirits were saved (the text doesn’t say they were damned for what they did, just punished).[16]

HMMMMM….

The text doesn’t say that Satan killed them, just that Satan had “entered in” in the same way Satan entered into Judas in Luke 22:3. At one point Jesus had said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because you are not thinking the thoughts of God but those of men.” (Matthew 16:23) And then Satan didn’t kill Peter. So what is different here?

This view seems to give an uncomfortable amount of power to Satan and suggests that, depending on what our sin is, Satan can just take us, even though God denied Satan that kind of power in the story of Job.

OPTION #3

What if this is a descriptive story but not a prescriptive one? In other words, it shows what happened,but not necessarily what should have happened. Peter confronts publicly without private warning. There is no attempt to rebuke Satan; no prayer; no attempt to lead in repentance and restoration.

Peter, the Son of Thunder, has a thunderous history: cutting off the ear of a servant in his Zealotry to protect Jesus; denying Jesus with oaths in a volatile  moment. He was also part of a group that asked Jesus to rain down fire on a Samaritan town (Luke 9) before Jesus countered by sending them there as missionaries.

“Did Peter show them the same grace he himself received when he betrayed the Lord three times in one night? Did Peter extend God's grace to them to NOT hold this sin to their account, as Jesus did, as the martyr Stephen did, or did he even try to minister repentance to them, to counsel them, to pray for them, to intercede for them, to lay hands on them to be forgiven and healed, or any of the other things Scripture and later Church practice advised?

What about this passage? "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." (Galatians 6:1) Why, in Jesus' name, was the space to repent NOT offered to Ananias and Sapphira in this situation by Peter?”[17]

That seems like a really good question.

It also seems to have elevated Peter in an unhealthy way.  The rest of the 120 disciples of Jesus either don’t feel worthy of hanging with them or don’t want to; the people start thinking that just the shadow of Peter might heal them. This doesn’t seem healthy.

“If we, as part of a young and inexperienced church body, saw a revered leader such as Peter appear to instill such fear that people dropped dead, literally scared and condemned to death, then we too might start to idolize his ‘shadow…’ It can be argued that the ‘great fear’ that came on the church in the wake of this event, and the subsequent healing of the sick from Peter's cast shadow, came more from men wrongly, excessively and fearfully elevating Peter rather than through the exercising of pure faith in Christ.”[18]

HHHHMMMMM….

Even if it is descriptive rather than prescriptive, Luke narrates without critiquing Peter and not clearly stating something like, “Yep, he overstepped his authority.” And the positive church growth that continued from within the Jewish community afterward must be considered. Whatever involvement Peter had was interpreted by the Jewish people in such a way that it grew the church.

* * * * *

So what do we do with this story? Maybe this is settled for you and I should say, “What do I do with this story?” I am still wrestling with this story. It is just so jarringly different from its textual and historical context.

What if this story is meant to unsettle us? What if it’s meant to resist a neat, packaged explanation? Perhaps we are meant to wrestle with the text and not let go until we find the blessing in it (#jacob)

My main area of wrestling is over the question of what God is like. Clearly, God is not a God to be managed or manipulated. The Spirit of God is holy and weighty.  Conspiring to sin is playing with the fire of God. And yet, the same God who warned us that sin brings death is the God whose cruciform love brings holiness and mercy together in love. This God forgives, restores, and offers new life to even those who killed him and betrayed him.

I wonder if this kind of account invites us to hold two things at once: “The soul that sins will die!” (Ezekiel 18) and, "The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him" (Daniel 9:9). This invites us to explore God’s holy and merciful love more deeply.

If it’s just about holiness that demands an account from the sinner, how, then, is Peter still standing? Why am I still standing? Why are you?

That’s the wrestling part, at least for me.

Other parts are more clear.  If we are invited to wrestle, we are also invited to participate in the lifestyle of the Kingdom: radically generous, full of integrity and truth, speaking God’s message with “courageous confidence.” When the church lives like that, there is “extraordinary grace” for us all. When deceit and corruption creep in, the Kingdom suffers.

This story reminds us to be the kind of people who take personal integrity seriously, recognizing the moldy nature of sin: it starts in one spot, but it never stays there. There is always a ripple effect. We must take seriously our commitment to following Jesus for the sake of all of us.

So we are invited to wrestle, to join the mission, and to live with holy integrity.  Ananias and Saphira appear to have wanted the reputation of virtue without the cost of virtue.

Perhaps this is a good time for introspection. What are reputations we want without the cost of obedience? What are the crowns we want without the cross of presenting our lives as a living sacrifice? National headlines have too often revealed the lack of integrity in many of those who claim to follow Jesus.

• They want the reputation of generosity without the cost of giving in ways they feel.

• They want the reputation of defending traditional marriage while hiding their own secret affairs.

• They want the reputation of honoring the Ten Commandments while breaking them in their own lives.

• They want the reputation of being guardians of modesty and purity while going places and doing things that are anything but modest and pure.

• They want the reputation of upholding family values while neglecting or mistreating their own family behind closed doors.

• They want the reputation of loving the poor and powerless while not contributing in any meaningful way to their care.

• They want the reputation of standing for truth while letting gossip and slander pass far too easily through their lips.

• They want the applause of righteousness without the refining fire of holiness.
  

I said “they” to make it more objective. Could it also be “we”?  Can you find yourseIf on that list? Are you thinking of something else? If this leaves us unsettled, maybe that’s exactly where we need to be. Unsettled hearts are being called to repent. The Holy Spirit is doing some work.

I would like us to close today by spending some time in surrender and repentance.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”  (Psalm 139:23-24)

________________________________________________________________________________-

[1] The import of his name, חנניה chananiyah, the grace or mercy of the Lord, agrees very ill with his conduct. (Adam Clarke)

[2] I wonder if this is a contrast to Peter having just been filled with the Spirit?

[3] As was said of Judas (John 13:2; John 13:27).

[4] “Likely this means by lying against Him who dwelt in the Apostles whom he was seeking to deceive.” (Ellicott’s Commentary For English Readers

[5] The LXX uses ekpsychō in a few spots: Judith 16:17: the ungodly “shall weep and breathe their last in pain forever.” 4 Maccabees 15:24: a martyr “breathed his last.” 3 Maccabees 5:42: persecuted Jews “breathed their last.” In these contexts, it’s usually about violent, dramatic, or martyr-deaths—not “ordinary passing in bed.” So already in Jewish-Greek literature, the word can have a sense of dramatic expiration.

[6] Annanias and Sapphira may be hyperlinking to Abram in Gen 14 refusing to 'hold back for himself any portion of the proceeds'. Also, Achan in Joshua 7 took that which was harem – set apart for God – and used if for himself. It was not a good idea.

[7] “The question of the salvation of Ananias and Sapphira has not been a little agitated; and most seem inclined to hope that, though their sin was punished by this awful display of the Divine judgment, mercy was extended to their souls. For my own part, I think their sin was what the apostle, 1 John 5:16, calls a sin unto death; a sin which must be punished with temporal death, or the death of the body, while mercy was extended to the soul.” (Adam Clarke)

[8] This feels different than Peter’s first miracle, in which he said, “You thought we did this, but it was Jesus.”

[9] “It does not appear…that any person was healed in this way. The sacred penman simply relates the impression made on the people's minds; and how they acted in consequence of this impression.” (Adam Clarke)

[10] God vs Evil, by Richard Murray

[11] Typically, the body was first prepared for burial [the body was stripped, bathed, anointed with oils and certain burial spices, and then the body was wrapped in cloths before burial #jesusburial] The burial procession started at the home of the deceased, surrounded by family members.

