Sunday, May 27, 2007
Acts 11:1-18
We might be tempted to skip Acts 11:1-18. Why? Because it is a rehashing of chapter 10. There is very little new information in this portion. However, we are not going to skip it. Why not? Because the Lord chose to have his writer Luke include it. If the Lord took the pains to include it, surely we can take the pains to study it. Perhaps you did that little assignment from Sunday evening. How many times is the vision of Cornelius recorded in Acts 10 and 11? And how many times the vision of Peter? Believe it or not, Cornelius’ vision is related four times and Peter’s twice. Think about it. There was so much that Luke could have told in the book of Acts, but there was only room for so much. It is likely that he was trying to fit it all on one scroll and did so. So he had to be very selective. Wouldn’t we love to hear some of the testimonies of the 3,000 who were saved at Pentecost? Wouldn’t we love to know what Saul did while he was in Arabia? But instead of telling us those things, Luke tells of this vision to Cornelius and then retells it three more times. Add to that Peter’s vision twice. This is what the Holy Spirit led Luke to write, and the Holy Spirit makes no mistakes. God Himself believes it important to repeat these details. This makes it very clear that the conversion of Cornelius and Peter’s role in it is extremely important.
So let’s launch into this passage by first considering the occasion that led Peter to give his eyewitness account of what happened in chapter 10.
Introduction: The Occasion (11:1-4)
1. And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, 3. Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. 4. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
News of what happened in the home of Cornelius reached Jerusalem before Peter did. We see this in verse 1-2, "And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him." We don’t know how long it was before Peter went to Jerusalem. You will remember that before going to Cornelius’ home, he had been staying in Joppa. We are not told, but I strongly suspect that Peter went straight from Caesarea to Jerusalem, a journey of over 50 miles. Peter was well aware of what a big deal this was, that "Gentiles had also received the Word of God." However, we know from the last verse in chapter 10 that Cornelius and those with him had urged Peter to stay with them "certain days." Since we are not told differently, we can assume that he did so. This delay allowed the news to beat Peter back to Jerusalem.
When Peter did arrive, he was met by "they that were of the circumcision," who contended with him. That is, they debated with him, argued with him, opposed him. Best we can tell, they had formed some strong opinions before they ever talked to Peter himself. That is quite typical. Do you ever find yourself doing that? I do.
Who were these of the circumcision? At first glance, we would think that these were simply Jewish Christians. In 10:45, this same phrase is used to designate the Jewish Christians who were with Peter. However, at this point virtually all the Christians of Jerusalem were Jewish, and Luke is obviously not talking about everyone in the church. It seems pretty clear that "they that were of the circumcision" refers to a specific group who were zealous for the Jewish law. We read in Acts 15:5 that these same opinions would be expressed later by "certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed." Paul will deal extensively with this issue in his letter to the Galatians. The seeds of this conflict seem to come from these Jewish believers who were zealous for the Gentile-Jewish division.
Notice their specific accusation against Peter: "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them" (vs. 3). They didn’t rebuke him for preaching the gospel to Cornelius and the others; they blasted him for going into a Gentile home and eating with Gentiles. It would seem that their primary concern was not the spread of the gospel, but the maintaining of the separating wall between Jew and Gentile. And that is understandable, in light of God’s law. However, they made their accusations before asking anything of Peter, the man who was there as an eyewitness.
Nevertheless, Peter did respond to their accusation. He didn’t say, "Listen, God told me to go to Cornelius." That would have been true, would it not? And how can anyone argue with, "God told me to do it?" Peter could have pulled rank on them and said, "Listen, I am an apostle. How can you question my actions?" But he didn’t do that. Rather than appealing to just his own experience and interpretation of it, "Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them" (vs. 4). He simply related the truth of what had happened. He gave them the facts. What we want to look at now is how the Lord prepared Peter, according to his own testimony. Since Peter tells it again, we will look at it again.
I. God’s Preparation for the Miracle
Go back again to Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." On the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 came to Jesus in Jerusalem, and the gospel continued to have a great impact in that city. We read in chapter 8 about the spread of the gospel into Samaria, and about how the Samaritans were received into the church, right alongside the Jews. But what about "the uttermost part of the earth"? Who lived in the uttermost part of the earth? While there were a few Jews scattered here and there, the rest of the world was overwhelmingly Gentile.
