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 We Ought to Obey God (May 3, 2023)

“And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:32)

About 2,000 years ago, a courageous band of faithful disciples, emboldened by the Holy Spirit, overcame stiff resistance as they sought successfully to establish the body of believers headed by our risen LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Christianity was born! The world’s largest religion with more than two billion followers, Christianity today is now under brutal attack and we as Christ’s earthly witnesses and ambassadors face increasing scorn, derision, and persecution.

In these difficult times, Christians must be prepared to defend our faith with love, respect, and compassion. We should always be ready to tell non-believers about the blessed hope of abundant and everlasting life that we have in Christ and none other. Despite the opposition that we face in an ungodly world, we must pursue with urgency our calling to share the love of Jesus with others and to spread the truth of God’s inspired Word in an effort to win lost souls before it’s too late.

We must seek to be like Peter and others who, empowered by the Spirit of God, boldly proclaimed the gospel, despite public persecution and the risk of losing their lives. When religious leaders of that day sought to silence them and commanded that they stop teaching in Jesus’ name, Acts 5:29 tells us: “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’”

May God grant us the courage to follow their example! We have work of the utmost importance to do—carry on their mission as ambassadors instructed by Christ to witness to a lost and dying world. Jesus called those first-century disciples, and He has commanded His followers today to spread the good news of God’s gracious gift of salvation to all who believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our sake. We too “ought to obey God rather than men.” Amen!

“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23)



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