[12] Onlookers may have thought of Nadab/Abihu in Leviticus 10 or Achan in Joshua 7. 

[13] Later, Peter will tell Simon Magnus, who attempted to buy the Holy Spirit, “Your money perish with you.” Simon said, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” There is no record that he or his money perished. I would think trying to buy the Holy Spirit has to rank up there pretty high in “Things Not To Do To The Holy Spirit,” and yet Simon lived. Hmmm.

[14] God at times judges by giving people over to their sins (Romans 1:24-26).

[15] Jesus had told his disciples that the “thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10) The writer of Hebrews claims that even though God has freed us from the fear of death having the final word, Satan “holds the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14)

[16] There is a psychological/spiritual view that has to do with Ananias and Sapphira being so scared they died. “I have witnessed this very thing in Africa where many people deeply believe in witchcraft. Many people there die a premature death because they have been convinced to believed that a witch doctor has put a curse on them. Many times even the medical profession will confirm that there is not a medical reason for their death.” (https://arthurmeintjes.com/what-about-ananias-and-sapphira/)

[17] God vs Evil, by Richard Murray

[18] God vs Evil, by Richard Murray

Whose Commands Will We Obey? (Acts 4:1-22)

The scene: Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, the ruling authorities for the Jewish people. The back story: Peter and John had just healed a lame man, followed by Peter giving a speech about Jesus to an astonished crowd.

The conversation continued for a few hours there in Solomon’s porch. Suddenly, the head of the temple police and some members of the Sadducean party interrupted Peter and John. They were indignant and angry because Peter and John were enthusiastically teaching that in Jesus, resurrection of the dead is possible—an idea the Sadducees completely rejected.

So they arrested Peter, John, and the man who was healed and kept them in jail overnight.  But Peter and John had now convinced about 5,000 people to believe their message about Jesus (nearly two thousand converts since the day of Pentecost).

The next morning, the Jewish leaders—their officials, elders, and scholars—called a meeting in Jerusalem presided over by Annas (the patriarch of the ruling priestly clan), along with Caiaphas (his son-in-law), John,[1] Alexander,[2] and other members of their clan. They made their prisoners stand in the middle of the assembly and questioned them.

Jewish Leaders: “By what kind of power or what kind of name (whose authority) did you do this?”

Peter[3] (filled with the Spirit):  “Rulers and elders of the people, yesterday a good deed was done. Someone who was sick was healed. If you’re asking us how this happened, I want all of you and all of the people of Israel to know this man standing in front of you—who has been made whole[4] —was healed by the authority of Jesus of Nazareth, the Anointed One.

This is the same Jesus whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is “the stone that you builders rejected who has become the very stone that holds together the entire foundation”[5] on which a new temple is being built. There is no one else who can rescue/save us, and there is no other name under heaven given to any human by whom we may be rescued/saved.”[6]

Now the leaders were surprised and confused. They looked at Peter and John and realized they were typical peasants— they “did not know the scrolls” and were untrained (idios).  The leaders recognized them as companions of Jesus.  But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.

Jewish Leaders: “What do we do with these fellows? Anyone who lives in Jerusalem will know an unexplainable sign has been performed through these two preachers. We can’t deny their story. The best we can do is try to keep it from spreading. So let’s warn them to stop speaking to anybody in this name.”

The leaders brought the prisoners back in and prohibited them from doing any more speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and John listened quietly and then replied,

Peter and John: “You are the judges here, so we’ll leave it up to you to judge whether it is right in the sight of God to obey your commands or God’s. But one thing we can tell you: we cannot possibly restrain ourselves from speaking about what we have seen and heard with our own eyes and ears.”

The council threatened them again, but finally let them go because public opinion strongly supported Peter and John and this man who had received this miraculous sign. He was over 40 years old, so his situation was known to many people, and they couldn’t help but glorify God for his healing.

* * * * *

The Trouble With Truth (it might be different than we think it is)

Jesus said, 

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

“IF you hold to my teaching.” The Sanhedrin already had a theological framework about what they assumed God must be like, and it wasn’t Jesus. Peter’s eyewitness accounts of Jesus (and the healed man standing right there) destabilized them. They had to choose: cling to their certainty in something that they were wrong about, or be open to God doing something new in Jesus.[7] This is the way truth works. It isn’t neutral; it always takes a side. It either affirms us or challenges us. When God does work in our lives, whatever is false is going to have to go and get replaced with whatever is true. Don’t be surprised if this hits all areas of our lives.

• Considering 2000 years of different traditions and denominations, could we have misunderstood God’s nature due to distorted teachings or traditions?

• Are we too tied to just one view of the cross, like Penal Substitution, when church history offers other perspectives that also offer beautiful insight?

• What do we do when we find out that a leader we admire is actually drawing us away from Jesus rather than closer either through their words or through the model of their life?

• What if we find out that the way we are representing Jesus is pushing people way instead of drawing them closer?  Could we recognize that our end goal is noble but that our means of getting there is not great?

In all these situations, we have the opportunity to respond to or resist the nudging of the Holy Spirit. Will it bring out humility or a hardness of heart? Will it make us inquisitive or defensive? Will we be excited about learning more, or will we be dismayed that we might have been wrong?

Truth is that it might be different than we thought it was, and we have to make choices about what to do when we find this out.

The Sanhedrin: The Problem of Power and Privilege

This is the problem the Sanhedrin is facing. The Sanhedrin’s resistance to truth was both theological and personal.

First, they had an idea of what the Messiah must look like, and it wasn’t an itinerant carpenter from Galilee who was going to challenge them rather than applaud them.

Second, the religious leaders listed in Acts were very cozy with Rome. The Sadducees blended the leadership of God’s people with the power of Rome.[8] The leader named John apparently “found favor in the eyes of Ceasar,” and Alexander was “highly esteemed by Agrippa.”[9] Rome wasn’t impressed by their witness; Rome was pleased at their subservience. For the Sadducees, embracing Jesus meant risking Rome’s wrath.

The people were offered Jesus, and they chose Barabbas, a Zealot, in hopes of crushing Rome with a more violent Messiah. The Sanhedrin were offered Jesus and they chose Rome, in hopes of keep their status quo comfortable.

When truth challenges our status, comfort, or plans,  we face the same choice. Are we acting in Jesus’ name -embodying His character – or are we acting in the name of someone or something else?

Filled With The Spirit (that he already had)

Unlike the Sanhedrin (who clung to cultural power) or the people (who kept joining Zealot revolutions), Peter and John leaned on the power of the Holy Spirit in their stand for truth.

Peter had received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Yet in Ephesians 5:18, Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesus who already had the Holy Spirit, “Cram yourself full with the Spirit.”[10]

Somehow, we have it – and there’s more! Maybe think of the Holy Spirit as a great lake we have been given. For you Great Lakes fans, there are special types of water movements, called storm surges and seiches, that happen when a storm moves across the lake. There isn’t less water; it just sometimes surges.

There are moments when the Spirit surges in power for witness, courage, and clarity. When this happens, ordinary people represent Jesus well and spread the good news of the gospel in ways they never thought possible. And when we cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God takes back some ground from the enemy of our souls.