So we see that the Lord’s design is to extend the gospel witness to the far reaches of the earth, and that will include multitudes of Gentiles. That concept brought up a major problem. The Christians were Jews, and Jews didn’t like Gentiles. That’s an understatement. Jews hated Gentiles, and the feeling was mutual. Let me read you a few words from Pastor John MacArthur concerning the division between Jews and Gentiles…
A strict Jew wouldn't allow himself to be a guest in a Gentile house, neither would he invite one to be a guest in his own home. A scribal law said that the dwelling places of Gentiles were unclean…
The Jews viewed Gentiles as unclean, and that had great ramifications. For example, milk that was drawn from a cow by Gentile hands was not allowed to be consumed by Jews. Bread and oil prepared by a Gentile could be sold to a stranger, but could never be used by a Jew. No Jew would ever eat with a Gentile. If a Gentile was ever invited to a Jewish house, he couldn't be left in the room lest he defile all the food in the room. If cooking utensils were bought from a Gentile, they had to be purified by fire and water.
The Gentiles retaliated. They scorned the Jews. Circumcision, the Sabbath day rest, worship of an invisible God, abstinence from certain foods, and all other aspects of the Jewish life-style were points of mockery for the Gentiles. ("Salvation Reaches Out: The Salvation of the Gentiles—Part 1" by John MacArthur… www.biblebb.com/files/mac/sg1734.htm)
The Jews were especially proud of the law and their adherence to it. They stood firmly on that ground. In Romans 2:17-29 Paul essentially says, "The Jew thinks he is saved because of his nationality and his possession of the law. " They considered the Gentiles to be pagans; they had nothing but contempt for them. The years had only widened the gulf. Even with the birth of the church, it was very difficult for the first Christians (who were all Jews) to reach out to the Gentiles. That demanded special preparation from God. The exclusiveness that God had designed for Israel for the purpose of holiness had become perverted and developed into a matter of pride.
The Jews hated the Gentiles, and the Gentiles hated the Jews. Some Jews said that the Gentiles were created by God to be fuel for the fires of hell. If a Jewish boy married a Gentile girl, a funeral was held by his family. In return, the Gentiles looked on Jews as slave material--they persecuted, oppressed, and killed them. The Gentiles commonly said that the Jews were enemies of the human race…
This deep disunity had existed long enough to present a real problem to the church. The Spirit of God had to shatter that kind of attitude before He could weld the church together into one body. ("Salvation Reaches Out: The Salvation of the Gentiles—Part 1" by John MacArthur… www.biblebb.com/files/mac/sg1735.htm)
So when I speak of God’s preparation for the "miracle," I am not being dramatic. For Jews and Gentiles to be reconciled together in one body (Eph. 2:14-16) would require a mighty miracle of God.
Though Peter first speaks of the preparation of his own heart, the preparation actually begins with Cornelius, who was a Gentile. Peter gives this brief summary of what happened to Cornelius in verses 13-14, "And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; 14. Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved."
From chapter 10, we learn that Cornelius was earnestly seeking God. Listen to the description of him in Acts 10:2, "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." We learn in 10:22 that he was also well-respected by the Jewish people. So here is a man in whom God has been working, for no one seeks God on his own.
So if he was well-respected by the Jews, what was the problem? Don’t misunderstand this. He stood head and shoulders above other Gentiles, but he was still an uncircumcised Gentiles. While he may have the respect of the Jews, that did not mean that any Jews would be willing to enter his house or to sit down and eat with him. No Jew would dream of doing so. Where will God find a Jewish believer who will go to Cornelius?
In reality, God would prepare a Jewish Christian to take the gospel to Cornelius. And His instrument would be Peter. Let’s read Peter’s own account in Acts 11:5-11…
5. I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: 6. Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 7. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. 8. But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. 9. But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 10. And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11. And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
So why this vision? Why didn’t the Lord just tell Peter to go to Cornelius’ house? It’s kind of like some of you who sometimes get into that attitude: "Ron, if you’ll just tell us what to do, we will do it." We must understand that the prejudices of Peter were very deep. Even more important, we must understand that his convictions were based on the Word of God. In Leviticus 11, God gave some detailed instructions about which animals were clean and which were unclean. He instructed His people to eat the clean animals but not to eat the unclean. Peter knew this and other similar passages very well.
