Scripture Reading: “. . . as [Peter and John] were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.” Acts 4:1-4
These days your words can get you in trouble. Saying the wrong thing can get you a reprimand in some quarters or even cost you your job. Words matter.
That’s no less true for Christians living out their faith in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in a day when Isaiah’s words of warning couldn’t be more true:
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
Today loud voices say you’re evil, dark, bitter if you’re a Christian. We can add hateful to Isaiah’s list. In times like these, dare we identify ourselves as Christians? Dare we reach out to others with the Good News about Jesus Christ? There could be a price to pay, as Peter and John experienced in their day.
It’s tempting to avoid trouble by hiding our faith, blending in, or fleeing the situation before we can be found out. But that creates a dilemma, because Jesus said, “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes . . . .” (Luke 9:26). Who wants that?
The other option is to believe, be bold, and speak out—in love. That seems insanely counterintuitive, but remember: We’re in a battle, not with people, but with dark forces in the spiritual realm. Paul told the Ephesians, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, . . . authorities, . . . cosmic powers over this present darkness, . . . spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). When we love people, even the ones who despise us and find us annoying, we’re doing what Jesus bid us to do (Matthew 5:44), and we’re following His example. Haters can become believers. Enemies can become friends. Remember Saul who became Paul? And we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is working in people’s hearts, just like He did in ours by convicting us of sin and leading us to faith in Jesus Christ. And He’s still using believers to reach nonbelievers.
It can be scary. Even the Apostle Paul needed prayer for words and boldness, asking the Ephesian church to pray “that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20). And what about Peter and John, whose words got them in trouble? Two things: (1) Some 5,000 became believers (Acts 4:4); (2) they reported everything to their friends, prayed together, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and continued to speak out with boldness (Acts 4:23-24, 31).
“Dear Father, empower us as believers in Jesus Christ to be light bearers in a dark world getting darker; channels of love in all its expressions in a time of division, distrust, and hate; victors in life, no matter what present battles we’re facing; and clear, calm voices boldly speaking the truth in love. Thank You for Your Spirit, working in us and through us, working in the hearts of those around us, some of whom will believe, if we speak out. Amen.”