No Other Name Will Save Us

Empowered by the Spirit, Peter boldly told the Sanhedrin that only Jesus saves. That exclusive claim still shapes our witness today. No one but Jesus can take our sins upon Himself and trade it for His righteousness. No one but Jesus conquered the power of death. No one but Jesus has both the power and the love to redeem any soul. John tells us God did this for the world[11] -  whosoever will may come.[12]

This makes Christianity an inclusive faith in that all are invited to the spiritual banquet Jesus provides, but we make the exclusive claim that salvation is found only in Jesus.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)

It is the unique sufficiency of Christ who alone bears our sin, conquers death, and gives life, and gifts the Holy Spirit of God to fill and guide us. And that will lead to situations where the work God does is impossible to miss.

He Was Standing Right There

Speaking of work God does that is impossible to miss, the healed man was standing right there before the Sanhedrin. After 40 years, he was walking in front of the whole community. People can push back against doctrine – and they do - but it’s much harder to argue with a changed life. When we think of different kinds of “apologetics” for this faith,  a changed life remains powerful.

• The greedy person who is now the most generous in the church

• the addict who is free

• the gossiper who now speaks words of life

• the sexual sinner who chooses a life of purity

• the angry dude who is now the gentlest in the group

• the one who lets go of years of bitterness and rage and forgives the one who hurt them

These stories are all around us to remind us that Jesus does good work in the world. They are standing right there – or sitting right next to you this morning.

Whose Commands Will We Obey?

The story starts with a question: “By what name…?” It ends with, “Whose commands will we obey?” [13] Jesus asks us the same thing: Who will we obey? Who will we cooperate with when we do work in the world?

Peter and John’s witness forced the Sanhedrin to either embrace God’s truth in Jesus and enter the Kingdom, or cling to their old beliefs and miss out. What will we do? Will we let Jesus’ truth reshape our lives? Here’s what that might look like.

• When the world says to hate our enemies, Jesus says the way of the Kingdom is to love them (Matthew 5:43–44; Luke 6:27–28).

• When the world says that “lording it over others” shows who is important, Jesus tells us the way of the Kingdom is to wash each other’s feet in humble service (Mark 10:42–45; John 13:12–15).

• Where the world loves boasting, Jesus values humility (Luke 14:11; Philippians 2:5–8).

• When the world tramples on “the least of these,” Jesus says that those in His kingdom should care for them (Matthew 25:40).

• When the world equates our value with productivity and usefulness to others, Jesus says, “Come to me…in my Kingdom I will give you rest”(Matthew 11:28–30).

• When the world says gentleness and kindness are weak, God gives them as fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), proof that the Holy Spirit is moving in us with power.

• When the world loves mockery and name-calling, Jesus insists that his Kingdom should be full of words of life (Matthew 5:22; Colossians 4:6; James 3).

• When the world says “It’s your life; do what you want,” Jesus says, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” (Luke 9:23–24) as we look out for “one another” (94 verses in the New Testament).

So we are going to have make choices as God’s truth calls us out from the value systems of empires and into the righteous calling of the Kingdom.

But in Acts 4, Peter and John weren’t yet challenging Rome. They were challenging the Sanhedrin. They were challenging religious leaders who claimed to speak for God but did not and were steering God’s people in the wrong direction. With that in mind, let’s look inside the American church to see where, even today, we must be wise in discerning if we are listening to God’s truth or a distortion of it.

When today’s Christian leaders…

• …tell us that wealth and luxury are markers of faith, Jesus challenges us to give generously, store up treasure in heaven, and identify with the poor (Luke 12:15–21; Matthew 25:35–40), warning how hard it is for the wealthy to enter into the Kingdom of God (Mark 10).

• …tell us that the church’s reputation must be protected at all costs by covering up sin and silencing victims, Jesus calls us to expose unfruitful works of darkness, confess our sins, bring hidden things into the light and seek restoration (Ephesians 5:11; James 5:19; Luke 12:2–3; 1 John 1:7).

• …stoke panic over the newest area of cultural decline (“It’s us against them!”), Jesus calls us to trust in His sovereignty and love fearlessly, building bridges across divides (1 John 4:18; Matthew 5:44–45)” (It’s us for them!”) as we go to the highways and byways to let everyone know the King is inviting them the banquet table of His love. (Luke 14).

• …insist that getting every little detail of theology perfectly right is the way to please God, Jesus reminds us that loving God and loving others with justice, mercy and humility pleases God (Micah 6:8; John 13:34-35; Colossians 1:10; Hebrews 13:16)

• …that it’s okay to fight culture wars with culture’s weapons (the ends justify the means), Jesus reminds us not to forget the Jesus way: blessing enemies, and overcoming evil with good (Matthew 5:43–48; Romans 12:20–21), so that the means don’t ruin us in the end (Leviticus 10:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:5).

• …that a proud exclusion of outsiders (people whose sin offends us more than our own sin does) is being faithful to God, Jesus shows us the way of agape love: inviting the outsider in, eating with sinners, and practicing repentance together (John 4; Luke 15:1–2; James 5:16).

Check out the list of what we just covered. If you look at all the wonderful things Jesus calls us to, if this characterizes us consistently, is this not a vision that is life-giving in so many ways?

We would be freed from the pressure to prove ourselves, perform for others, or conform to passing cultural trends. Instead, we could rest in the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17–19)

Our church communities would be marked not by scandal, division, or pride, but by cruciform love— lifting up the name of Jesus by bearing each other’s burdens, practicing honesty and repentance, and welcoming whosoever will come (Galatians 6:2; Romans 15:7; Revelation 22:17). The church would be a living witness to God’s kingdom breaking into this world.

Our local community would not look at Christians and see they hypocrisy, greed or unrighteous judgment that headlines love to point out. They would see humility, generosity, and sacrificial love. As Jesus Himself promised: 

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

_____________________________________________________________________________________

[1] “This was  [likely] Jochanan ben Zaccai, who was very famous at that time in the Jewish nation. Of him it is said in the Talmud, Jucas. fol. 60: "Rabbin Jochanan ben Zaccai the priest lived 120 years. He found favour in the eyes of Caesar.” (Adam Clarke)

[2] “This was probably Alexander Lysimachus, one of the richest Jews of his time, who made great presents to the temple, and was highly esteemed by King Agrippa.” (Adam Clarke)

[3] “Now was fulfilled the promise of Christ, Matthew 10:18-20; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake; but take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.” (Adam Clarke)

[4] “The verb, as in our Lord’s words, “Thy faith hath made thee whole” (Mark 10:52; Luke 7:50), has a pregnant, underlying meaning, suggesting the thought of a spiritual as well as bodily restoration.” (Ellicott’s Commentary)

[5] (Psalm 118:22)

[6] “St Peter thus intimates that the cure of the lame man is only a sign of the power of salvation for the soul which was in Jesus. The people were to draw from the effect produced by “Arise and walk,” the conclusion that the same power could as surely give the greater blessing, “thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:5).” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

[7] Gamaliel’s is soon going to comment that “If this is of God, you will not be able to stop it.” (Acts 5:38-39). And of course, they didn’t stop it. What would the Sanhedrin do with that?

[8] We covered this in a fair amount of detail in our Gospel Harmony series.

[9] According to Adam Clarke

[10] Okay, it is “be filled” with the Holy Spirit in most translations, but the verb tense suggests it’s an ongoing process of being filled to the brim.

[11] John 3

[12] Romans 22:17

[13] The Old Testament prophets had already called the people of God to choose wisely (Joshua 24:15: “Choose this day whom you will serve.”) In Revelation 13 vs. Revelation 14, John uses the image of a beast vs. a Lamb and asks whose mark we will take.

God’s Plan To Bless The World (Acts 3:17-26)

Last week we read that Peter and John healed a lame man. When an astonished crowd gathered, it was time for a speech!