When the sheet-like vessel was lowered, there were "all manner" (10:12) of living creatures in it. There before Peter were both clean and unclean animals. When the Lord said, "Kill and eat," Peter immediately responded, "Not so, Lord; for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth." This wasn’t the first time Peter rebuked the Lord. Why didn’t Peter eagerly obey the Lord? Because he knew what the law said in Leviticus 11.
Verse 9, "But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." We are not given Peter’s response at this time. Don’t you know this was turmoil for him, as he wrestled with what seemed to be two conflicting divine commands? How could he do what he knew to be wrong? On the other hand, how could he not obey the voice of the Lord?
We don’t know how long this vision lasted, but it must have taken some time, for verse 10 says, "And this was done three times; and all were drawn up again into heaven." When we are told that it happened three times, it must mean that the whole sequence occurred three times. The animals were let down; God commanded Peter to eat; Peter objected; the Lord told him not to call common what He had cleansed. Yes, this whole sequence happened three times.
So did God change His mind? If it had always been wrong for a Jew to eat unclean animals, how could it now be right? Yet it was the Lord Himself who was telling Peter not to call any of these animals unclean. We might ask a parallel question: Would it be right for us to go out and get a sheep, bring it in here, kill it, and offer it’s blood on an altar for the covering of our sins? Of course, it would be wrong. Not only would it be wrong, but it would have no meaning. Why? Because Jesus fulfilled the need for a sacrifice, by sacrificing Himself once for all on the cross. Those blood sacrifices of the Old Testament were only a picture of what Jesus, the Lamb of God, would do. Since Jesus fulfilled all of that, we don’t do it any more.
So it is with the eating of unclean meats. As we discovered from our study of chapter 10, the dietary laws of the Jews was given primarily to maintain their separation from the Gentiles. After giving detailed explanations of what was clean and what was unclean in Leviticus 11, the Lord gives us this insight in Lev. 20:25-26…
Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. 26. And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Remember that the word "holy" means "set apart." The Lord intended for His people to be set apart, and the dietary laws were a huge part of that, because the Gentiles ate all kinds of animals, making no distinction.
But what about Peter and the present command to kill and eat? With the death and resurrection of Jesus, the purpose of the dietary laws had been fulfilled. There was no longer any reason to keep Jews and Gentiles apart. As a matter of fact, God’s great and wonderful plan was to include Jews and Gentiles together in the church. This is what we find in Eph. 2-3 (see message on Acts 10). To continue the dietary laws as a means of separation was to try to thwart the purpose of God. The Lord’s purpose was to break down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile.
So does the Lord no longer desire a distinction between His people and the world? Does He no longer desire holiness in His people? Of course, He does, but just as in so many other areas, the distinction is no longer to be an outward thing, but a thing of the heart. What did Jesus do, when He went back to sit at the right hand of the Father? He sent the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who works this "set apartness" in us.
Look again at verse 11, "And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me." Notice the word "immediately." The visions had barely ended when these three men showed up. Notice in verse 10 and 11 the mention of the word "three." It is no accident that the vision was repeated three times and then the three men sent by Cornelius showed up. The Lord didn’t want Peter to miss the connection between the clean and unclean animals and the clean and unclean people. As surely as He had obliterated the distinctions between the one, so had He done with the other.
II. The Execution of the Plan
11. "And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. 12. And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house: 13. And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; 14. Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
The arrival of the three men indicates that the preparation of God’s instrument was complete. Everything was right on schedule. When the Spirit urged Peter to go with these three men, he went. Notice what Peter said to Cornelius when he arrived, as reported in Acts 10:29, "Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying [without objection], as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?" Considering his refusal to kill and eat, we might want to read this as "without any further objection," but Peter is speaking only of his encounter with the three men sent by Cornelius. Through the vision and the fact that there were three men to correspond to the thrice-repeated vision, Peter had been taught by God.
