Back into Acts

This week was incredibly busy and this is the first moment I've had to sit down and get back into Acts and the forming of my testimony. I left off in Acts 16.

Acts 16: 25-34 - This is the well known account of the Philippian jailer. This is an instance where a major event happened in the jailer's life, leading him to seek out salvation. The interesting thing about this story is that the jailer knew exactly who to speak to. He went right to Paul and Silas and asked "What must I do to be saved?" Remember, Paul and Silas were in prison singing hymns and praying. That's a perfect example of the overwhelming joy and boldness we can find in God. It didn't take a sermon to convince the jailer. His heart was already open. He was simply seeking direction. Paul told him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." But they didn't leave it at that. Paul and Silas "spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house" (verse 32). They then took them out to be baptized. Paul and Silas did not leave the jailer, knew in his faith, immediately after his conversion. Again, the apostles showed us the importance of helping new Christians through their "infancy."

Acts 17 - Paul stands up in Athens and preaches to the people about the object they worshipped which had an inscription "To the Unknown God." The people of Athens were worshipping many gods and seemingly just to be safe, they created an idol for one they did not know. Paul explained to them that this unknown god was not one of gold or silver or stone, but rather the one that made the heavens and earth and "does not dwell in temples made with hands." Paul starts from the very beginning, explaining that God made everything and concluded at the end, saying that there will come a day when God will judge man through Jesus, who was raised from the dead.

I can think of no better place to start that the beginning. Many people, though, are not easily sold on Creation. But to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you must believe that God created the earth. Christians today face this battle every day in spreading the gospel. Science is continually trying to solve the mysteries of the universe but continually fall short. The answers to everything are found in the Bible--the beginning and the end. Paul made sure to tell the Athenians what has happened and what will happen. And most importantly, that Jesus resurrected to defeat death, that we may be righteous at the final judgement.

Acts 19:1-7 - In the last part of chapter 18 and the first part of chapter 19, Luke tells us about a man named Apollos, who was a man mighty in the scriptures and fervent in spirit. However, there was one problem. He only knew of the baptism of John. Priscilla and Aquila explained things to him more accurately, and Apollos went on to be a great speaker of the truth. But Apollos had already spread the word of John's baptism, and that's where chapter 19 picks up. Paul runs into some believers that had heard the word from Apollos and knew only of John's baptism. There isn't a word-for-word account of any testimony here, but we see the importance of baptism. The men were believers but had been baptized into John's baptism. If baptism were not important, or an after thought, as so many Christians seem to make it out to be, Paul would have not corrected them and baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus. Baptism is important, and Paul shows that it is necessary.

Acts 26 - Throughout this chapter, Paul is speaking to King Agrippa, appealing his arrest. Starting in verse 12, he tells the king of his own conversion. Paul's conversion was quite miraculous. He heard Jesus speaking to him, was struck blind and later made well. Some Christians have amazing stories of their conversion. Some do not. I am one of the latter. I remember being at one of those weekly revivals when I was very young. For the first time in my life, what I heard being preached, Jesus' death and resurrection, really struck me in my heart. I had grown up in a church all my life and had heard the story countless times. Maybe it was just growing older and being able to understand the magnitude of Jesus' love and sacrifice, but I was convinced. When I went home, I lied in my bed and asked Jesus to be my Savior. Later, I was baptized. Because I came to Jesus so young, I never had to overcome some great trial or temptation. I never had to fight unbelief. Sometimes I wish I had a story like Paul's, but when I think about it, I am grateful that I never had to face those difficult times. And later, when those temptations came, I was ready to face them. I am eternally grateful to God for that.

The lesson to be learned from Paul's testimony in chapter 26 is each Christian's personal conversion is special and amazing regardless of the circumstances surrounding it. There may have been no beam of light or vision that led you to the truth, but the fact that your heart was opened and you were forgiven by God through Jesus' death and resurrection is miraculous in its own right. Each Christian's conversion is different, but it is uniquely special, and there is no doubt in my mind that the God that created the heavens and eart (and each of us) knew the exact message we needed to hear at that exact moment in our lives. Maybe I don't know for sure why my heart was opened on that particular night, but it happened that way for a reason. And God has intended for me to share that story--as unmiraculous as it may seem--to others.

This journey through Acts has been so benefical. I believe that now I have my testimony. Time to start using it.