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when Pilate had determined to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you,  and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.[1] 

And by faith in his Name has his Name made this man strong, whom you see and know:  the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 

The good news: Jesus, the Prince of Life, the long awaited Messiah, healed that man. The bad news: you killed him. This week, we are picking up from there.

“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance (when you crucified Jesus), as did your leaders.[2]  

Ancient Near East thinking had a legal principle that ignorance removes culpability. Judaism had a variation on that. In Jewish thinking, ignorance lessens blame but doesn’t remove guilt in the sense that wrong things still happened and they must be addressed.

“Now if the whole congregation/a leader/one of the common people of Israel strays unintentionally…and they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden, when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then [they] must bring [an offering]. (Leviticus 4)

Even if they didn’t mean to do it, it happened, and it must be addressed.  There’s a line in Hamlet where he says to another character, whom he had wronged: “I shot an arrow over the house and hurt my brother.” It’s that idea. He didn’t mean to hit him, but he did – maybe he shouldn’t have been casually shooting arrows over a house? - and now that he is aware, there needs to be a repentant response.

* * * * *

“I know that you acted in ignorance (when you crucified Jesus), as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.” 

To a Jewish audience, Peter points to the prophecies of suffering Messiah. He will cite Deuteronomy 18:15 in v. 22. He could have added Isaiah 53 (#sufferingservant), Psalm 16:8–11 (#resurrection), and Psalm 22 (#crucifixion). Contrary to the Zealot’s hope, Jesus was a Messiah who would save the world through giving His own blood instead of taking the blood of others. The Messiah was arriving in the power of cruciform love.

* * * * *

 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,  and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 

The idea of blotting out had roots in Israel’s Scriptures and rituals. In Numbers 5, a priest literally washed ink from a scroll into water, erasing the written curse as part of a judgment ritual. In Psalm 51, David pleads for God to “blot out” his transgressions, using the language of wiping a wax tablet clean, while Isaiah 43 and 44 picture God blotting out sins as effortlessly as a cloud vanishing from the sky.

The people had said, “His blood be upon us, and upon our children” (Matthew 27:25). They are going to need some “blotting out” of the curse they called upon themselves. To hear that sins could be “blotted out” was to hear that the record of transgression could be erased, the cloud of guilt could dissipate, and the covenant relationship could be fully renewed.

This repentance brings times of refreshing, which could mean, according to various commentaries: the gift of the Holy Spirit; the ongoing, renewing presence of Jesus; life in the age to come; the millennial reign of Jesus (depending on your view of End Times); a window of time before the fall of the Temple in AD 70.[3]

Though people disagree on some points on that list, this much is clear: a refreshing repentance involves turning away from sin and turning toward God in faith. The image in the original language is that of changing direction. I was going that way; I have pivoted and am not going this way. It’s an active change of habit and lifestyle that reflects the goodness of life in the Kingdom of God.

* * * * *

He has blotted out by his authority the bill of our debts which was adverse to us and he took it from the midst and nailed it to his cross. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised from ages past[4] through his holy prophets.

“Restoring everything” (apokatastasis) is reversal of brokenness: order instead of chaos, peace where there is strife, a groaning creation restored and whole. The Prophets foretold this:

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them… They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9)

How thoroughly does water cover the sea? Entirely. Is “the earth” referring to Israel? Humanity? The entire cosmos? Church history has been full of speculation. This is for sure: It points to a renewal of creation (think of the New Heaven and New Earth in Revelation) and the restoration of God’s children. Adam Clarke has a good summary.

In Acts 1:6, when the disciples said to Christ, “Will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” they meant, “Will you take the kingdom from the Romans, and give it back to the Jews?” But [the restitution of all things] must mean the accomplishment of all the prophecies and promises contained in the Old Testament relative to the kingdom of Christ upon earth…

The grace of the Gospel was intended to destroy the reign of sin; its energetic influence is represented as restoring all things, destroying the bad state, and establishing the good, taking the kingdom out of the hands of sin and Satan, and putting it into [the hands] of righteousness and truth.

In every believing soul, all things are restored… and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keeps the heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God…Jesus Christ comes to raise up humanity from a state of ruin, and restore to us the image of God, as we possessed it at the beginning.” (Adam Clarke)

* * * * *

For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’  Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets[5] who have spoken have foretold these days.[6] 

His argument is basically that taking Moses seriously will lead to a true belief in Jesus.[7] Jesus was the new and better Moses, a law-giver of new law that would build upon and then supersede the old law. [8]

* * * * *

And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’[9] When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

This is full of hopeful promise. While they may be guilty, they are the heirs of the promise made to Abraham that through them all peoples on earth shall receive blessings.[10] Peter had not yet had the vision to take this message to the Gentiles (Acts 10),[11] so it is possible that Peter did not yet appreciate the full scope of this promise. Everyone, everywhere would benefit from the presentation of Jesus. Like Jesus said, he would draw all people to himself. [12]

Paul will eventually teach that all those who follow Jesus are now “Abraham’s offspring” (Galatians 3:16, 29), the ones through whom God intends to bless the nations. And that’s us  More on that in a minute.

I thought I might try to offer this in one smooth presentation of the passage with all the commentary we just covered blended in. I think it’s helpful to go through each part, but then it’s easy to lose sight of the forest for all of the trees. Let’s check out the forest before we hit some closing points.

Acts 3:17–26, Rewritten with Commentary Embedded

Brothers and sisters, I know you acted in ignorance when you rejected Jesus—and I know your leaders did the same. If you had truly recognized Him as the Messiah, you would not have crucified Him. Even so, ignorance doesn’t erase responsibility.

You still bear guilt. But take heart: your sin is not beyond forgiveness. Remember, even as Jesus was dying, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Yet all of this—your rejection, His suffering, His death—was not outside of God’s control.

This is precisely what God foretold long ago through His prophets: that the Messiah would suffer. You’ve read of Isaiah’s Servant “pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53). You’ve prayed the Psalms that describe His crucifixion (Psalm 22) and His resurrection (Psalm 16).

You didn’t realize it then, but all of that pointed to Him. So now, repent. Turn away from sin and turn toward God. Do this so your sins may be wiped away—blotted out, erased like ink wiped off parchment. The record of guilt that condemns you, the handwriting of your debts, will be destroyed.

Think of Israel’s rituals, when the curse written in a book was washed away with bitter water. God offers something greater—the erasure of every accusation against you by the cleansing of his blood. Repentance is not loss. It leads to life. It opens the floodgates of refreshment from the Lord.

That refreshment may come as the Spirit’s presence filling you, as the healing you’ve longed for, as renewal of your soul, or as the foretaste of the kingdom still to come. And in the end, when the time is right, God will send the Messiah once more.

But for now, heaven must hold Him, until the day comes for God to restore all things. Remember what the prophets promised: creation renewed, peace between wolf and lamb (Isaiah 11), a new heaven and earth (Isaiah 65), the restoration even of those once cast off (Ezekiel 16).

That is restoration: a world once ruined, brought back to its true order, humanity restored to the image of God. The grace of the gospel destroys the reign of sin and Satan, and gives the kingdom back to righteousness and truth. That restoration will fill the whole earth, as Scripture itself promises.

Moses told our ancestors, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people. You must listen to everything He tells you.” Moses was pointing to the final Prophet, the true Mediator, the new Lawgiver. To listen to Him is to remain in covenant blessing; to refuse Him is to cut yourself off from life itself.

From Samuel onward, every prophet spoke of these days. Samuel anointed David, to whom God promised an everlasting kingdom. You are heirs of those promises. God said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” That offspring is Christ—and through Him the blessing now extends to all nations.