Now as Peter relates the story, he gives a very short account of what Cornelius told him. You can read a fuller account back in chapter 10. Peter does give us a new piece of information which we didn’t learn in chapter 10. Read back over verses 13-14 again, "And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; 14. Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." In chapter 10, Cornelius relates that the angel simply told him to send for Peter, and "he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do" (10:6). Was Peter relating the actual words of Cornelius? Or was he giving the fuller interpretation of the words, as he looked back on the experience? I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. Whether or not Cornelius spoke these words, what Peter would actually tell him was how he and his house could be saved.
So we see that after God made the necessary preparations, out of an obedient faith, Peter actually went to the house of Cornelius. He actually entered into the home of a Gentile. Peter did something he thought he would never, ever do. It was God’s plan, and Peter was doing the Lord’s will.
Though it was Peter who carried the gospel to Cornelius, and though it was Cornelius and the others who believed, don’t ever forget that it was God who executed the plan. In every good work, there is the divine and the human aspect, but don’t ever forget that the initiative is always with God. Cornelius didn’t decide that he would seek the Lord. Long before he sought the Lord, the Lord was seeking him. Peter certainly didn’t decide it would be a good idea to preach to the Gentiles. God deliberately and carefully prepared him for the task. But this was God’s plan all along. Way back when He chose Abraham and made him a great nation, God made it clear that Abraham, through his seed, would be a blessing to all peoples. And listen to the prophecy of Isaiah 700 years before Jesus was born… (Is. 49:5-6)
And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. 6. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Peter and Cornelius were the principal actors in the drama, but the writer, producer, and director was God Himself. Don’t ever forget that "salvation belongs to the Lord" (Ps. 3:8).
III. The Glory of the Result
15. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? 18. When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
The sermon Peter preached in the home of Cornelius is recorded in Acts 10:34-43. Peter doesn’t repeat a word of it here. Perhaps that is because his audience knew well what he preached, regardless of who was listening. It was always the same basic message. They had heard it many times. Peter simply says, "And as I began to speak…" This seems to indicate that Peter could have said a great deal more, but it wasn’t necessary. As he began to speak, "the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning."
Surely "the beginning" is a reference to what happened on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in chapter 2. Remember what Jesus told His 12 apostles shortly before He ascended back to the Father. Let’s read it in Acts 1:4-5…
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Peter remembered those words well, and he remembered just as well how they were fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. And he could not help but relate it all to what happened in Cornelius’ house. Peter could see no difference. Just as the Spirit had fallen on him and his fellow-Jews in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise, so now the Spirit had fallen on Cornelius and those with him.
Now remember the context. Peter is speaking these words to the group of Jewish believers who were having a hard time with the concept of Gentiles being saved (without first becoming Jews).
So now in verse 17, Peter gives his defense. While they had accused him of entering a Gentile home and eating with Gentiles, Peter knew the real issue was the reception of the gospel by the Gentiles. So he says, "Since God gave them the same gift that He gave us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand against God?" Peter was saying: "By the giving of the Holy Spirit, God Himself spoke. What could I do but receive His witness and baptize these new believers?"
It is obvious that God used Peter’s brief testimony in a powerful way, because we read in verse 18, "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." They recognized that God Himself had given the Gentiles the gift of repentance unto life. Compare this with Acts 5:31, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Now as God had given to Israelites this gift, so he has granted that same gift of repentance unto life to Gentiles.
Aren’t you glad he did! Sometimes we forget that we are Gentiles. Spiritually, we were born on the wrong side of the tracks. Listen to Paul’s description of us in Eph 2:11-12…
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
That’s who we were. But praise God for what He did in Christ Jesus. Eph. 2:13-14…
13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.
If those Jewish Christians to whom Peter spoke glorified God, how much more should we glorify God, for we are the Gentiles to whom the gospel has been effectively proclaimed! Imagine it – we who had no hope and were without God in the world can now have life, life in all its fulness, life more abundantly in Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Please allow me to make a few concluding remarks. We have seen the fulfillment of the promise of Acts 1:8. It’s true that this is only the beginning of their witness going to the uttermost part of the earth, but it is the beginning. The great barrier was broken that day when the Spirit fell upon Cornelius and those with him.
I have suggested that we might think of chapters 2, 8, and 10 respectively as the Jewish Pentecost, the Samaritan Pentecost, and the Gentile Pentecost. We find some unusual things happening in connection with each one of these events. When the Jews first received the Spirit (ch. 2) and when the Gentiles first received the Spirit (ch. 10), they spoke in tongues. When the Samaritans received the Spirit (ch. 8), there is no record of tongues or anything else. However, there was something that made it evident, for even the sorcerer Simon could see the evidence.
