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 Acts of the Apostles: Implementing the Kingdom of God (Acts 1)

Acts was written between 60 and 90 AD. It was written after all of Paul’s letters and after Luke wrote the gospel of Luke. It recounts the early history of the church.

To a lover of God, Theophilus: In my first book, I recounted the events of Jesus’ life—His actions, His teachings—  from the beginning of His life until He was taken up into heaven. After His great suffering and vindication, He showed His apostles that He was alive—appearing to them repeatedly over a period of 40 days, giving them many convincing proofs of His resurrection. 

As before, He spoke constantly of the kingdom of God. During these appearances, He had instructed His chosen messengers through the Holy Spirit, prohibiting them from leaving Jerusalem, but rather requiring them to wait there until they received what He called “the promise of the Father.”

 “This is what you heard Me teach— that just as John ritually cleansed people with water through baptism, so you will be washed with the Holy Spirit very soon.” When they had gathered just outside Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives, they asked Jesus, “Is now the time, Lord—the time when You will reestablish Your kingdom in our land of Israel?

Jesus replied,” The Father, on His own authority, has determined the ages and epochs of history, but you have not been given this knowledge.  Here’s the knowledge you need: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be My witnesses, first here in Jerusalem, then beyond to Judea and Samaria, and finally to the farthest places on earth.” (Acts 1:1-8)

If you were here for our series in the Gospels, you may remember that Jesus taught a lot about the Kingdom of God. He also spent a lot of time correcting the misconceptions of what the Kingdom of God was going to look like.

• It wasn’t going to be characterized by legalism, which is how the Pharisees were trying to coax the Messiah to come.

• It wasn’t going to be ushered in with a violent sword, like the Zealots were trying to make happen.

• And it certainly wasn’t going to happen by blending with the Empire, like the Sadducees were doing.

Here is Jesus, raised from the dead, and his disciples are still confused about what is going to happen. But Jesus is patient and kind, so he teaches some more. I love his short explanation: “This is all you need – you will get the Holy Spirit, and then go witness.” I really wish I could have seen the expression on the disciple’s faces. This doesn’t sound like the way to establish a kingdom. And go to the Samaritans and Romans? Really? They are going to be in the Kingdom?

I was downstate doing some teaching for an organization called LEAD, which trains high schoolers on how to be faithfully present as followers of Jesus in business, entertainment, journalism, and government. I got there Wednesday and checked into my room on the campus of Spring Arbor University. I organized all my stuff and went to teach my first class. When I got back, my key would not unlock my door. So I texted Joe, the head honcho, and explained that my key didn’t work.

He sent a Spring Arbor security guy to help me, but that guy couldn’t find me. You know why? I was in the wrong dorm. Fortunately, the security guy found me and we figured it out. I texted Joe:

“It’s so weird how the little things like being in the right building can make such a big difference!”

He texted back,

“On no. Did I give bad directions?”

I said,

“You gave me great directions. I followed them poorly.”

Jesus gave his disciples great directions on how to act. As we get into the book Acts, they will indeed take Jesus’ directions seriously.

Two things stand out to me as important to know in a broad overview: the many speeches introducing the kingdom of God, and the way in which their lives embodied the Kingdom of God.

SPEECHES/SERMONS

There are a ton of speeches primarily from Peter, Stephen and Paul. The primary focus is:

·  Jesus as a Resurrected Lord (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:10, 13:30) In his epistles, Paul insists that the bodily resurrection of Jesus must be true, or the whole thing collapses.

·  Jesus as Righteous Judge (Acts 10:42, Acts 17:31: “He has set a day when he will judge the world with justice…” [1] The judging carries the idea of sorting or sifting – Jesus will separate that is righteous from what is unrighteous.[2]

·  The importance of Repentance and Forgiveness (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 10:43, 13:38)

·  The Kingdom of God (Acts 8:12, 28:23, 28:31) They have had a loooooot of teaching about this. There’s not a lot of detail. The text just notes they talked about it a lot, as if the Good News was about far more than life in the world to come; it’s about a Kingdom of Heaven that is here, now.

As they pass on the teaching they received, we will see an interesting variety in how they present the Good News of the Kingdom to Gentiles vs. Jews. I think it’s worth looking at this because it is a good reminder that the first evangelists took different approaches to different audiences.

Speaking to Jews or God-fearers (e.g., Acts 2, 3, 13)

• Jesus as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, because this audience gave weight to the Old Testament books. Lots of Scriptural proofs from the Law, Prophets, Psalms.

• Emphasis on Abraham, Moses, David, three of their national heroes.

• Israel’s covenant history with God to focus on a shared historical and national identity. Paul in Acts 13 recounts Israel’s history from Egypt to David to Jesus. “What God promised our ancestors  he has fulfilled for us.”

• Messianic expectations. Jesus’ resurrection is confirmation of Jesus’ messianic identity, even if people were expecting a different kind of Messiah.

• Call to repentance (“turning around”) for having rejected Jesus. This is often an appeal to them as a group: "You crucified the Messiah," even though likely nobody in their audience physically did that. This makes sense in a shame/honor culture where identity was established in community. It’s not that individuals don’t repent – that happens all the time. It’s just that there is another layer, a call to a community repentance from a shared responsibility that the community failed to carry out.

Let’s say I’m Peter from a moment. You are the audience of Jewish people and God-fearing Gentiles. A typical speech is going to sound something like this.

"Fellow believers, you know the Scriptures and the prophets. You believe in the God who called Abraham, who led our ancestors through the sea, who spoke through Moses and David and Isaiah and who entered into a covenant with us.

God has fulfilled His covenant promise through Jesus. God revealed himself fully in Jesus by healing the broken, forgiving sinners, welcoming outsiders, speaking truth with authority. Everything the prophets said the Messiah would do—he did.

But we wanted a Messiah who would affirm our religiosity, not challenge it. We wanted a Messiah who reject those Samaritans and pagans and pat the righteous - us -  on the back. We wanted a king with a sword, not a crown of thorns.

So we killed him. But God raised him from the dead as the firstborn from the dead, proof that death itself has been defeated. And now he is exalted—seated at the right hand of God. He has poured out the Holy Spirit of God This isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning of the restoration of all things.

Repent. The cornerstone we rejected? God has made him the foundation of new covenant. Turn to him, and you’ll find your sins forgiven, your heart renewed, and your place in the kingdom secured by the free grace of God.

You were baptized with John’s baptism. Now, be baptized as a way of dying and rising with Christ. Enter into new life, and receive the Holy Spirit of God to dwell in you. This is the time the prophets and Jesus spoke of—the time of God’s favor, of restoration, when God is beginning to make all things new.

When Speaking to Gentiles (e.g., Acts 14, 17), the goal doesn’t change, but the approach does.

• They start with the Creation of the cosmos, God as universal Lord of all things, and the brotherhood of mankind. Paul at Athens (Acts 17) quotes Greek poets to note that, “We are his offspring.”

•  They don’t quote Jewish scripture, because the Gentiles didn’t trust or care about that source. It’s more philosophical or natural-theology approach to start.

• There is often a discussion of idolatry and its futility. At this point in Greco-Roman history, they were having their own theological crises as they were developing this growing realization that their pantheon of gods couldn’t actually be gods because they were so bad. Paul doesn’t pile on to their mistake. He acknowledges the religious urge in people, and claims that it is misplaced. He invited them to turn from idols to the true God.

• Jesus’ Resurrection was a sign of coming justice/righteousness. The language implies a sorting and revealing of what is righteous and what is not. Justice/righteousness prevailed in the end for all. Jesus, not Zeus is Caesar, is the appointed Judge to oversee this.

Let’s say I’m Paul for a moment. You are an audience of Greeks and Romans without the background knowledge that Jewish people had. A typical speech is going to sound something like this.

People of this city, listen to me for a moment. I come not to condemn you, but to proclaim something that will change your life. I’m here to tell you about Unknown God to whom you have built alters. This God you’re reaching for is not far from any of you.

He is the one who made everything—the earth beneath your feet and the sky above your head. From one blood, He made all the nations of the earth. As your poets note, we are all his offspring. He gives life and breath and meaning to every one of us. He doesn’t need anything from us; instead, he provides for us.

You believe the gods step into the world at times. The Creator God I am telling you about stepped into our world with healing and mercy and love. Many of you heard at least rumors of him. His name is Jesus.

He walked among us doing righteousness and justice while loving mercy —feeding the hungry, forgiving sinners, confronting the hypocrite, insisting that we love each other well. He told the truth about the Kingdom of God that he offered to all. And for that, he was executed—hung on a cross like a criminal.

But hear me: God raised him from the dead. The risen Jesus appeared to hundreds, and he also revealed himself to me. Though I persecuted his followers, God did not destroy me. He forgave me and filled me with His righteousness.

This risen Jesus is not just a prophet. He is the King of all kings, the Judge of all nations, the Restorer of all things. He is coming again to bring ultimate justice for the oppressed, peace for the weary, and restoration for all who long for it.

God is calling every person, everywhere to change direction—to turn from false gods, whether idols made of stone or ones built in our hearts. So what must you do? Turn from your idols. Trust in Jesus. There is a kingdom breaking in, and its King is Jesus.

When we get to the individual speeches, we will dive into them. For now, let these two different approaches remind us that there is wisdom in knowing your audience. From the beginning of the church, we have a tradition of not requiring that everyone use the same approach or say the same thing all the time. We don’t even need to have the same target audience. It’s okay to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as we consider whom we are talking to. It’s also okay not to demand others seek out the same audience and use the same approach as we do. We are on the same team 

I get worried when I see followers of Jesus insisting that their way of spreading the gospel is THE way of spreading the gospel. Their way of being building Kingdom outposts in culture is THE way. Their way of building the church is THE way. Can we let each other respond to how the Holy Spirit moves us to represent Jesus?