And notice the order of grace: God raised up His Servant, Jesus, and sent Him first to you—to bless you by turning each of you from your wickedness. You, the children of the covenant, the ones who called for His blood, are the first invited to receive the mercy provided by His blood.

And in turning back, you will not only find forgiveness—you will discover the life of faith, love, joy, and hope that He gives.

* * * * *

So where does that leave us?

First, it means we live in hope. That the people could be forgiven for killing Jesus ought to give all of us hope. It’s hard to imagine a greater crime than deicide. And yet here is Peter – who had betrayed Jesus himself – reminding them of the mercy of God. I was thinking of this great song by Julie Miller called “Broken Things.”

“You can have my heart, though it isn't new
It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue
It's been down a long road, and it got dirty along the way
If I give it to you, will you make it clean and wash the shame away?

You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things
You can have my life; you don't mind these tears
Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces all to you
If you want it, you can have my heart

The same God who restored those guilty of crucifying Jesus can restore us from our guilt and shame. Our history is not our destiny. When we are that lost sheep- whether because we sprinted away or we just got lost – how long does Jesus look? Until he finds us.[13] If you are thinking, “I am a lost sheep, and I don’t feel found,” don’t worry – he’s coming for you. He said he would.

Second, it means we live in repentance. Peter calls his audience — and us — to turn back to God, to align ourselves with the Messiah who brings blessing. Repentance isn’t about groveling; it’s about walking into the light of restoration. Awareness of our sin is not meant to drive us to despair. It’s meant to bring about a godly sorrow that leads to repentance and draws us to the grace-filled, loving forgiveness of Jesus. Think of how the Father cut off the Prodigal Son in the midst of his prepared speech. The son didn’t need to grovel. He needed to get ready for a celebration because he was home.

Apparently when we embrace repentance as a normal part of our life, we will experience refreshing.  I suspect it’s more than just an inner spiritual reality; I think it’s also practical. When we learn how to sincerely repent to each other, it’s refreshing to us. We don’t have to carry around our defensiveness and self-justification. We can let go of the anger we use to bully our way through confrontation to avoid acknowledging our own failure. We can be free to honestly asses ourselves an imperfect image bearer of God and be really pleased with what looks like Jesus in us and surrender what doesn’t to the restorative power of Jesus. And it’s refreshing to be able to do that honestly, without shame or hiding. 

Third, it means we live on mission. If God’s heart is to bless all people through Jesus, then our calling as the “body of Christ” is to let everyone around us know that God plans to bless all people through Jesus.

We do this with our words when we speak the good news of the Gospel: God so loved the world that He gave Son so that we may have life and not death.[14] We tell them we know a Great Physician who can heal even the sickest of souls. We tell them and remind each other, “Come, all who are weary and heavy laden, and Christ will give you rest.”[15]

We do this with our lives by embodying cruciform love, expending our lives in expressions of love that follow the lead of Jesus. We love everyone, even our enemies; we bless those who curse us; we protect and provide for “the least of these”; we bring healing where there is hurt; we offer a faithful presence to the lonely and the wandering and invite them into a community of Jesus followers who will be faithfully present with them as God does His work. We get the privilege and responsibility of showing the world — through our words and our lives — what Jesus is like, so that the world experiences the blessing God intends for all.

St. Clement of Rome (A 1st century disciple of Peter)

“Grant us, Lord, to hope in your Name, the source of all creation; open the eyes of our hearts, that we may know you alone are highest among the high, ever faithful, showing mercy to those who trust in you. Through Jesus Christ, the high priest of our offerings, the guardian and helper of our souls, through whom be glory and majesty to you now and for all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

__________________________________________________________________________

[1] Note again the collective responsibility we talked about a couple weeks ago. All had some accountability even if they had not participated directly.

[2] Adam Clarke calls this “a very tender excuse for them.” This is a gentle approach for Peter after just pointing out that THEY KILLED JESUS.

[3] For example, “When the times of refreshing shall come —signifies a breathing time, or respite, and may be here applied to the space that elapsed from this time till the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. This was a time of respite, which God gave them to repent of their sins, and be converted to himself.” (Adam Clarke)

[4] “Since the world began. — it is sometimes applied, by way of accommodation, to denote the whole course of any one period, such as the Mosaic dispensation. Genesis 21:33. It may therefore here refer to that state of things from the giving of the law; and as Moses is mentioned in the next verse, and none before him, it is probable that the phrase should be so understood here..” (Adam Clarke)

[5] Samuel was the prophet who anointed David to be king and spoke of the establishment of his kingdom (cf. 1Sa 16:13; see also 13:14; 15:28; 28:17). Furthermore, Nathan's prophecy regarding the establishment of David's "offspring" as recorded in 2Sa 7:12-16 was accepted in certain quarters within Judaism as having messianic relevance and was taken by Christians as having been most completely fulfilled in Jesus (cf. 13:22-23, 34; Heb 1:5). (Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament)

[6] Interestingly, Moses and Samuel are mentioned in the same breath by David. Psalm 99:6 states: "Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They called on the Lord, and he answered them."

[7] Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament

[8] “A new commandment I give to you: Love one another, as I have loved you.”

[9] Genesis 22:18

[10] “Once again we are reminded of the inclusiveness of the gospel (see also 2:39).” (Africa Study Bible)

[11] (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament)

[12] John 12:32

[13] Luke 15:3-7

[14] John 3:16, my paraphrase

[15] Matthew 11:28

“His Name Made This Man Strong” (Acts 3: 1-26)

Now Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer (the ninth hour). And a certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for some alms. 

And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, “Look on us.” And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I up. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”[1] 

And he took him by the right hand, and raised him up: and immediately his feet and his ankle-bones received strength. And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.[2] 

And all the people saw him walking and praising God,  and they took knowledge of him, that it was he that sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.[3]

And as he held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in Solomon’s Porch[4] greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he said to the people, “You people of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk? 

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when Pilate had determined to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you,  and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.[5] 

And by faith in his Name has his Name made this man strong, whom you see and know:  the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 

What does it mean that “His Name made this man strong”? I’ve been doing some work on this verse, and I am pleased to tell you…I have a tentative answer that may not satisfy you as we explore our faith and the faithfulness of God :)

First, of all, what is this ‘Name’? And what does it mean that faith in this Name brought strength?

“The Name… is not the syllables which are sounded ‘Jesus Christ.’ They are, in the view of the Old Testament, attempts at a summary description of things by their prominent characteristics… the ‘Name’ of God [is] equivalent to ‘that which God is manifested to be’…[6]

In Acts 5 we read that the Apostles ‘departed from the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for ‘the Name,’ and we find at a much later date that missionaries of the Gospel are described by the Apostle John as going forth ‘for the sake of the Name.’” (Maclaren’s Exposition)

That’s a good summary of what is noted in many commentaries. The Name of God is the being and reputation of God, revealed specifically in Jesus.

When in John 14:13-14, Jesus promises, "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do," he is saying that when you ask for something that aligns with his character and nature – and thus his will – he will do it.

In Philippians 2:9-11, Paul declares that God has given Jesus ‘the name that is above every name’ – I mean, he was God in the flesh - so that every knee will bow and every tongue joyfully confess the lordship of Jesus. They won’t bow because of the syllables; they will bow in awe of Jesus.[7] Jesus IS the Name above all names.

It reminds me that the commandment not to take God’s name in vain is not about the syllables (though how we treat the spoken name of God reveals something about our heart toward God). Don’t claim to be in God’s family and then blaspheme God’s reputation. [8]

Meanwhile, who is having faith in this verse? Check out this translation, which highlights the ambiguity in the original language.

“And by the faith of his Name, this one whom you see and know, he has restored and healed, and faith in him has given him this health before you all." (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

In this translation, the man is restored and healed by the faith of his Name – or, the faith/faithfulness of Jesus. There is faith in him, but it’s not clear what the source is. Was it his? It doesn’t seem to be, because he didn’t even ask to be healed. Was it the faithfulness of the Name in him? Was it the faith inside of Peter and John?

This isn’t the only time we see this kind of room for discussion. Galatians 2:20 can be rendered two different ways:

"The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in/by the faith(fulness) of the Son of God."

So, let’s explore the word we translate as “faith” in the New Testament, which has a range of potential meaning. In Scripture, “faith” (pistis) can mean:

·      trust, belief, conviction (something you feel)

·      faithfulness and reliability (something you do)

Both God and humanity are said to have pistis (faith or faithfulness):

·      At times it is what we feel and do (if we have faith in God)

·      Other times, it points toward the posture of God toward us (He is faithful to us).

Romans 3:3 is a great example:

“What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness (apistia) nullify the faithfulness (pistin) of God?”

So, is faith something we work to build, or do we have it in the measure God gives it to us? Or both? Is it like genetics, where we have been dealt a hand and we can decide if we want to maximize it by working at it? Or is it more like being given a finite allotment, and allowance, and some will get more than others? As you are likely already thinking, these differences matter.

If faith – the feeling or belief - is something that we work to build, then it seems like when miraculous things (like the healing of the lame man) do or don’t happen, it’s because of us. This would mean my dad died because he or those of us around him lacked faith. God was just waiting for us to get stronger, and we ran out of time. This would mean that our bad health reflects weak faith. This would look at almost every situation in which there is sin or sickness and lay the blame at our feet for our lack of faith. That’s a heavy burden to carry when we have been promised a yolk that is easy, and a burden that is light.[9] I wonder how Paul would respond to this considering how he prayed for a “thorn in his flesh” to be removed (2 Corinthians 12:9) and Jesus basically said, “No, but relax. My grace is sufficient.”

On the other hand, maybe a big part of understanding faith has to do with understanding God’s faithfulness towards us, how God is faithfully present with all of us in whatever journey we are on, working and moving as God sees fit, sometimes moving by His Holy Spirit, and sometimes moving tangibly through us. This would mean my dad’s story unfolded the way it did not because we didn’t even have faith the size of a mustard seed,[10] but because God’s sovereign plan did not involve my dad’s temporary healing in this world, but instead involved his ultimate healing in the world to come.

This list could go on. Name the situation in your life that did not go or is not going as you hoped it would. In this view, God is present, active, and faithfully at work not either because of our faith or in spite of it. (Here I am thinking of Paul again, when God intervened in his life while he was persecuting followers of Jesus).

The Bible seems to say both these things at different times, almost as if faith is complex and God wants us to wrestle with this together My goal today is to accomplish two things: I want to help us to rest in the confidence that God, the author and finisher of our faith, has given us a measure of faith by His grace. I also want to invite us to embrace what that means as we step into the high calling that comes with faith.

Let’s start with verses (and there are definitely more!) that present faith as something we are given, and then we strengthen it.

·      “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver…”(James 1:6) 

·      “Beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith…keep yourselves in the love of God...” (Jude 20–21).[11]

Then there are the verse that suggest it’s something God gives us.

·      Christ is “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)

·       “To another, faith by the same Spirit” in reference to spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:9)

·       “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has measured out to each of you.” (Romans 12:3)[12]

* * * * *

So, how is it both God’s free gift and something we build?

The Eastern Orthodox church likes to talk about the synergy of faith: God initiates; we respond and build with the help of the Holy Spirit in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus. God's grace-filled gift of a measure of faith is the primary and essential factor, yet we respond to this through our choices, actions, and spiritual striving (think of Paul “pressing on to the high calling of God” in Philippians 3:14). 

In this view, perhaps we could think of faith as a dance. When our boys got married, Sheila and I practiced dancing. This was not in my wheelhouse. It was fascinating to me to slowly learn the subtleties involved in leading and responding in slow dancing. We both had to be attuned to the rhythm of th song, paying attention to nudgings and promptings. It took us a while, but we figured it out. It was such a better way of dancing than we had tried before.

Where God leads with His grace-filled offer of faith, we are invited to respond, to follow His lead through obedience and trust, becoming more like Christ by cooperating with the Holy Spirit. God is always going to lead, and we are daily choosing to follow His lead or not. We will need to be attuned, responding to the nudges of the Holy Spirit. We will need to be focused with that relationship as the primary point of our focus. And then we dance a holy dance filled with faith as we follow the lead of our Savior.

If you like gardening analogies, think of God planting a seed we are called to tend.[13] God’s going to make it grow (1 Corinthians 3), but we participate by adding fertilizer, watering, etc. God gives us the privilege of investing sweat equity in His plan.

You might be thinking that this means we CAN tell who has the most impressive faith. They will have more impressive fruit, right?  (And usually by that we mean an outward sign or wonder like Peter and John did).

Since God “assigns the measure of faith”, we must remember that the result of our cooperation will look different. Don’t forget what we just read:

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has measured out to each of you.” (Romans 12:3)

When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about the way they were being generous with the finances they had been given, he noted an important principle:

“For if the willingness is there, the what you give is acceptable according to what your have, not according to what you don’t have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12)

It would have been easy to see what others were giving and reach a conclusion about the state of their heart. Only a dollar? I doubt THEY are righteous and generous. Yeah, but what if they only had ten dollars, while the critic had a thousand and gave ten? Who is the most generous?

This is a good reminder not to compare people and make assumptions about whether or not someone is walking in faith based on marquee events like healing. We don’t know what measure of faith God has given to others; we don’t have insight into how they are tending the seeds of faith God has planted.

Someone who looks like they are crushing it might be squandering an immense gift they have been given. Someone who looks like they are struggling might be tending their mustard seed of faith with great care.

It also might be the case that a different kind of sign and wonder is taking place that others don’t see. A transformed heart, a healed soul, a new ability to love, a first step into repentance or forgiveness, freedom from greed or lust. All of this is indeed a wonder. It’s all a sign that faith is making us whole. (Mark 5:34)

I wonder sometimes if part of what makes faith hard to understand is that we assume it to be grand and showy and outwardly observable, when it is often quiet and ordinary and transformative in ways not so easily seen.

* * * * *

We still haven’t landed on a clean definition of what faith is. I’m looking for foundational things. Let’s go to Hebrews 1. I find this translation to be helpful.

“Now faith is the foundation of that for which we hope, and a conviction of the reality of things which we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

We already noted that a faithful God gives us a measure of faith as a foundation for our lives. What results from that? What does this enable us to do according to Hebrews?

First, it enables us to believe in the reality of things we can’t see with our eyes. I think this is a call back to Jesus telling Thomas that those who didn’t have to see Jesus in order to believe in him were blessed.[14] I do have that faith: I believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be: God in the flesh, the Savior of the world, the Great Physician, the Healer and Restorer we all long for in our hearts. If you believe this too, we are joined together in this kind of faith in Jesus.

Second, having hope in the power and love of God to do hopeful things in the world seems to be a sign of having faith. Another good way to think of this is having trust. If we trust that God has in fact reconciled the world to himself through the cruciform love of Jesus,[15] and that He is going to finish the work He begins in us, and that one day He will make all things new,[16] then we are joined together in our trust in the faithfulness of God.

I have often wondered just what kind of man of faith I am. I’m just looking for a mustard seed’s worth.[17] Like I said, I’ve never healed a lame person. I have prayed for the sick, and sometimes they got better and sometimes they didn’t. I have dealt with anxiety for years, and also had really good stretches of peace. Sheila and I had times of despair in our marriage where it was not at all easy to lean on Jesus in trust and hope, and then other times when it was clear that God had not abandoned us at all. There have been times when, like the Psalmist, I want to yell, “Where are you?” and then other times I think: “Oh. You were right here all along.”

So because I wonder this a lot, I started to make a list this week of what measure God has given me if I gauge what it means to have faith by biblical standards. I am sharing this with you not because I expect it to put me on a pedestal - there will be no healings on this list - but because I am inviting you to find yourself in this list to find the seeds of faith God has given you to nurture.

·      I trust that Jesus is who He said He is: God incarnate, the hope of our salvation, the Risen Savior who takes away the sin of the world. I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that God can do anything God wants to do, and that whatever God wants to do is good even if I can’t see it. I think that’s faith.                                                               

·      I trust that God is love by nature, and that “the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning,”(Lamentations 3:22–23), even when I don’t feel it.  I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that God heals us either by healing us now or by ushering us into eternity for our ultimate healing when He reconciles all things to Himself (Acts 3:21) and will wipe all the bitter tears from my eyes. I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that following His lead in the dance of faith is good, even if I don’t understand it and even while I might question Him about it. I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that the path of righteousness God has laid out is for my good and God’s glory, so I have sought to follow His loving path through my love-motivated obedience. I think that’s faith.

·      When I stumble in the path or wander from it, I trust that He runs toward me not away from me because God is for me, not against me, and a good Father does not abandon His children, but will instead search for His lost sheep until they are found. I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that God can take my life and make something good of it[18], in spite of all my attempts to undermine it, or in spite of the harmful things done to me by others. I think that’s faith.

·      Here is my last, and most important one. I rest in the fact that God’s faithfulness depends on His nature, not my perfection. “If we are faithless (apistoumen), He remains faithful(pistos), for He is not able to deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13). I rest in that. I think that’s faith.  

I invite you to anchor in this unshakeable truth: God is faithful. Whether your faith feels strong or fragile today, God's faithfulness holds you in the measure you have been given. God is enough, and His gift will be enough.

Whatever role Peter and John played in the lame man’s healing, the man ultimately walked because of the faithfulness of Jesus’ Name. We too are being made whole — maybe not always in the ways we expect, but always by the same faithful Name. The Great Physician will complete His good work in you, restoring all things in His time. Let us respond in trust, stepping into His mission with hopeful hearts, knowing His mercies are new every morning

________________________________________________________________________________

[1] Interesting that this isn’t about the lame man’s faith (since he likely didn’t know Jesus).

[2] The Messianic age is here. Isaiah 35:3-6 prophesied the lame leaping like deer in the messianic age.

[3] Quick note: this is a Jewish audience at the Temple. Peter’s upcoming speech is going to pull from their Jewish history.

[4] A covered walkway in the outer courtyard.

[5] Note again the collective responsibility. All had some accountability even if they had not participated directly.

[6] Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.”

[7] In Acts 4:12, Peter boldly proclaims, ‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ The Name of Jesus isn’t just a label—it’s the embodiment of His authority, His character, and His saving power.

[8] “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes, “This use of name = power, and even as an absolute equivalent for God, is very Jewish; cp. Acts 4:12. The usage grew out of such passages as Psalm 106:8, “He saved them for His name’s sake.”

[9] Matthew 11:30

[10] Matthew 17:20

[11] Or this one: “[Abraham] grew strong in his faith…” (Romans 4:20-21)

[12] Or these: “By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not from works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.” (Philippians 1:29) Peter will later talk of believers as those “who by Him do believe in God, that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1:21)  

[13] “Faith is not what makes God’s love true for us; faith is what allows us to enjoy and participate in it.” (Brad Jersak)

[14] John 20:29

[15] 2 Corinthians 5:19

[16] Revelation 21:5

[17] Matthew 17:19

[18] Romans 8:28

“All The Believers Were Together” (Acts 2:42-47)

The Situation: Jerusalem was filled with a TON of Jewish people there for Pentecost. Thousands had just joined the ranks of the church. Maybe think of what is described at the end of Acts 2 as an initial “honeymoon” phase as everyone is really excited about becoming part of the Kingdom of God with all its implications.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.[1] All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.   

Every day they continued to meet in one accord in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.[2] 

If this is how it started, this is probably going to have some implications for how it is going to keep going, even for us. So, let’s take a look at details.

The apostle’s teaching. What is often considered the first creed in the early church is found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born (?)[3]. 

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

I once preached a sermon called, “You Are What You Creed.” I made the point that Christianity is a creedal religion, and I covered a lot of the historical creeds and our Statement of Faith (which is on our website). I am more inclined now to say, “You Are What You Love,”[4] with the idea that Christianity is primarily relational, not creedal. We put structure around the relationship to make sure we don’t get confused about who it is that we love or why we love them – and that’s the creeds.

Here’s an analogy. I can give you a whole creed about who Sheila is. I can tell you her birthday, her favorite foods and TV shows, what her ideal day looks like. I can differentiate her from anybody else. I could even put it in a formal statement and recite it every day. But that’s not the foundation of our relationship, our covenant. I know her; I interact with her; I spend time with her. We fellowship. It’s personal, and it’s defined by love.

Creeds aren’t the heart of our faith; Jesus is. But creeds matter, because they remind us who Jesus is so that our love is properly focused, and we don’t wander or forget.

Fellowship. Fellowship included the sharing of material goods, but it was about more than that. Being “in one place” or “in one accord” had to do with being united around Jesus, on a shared mission, in which they looked out for each other. Remember how I said Acts 2 describes a honeymoon phase? Later, Paul is going to have step in do some correction. Here’s an excerpt from a letter to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 10).

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.  They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food  and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them.

Everything was really good, until it wasn’t. It turns out there was a problem. (I’m skipping ahead in the chapter).

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf… “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.  No one should seek their own good, but the good of others…

A selfish dynamic had crept in. They were together, but not looking out for each other. They were together, but not considering one another. They were all about “me,” not “us.” If you read the whole chapter, Paul calls this idolatry.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God -  even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

As much as it was in his power, Paul wanted to remove anything that would cause others to stumble. If there was a way Paul could say or do something differently to connect to those around him without compromise, he wanted to do that. If he needed to reign in his liberty to protect those around him, he would.

That’s a lot of work. Doing that requires observation, reflection, pray, and patience. We might have to get to know people before we bless them with our profound insight for their lives. We might have to walk with them for a while so that our advice matches what they are going through. 

But if we are all in communion with Jesus – eating and drinking from his provision – that’s what life together will look like. We are going to seek the good of the many, just like Jesus does.

The breaking of bread. This was likely both the Lord’s Supper and a larger fellowship meal.[5] This was often done together. Here is the ideal vision from my commentary crush, Adam Clarke:

They had no severe fasts…and no splendid feasts: all was moderation, and all was contentment. They were full of gladness, spiritual joy and happiness; and singleness of heart, everyone worthy of the confidence of their neighbor; and all walking by the same rule, and minding the same thing.” (Adam Clarke)

That sound great. It’s a beautiful vision of community. It just didn’t always happen. Paul again, having to do some later correction where once again they are looking for their own good instead of the good of others:

“In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.  In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.  No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 

So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? 

What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!... So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 

For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.[6] 

Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.” (1 Corinthians 11)

In Corinth, partaking of the Lord’s Supper together included a full meal meant to display the unity and love of Christ’s body. But the wealthy were arriving early, eating and drinking to excess, while the poor came later to find little or nothing left. Paul’s warning about eating “in an unworthy manner” has something to do with failing to honor Christ and His body — both in the reverent taking of communion and the reverent care of His people.

I suspect that the judgment was real and practical: some were overindulging and becoming sick, others were going hungry to the point of illness or death. God’s discipline aimed to correct them- and save them in a very practical way. The solution was simple: wait for one another, share equally, and if you’re just hungry, eat at home. The shared supper is not about satisfying appetites but proclaiming the cruciform love displayed in Christ’s death by living with unity and love. Once again, seeking the good of the many.

Prayer. “Prayers is literally “the prayers” in Greek, perhaps referring to specific liturgical prayers, such as the Psalms. Because the Psalms point so clearly to Christ, Christians immediately incorporated them into NT worship.[7] To this day, for example, Psalm 145 is recited three times a day by observant Jewish worshippers, a custom that was in place when Jesus was alive. When the first followers of Jesus met in the temple and prayed, they were almost certainly following this custom. Liturgical churches today would have a similar service. In our non-denominational, evangelical tradition, the equivalent is probably singing together.

They and had everything in common, selling property and possessions to help those in need. The Greek word for “fellowship” is Kiononiai; the word for “common” is Koina. Fellowship is going to mean that every fellow was on the same ship. They were a crew, together, sailing in the same direction, working together for a common goal.

There was an already existing custom in Jerusalem during public religious feasts in which homes, beds, cooking equipment, and water were freely shared. In Acts 2, this seems to have gone further: believers sold possessions and distributed the proceeds to meet needs. This was likely because the new converts were staying longer than planned after Pentecost, and there were a lot of them.

Later instructions for church collections (1 Cor. 16:1) show that both wealthy and poor still existed in the church, and participation in selling goods was voluntary (Acts 5:4).[8] People still had personal possessions (see Acts 12:12; 18:7). But this was the bottom line in Christian community:

“The early Christians… valued people more than property.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

What we see in Acts and other places in the NT letters is that when churches saw need, they consistently met the need. Sometimes it was great, and the sacrifice was great. Sometimes it was less, and less was required.

“St. Chrysostom noted…that in this poverty of spirit, in this sense of brotherhood, “the poor man knew no shame, the rich no haughtiness.”  (Expositors Greek Testament)

Basically, they responded to the situations in front of them. Our generosity is meant to be a response to God’s generous grace to us, which we can pass on in very practical ways.

This sharing of all one’s real estate and personal property was the inevitable fruit of lives that were filled with the Holy Spirit. It has been said, “A real Christian could not bear to have too much when others have too little.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

This is, once again, a commitment to seeking the good of the many even if it is through costly generosity, just as Jesus himself modeled for us.

* * * * *

A final note: “They enjoyed the favor of all the people.” Mark recorded of Jesus that “the common people heard Him gladly.” (Mark 12:37) This seems to be the case with the apostles as well.

“It does not mean that all the people had become reconciled to Christianity; but their humble, serious, and devoted lives won the favor of the great mass of the community, and silenced opposition...there it nothing so well suited to do this as the humble and consistent lives of [Christ’s] friends.” (Barne’s Notes on the Bible)

I had the impression growing up that the more people outside the church disliked me, the more it was likely I was doing something right. If I got along too well with non-Christians, it probably meant I wasn’t standing up boldly enough for my faith. Tension was a good sign of faithful witness.

Sometimes, tension is a sign of faithful witness. If we are going to speak and live with prophetic integrity, we are going to create some tension. We will come across this later in the book of Acts, and we will address that approach when we get to it. And there have certainly been times in church history where Christians have been persecuted by all.

That is true, but this is true also: the first followers of Jesus enjoyed the favor of all the people, and the common people who heard Jesus gladly likely heard what they had to say with the same response.

There can be two dangers I see here. One is thinking that being liked means were being effective, and that’s not necessarily true. Jesus wasn’t always liked, and he was very effective going about his Father’s business. The other is thinking that being disliked means we are being effective, and that’s not necessarily true either. Jesus was often liked, and that didn’t mean he wasn’t being bold enough.

Paul said when he preached of a crucified Christ, it was a stumbling block to his Jewish audience and foolishness to his Greek audience. (1 Corinthians 1:23-25) The Holy Spirit is going to have to do Holy Spirit work. That’s in God’s hands. What is in our hands? How loving and grace-filled we are in the presentation of Jesus, both through our words and our lives.  Maybe think of it this way.

If Morgan Freeman was the spokesperson for a planned community, I would be ready to move there right now, because everything I know about Morgan Freeman is so great. If that community has that kind of people there, I want to be a part of it.

If Jeffrey Epstein was the spokesperson, not only would I not want to live there, but I would actively tell others not to live there. If that community is going to have that kind of person there, no thanks.

The Apostle Paul said that we kind of function like that on behalf of Jesus:

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” (1 Corinthians 5:20)

Good ambassadors say good and true things on behalf of the one who sent them – that’s one kind of message. They also live a particular way on behalf of the one who sent them – that’s another kind of message.

Ambassadors for Jesus are called to talk and walk like Jesus. When this happens consistently, something powerful takes place: people catch a glimpse of a better kingdom. Not everyone will want it, but many will — because it looks like Jesus, and Jesus is still good news. The early church showed us that it’s possible to speak truthfully, live humbly, and win the favor of even those who don’t yet believe – but who often soon will.

We cannot control how people respond to the content of our message, but we can embody the message in a way that’s clear, kind, and compelling. “Let your light shine before others,” Jesus said, “so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Let’s be that kind of people, the kind that make others say, “If that’s what Jesus is like, I want to know Him.”

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[1] God gave the apostles (this book is called the “Acts of the Apostles ) the power to display the arrival of a new Kingdom through signs and wonders that revealed the heart of God and brought about receptivity to the gospel. Hebrews 2:3-4 “This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” 2 Corinthians 12:12 “The marks of a true apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance. ”Romans 15:19 “…by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.”

[2] Also Acts 4: 32-35 “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

[3] “The apostle refers to a proverbial way of speaking among the common people at Rome, who used to call such supernumerary senators in the times of Augustus Caesar, who got into the senate house by favor or bribery, "abortives…" and therefore calls himself by this name, as being in his own opinion a supernumerary apostle.” (Adam Clarke)

[4] I highly recommend James K.A. Smith’s book on this. The title is…wait for it…. You Are What You Love.

[5] The same verb [klaō] is used of breaking bread at the ordinary meal (Lu 24:30) or the Lord’s Supper (Lu 22:19)

[6] “His attitude toward the Lord at His table revealed with shocking evidence the spiritual condition of many a Corinthian Christian—his carnality and blindness as one “not distinguishing the body”. (Expositor’s Bible Commentary) This is some type if temporal, not eternal punishment, as the reason assigned for these judgments is that they might not be condemned with the wicked -  1 Corinthians 11:32. (Barne’s Notes On The Bible) “We see from ver. 32 that this "judgment" had a purely merciful and disciplinary character.” (Pulpit Commentary)

[7] Orthodox Study Bible

[8] Peter told Ananias and Sapphira that they did not have to sell their property and give away the money (5:4).