People have asked for centuries about these unusual manifestations of the coming of the Spirit. I don’t pretend to have all the answers for the many questions that have been asked. However, there are some principles from which we can learn. First of all, remember that these were major breakthroughs to the spread of the gospel. In Jerusalem, none of them had ever experienced the coming of the Spirit. And in chapter 8, no one was sure that Samaritans could receive the Spirit. And when we come to the Gentile Cornelius, there was a great need to confirm that the Gentiles could truly believe the gospel, be saved, and receive the Spirit.
Of course, the question always comes up: "What about today? Does the Lord want to produce those same outward manifestations in us?" Again, I don’t have all the answers. He is God, and He will do what He pleases. But let’s be clear on one thing. The key is the presence and work of the Spirit in the believer’s life, not the outward manifestations. Go back to Peter’s words in 11:17, "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" What was the gift Peter spoke of? Was he speaking of the gifts of the Spirit? No. The gift was the Spirit Himself. That was the gift to which Peter referred. The outward manifestations only confirmed that they had received the gift, the Holy Spirit Himself. Go back to Pentecost and you will find the exact same thing in Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Not the "gifts," but the gift. The Holy Spirit is the gift, and in fulfillment of the promise He was given to those who repented and believed.
So what does the Lord want to do in us and through us by His Spirit? I don’t have all the answers to that question either, but let’s start with what we find in the book of Acts. What was the primary work of the Spirit in these early chapters of Acts? We are told at the very outset of the book. Let’s read it again, Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." They were told they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Power for what? Power to speak in tongues? Power to heal? No, power to bear witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. They could not be His witnesses apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until they were "endued [clothed] with power from on high" (Lk. 24:49).
So do we have this Holy Spirit power? If you are truly a child of God, the Spirit dwells within you. So if that is true, do you have this power? Not necessarily. That is why we are commanded in Eph. 5:18 to be filled with the Spirit. In Luke 11:13, Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" There is certainly nothing wrong with asking for the working of the Spirit in our lives. However, we must understand the purpose. In light of the context, the reason we long for and ask for the Spirit to work in our lives is that we might have something to give to others, so that we might have the grace to effectively share the life of Jesus with those around us.
On the other hand, when the Spirit fell on the disciples at Jerusalem and later upon Cornelius at Caesarea, there was no asking for the Spirit. These believers were simply seeking the Lord with all their hearts. And when the building was shaken and the believers were filled with the Spirit in Acts 4:31, they didn’t ask to be filled with the Spirit. They asked that God would grant that they might speak the Word with boldness. It is when we keep on thirsting for Jesus, keep on drinking from Him, and keep on trusting Him that rivers of living water will flow out of our innermost being. That, says John in 7:39, is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord knows my heart. When I have talked about us praying to be filled with the Spirit, and have prayed that we might be filled with the Spirit, I want you to know that outward manifestations are not what I have in mind. The Lord can do what He wants to do in that area. When it comes to the Holy Spirit, our focus must be Jesus’ focus, and Jesus said of the Spirit in Jn. 16:14, "He shall glorify me." May God write that on our hearts. The Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus.
Let me be as honest with you as I can. I love you, and I want to speak the truth to you in love. There are some here who will be tempted to focus on the outward manifestations of the Spirit's work. You are in danger of becoming sidetracked and missing the real work of the Spirit. There are others of you who are on the other side of the issue. Because you have seen abuses, you fear the work of the Holy Spirit. You are afraid that the Spirit might do something that would make you feel uncomfortable, and your fear will prevent you from experiencing the work of the Spirit in your life. By the grace of God, may we not fall off on either side. Rather, may we realize that apart from the presence and work of the Holy Spirit, we have no power to be a testimony for our Lord Jesus. It is the Spirit who glorifies Christ.
As a local body, we exist solely for the glory of God, and we pursue that glory by knowing Him and making Him known. May we long for the Spirit of God to empower us for that purpose. May we not be sidetracked by other issues, but may we long to glorify Him, for that is why the Spirit was sent (Jn. 16:14).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment