Acts 23:1 ~ Paul says that he has lived his life before God in all good conscience up to this day---the day that he speaks to the council of Pharisees who knew him very well as one of their own. How can a follower of Christ deal with what is in his own heart and have a good conscience? Paul would soon write in I Tim 1:16 that he was the chiefest of sinners. Paul knew what it meant to live forgiven every single day, even to his gray hairs.
A great clamor arises. A violent conspiracy of 40 planning to kill Paul. All for the sake of religion. Who was right?
Acts 23:11 ~ The LORD stood by Paul and said: "Take Courage." How can you take courage this day? It's yours for the asking and seeking and knocking. May you find this day your Good God standing by you. Take that courage!
That is what stood out for me also, today--The Lord stood by Paul and told him, Take courage!
ReplyDeleteWhen life happens, and we feel defeated, there is only One who stands by you and offers real steadfast hope. When we are at our rope's end, we find He's holding the other side.
When we are exhausted from carrying the load, we see His open Arms already carrying most of it.
When our own people, like Paul's Pharisee Pseudofamily, abandons us, the Lord stands by our side.
And extends real courage to us.
And infuses us with the strength to take the next step.
And fills our mouth with the right words to testify.
And fills our minds with unexplainable peace.
He does all things well for us! Praise Him today in gratitude and resolve.
I don't believe it was easy for these brothers to accept the New Covenant. They were willing to murder Paul because he taught a different message than what they had devoted their entire life to proclaim.
ReplyDeleteIt was all about the Law.
Jesus Christ came and the New Covenant convicted those who were living their life on their own laurels. And they were guilty of the death of Messiah. Imagine the conviction. Imagine the haughtiness of being condemned when you were "high priest."
Even the apostles wrestled with the outward covenant symbols that became meaningless under the New Covenant. Circumcision. Clean/unclean. Rituals of a faith that now had entered a spiritual dimension instead of a more physical dimension.
The Spirit has come and He points all sinners to Christ for salvation. All of us are sinners. We need Jesus.
And bottomline, we accept Him for who He is...or we reject Him and decide we are better off without His salvation.
Who stands by you. Who says to you, "take courage."
Those who plot...fight God.