The second thing we will see in Acts in the lifestyle of the early church, the practical implementation of the Kingdom of God. It is, after all, about the acts of the apostles. They were committed to saying and doing things that revealed the kingdom. You can count the public speakers in Acts on one hand. They were important, but history shows us that the early church grew because their lives spoke even more loudly than their words.

They developed communal habits in which everybody took care of each other, sharing money and resources freely. They took care of everyone’s poor, sick, orphaned and widowed. They accepted those rejected by Roman society. In their setting, it was slaves, women, the poor, and the oppressed. When the Holy Spirit descends, God blesses all people and nations into one community, a “new humanity”, so that social barriers or judgments of all kinds fell away. (The people groups in Acts on whom ‘tongues of fire” descend are the same ones separated after the Tower of Babel.)

The church will expand not because Paul was eloquent, but because Billy the butcher treated customers fairly, and Sally the seamstress quietly cared for her customers, and the farmers Fred and Frieda shared their crops with the hungry, and the nurses Nancy and Nathan cared for the babies of Jews and Gentiles alike, and tentmakers Tricia and Terry made some free tents for the poor because the rich in their church gave money to make that happen.

They supported widows, orphans, the sick and disabled. They ransomed people from slavery. Churches helped each other out when they were in trouble. Loving actions toward all saturated the church in the first three centuries.

 Tertullian (160-240) reported that the Romans would exclaim, “See how they love one another!”

 Justin Martyr (100-165) sketched Christian love this way:

“We who used to value the acquisition of wealth and possessions more than anything else now bring what we have into a common fund and share it with anyone who needs it. We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people and pray for our enemies.”

Clement (150-215), describing a follower of Jesus, wrote,

“He impoverishes himself out of love, so that he is certain he may never overlook a brother in need, especially if he knows he can bear poverty better than his brother. He likewise considers the pain of another as his own pain. And if he suffers any hardship because of having given out of his own poverty, he does not complain.”

The Emperor Julian complained that,

“it is disgraceful when no Jew ever has to beg and the impious Christians support both their own poor and ours as well.”

During a third century plague, while their Roman neighbors were throwing sick family members into the street, Christians cared for the them, and sometimes gave their lives for them. Christians eventually began to formally provide medical care for all. The Council of Nicea in 325 declared that medical care should be provided everywhere churches were opened.

The story is told that when an actor became a Christian, but he realized he had to quit because most plays had a lot of immorality and idolatry. Cyprian (210-258) told the local church that they should support him until he could figure out what to do.  Furthermore, “If your church is financially unable to support him, he may move over to us and here receive whatever he needs for food and clothing.”

Jesus had said, “Love your enemies … and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt. 5:44), and they were determine to do that. Lactantius (250-325) wrote,

“If we all derive our origin from one man, whom God created, we are plainly all of one family. Therefore it must be considered an abomination to hate another human, no matter how guilty he may be. For this reason, God has decreed that we should hate no one, but that we should eliminate hatred.

So we can comfort our enemies by reminding them of our mutual relationship. For if we have all been given life from the same God, what else are we but brothers? … Because we are all brothers, God teaches us to never do evil to one another, but only good, giving aid to those who are oppressed and experiencing hardship, and giving food to the hungry.”

To those the Empire insisted didn’t matter, those who were denied justice, provision, and care, God’s people always stepped in and said, “Hey! You matter!” [3]

If the good news of the Kingdom of God does not cause poor, the sick, the outcast, the powerless and oppressed to say, “Thank God the Christians are here!” then it’s not the kingdom of God that has come to a community.

These two things – the speeches and the lifestyle – and going to come up again and again in the book of Acts. What we say and what we do matters. Who we are as followers of Jesus has profound consequences.

How we are present in the world is witness to something. May it be a witness to Jesus.

Shepherd of tender youth, guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways; Christ our triumphant King,
We come Thy name to sing, and here our children bring
To join Thy praise.

Thou art our holy Lord, O all subduing Word,
Healer of strife. Thou didst Thyself abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace Thou might save our race
And give us life.

Shepherd of Tender Youth (Clement of Alexandria in about 200 A.D.)

_____________________________________________________________________________

[1] The judgment in these sermons seems to have a different than what we call Hell, as Gehenna is never mentioned, and Hades only twice, and that when the writer quotes Psalm 16 in Acts 2 about how Jesus was not abandoned there. That topic comes up other places in the New Testament, of course, but the Acts speeches do not include it.

[2] Think of the Parable of the  Wheat and the Tares in Matthew 13.

[3] There are a lot of places on line to find lists of what was said about the early Christians. I got this list from “A Love Without Condition.” Earlychurch.com