Reflecting on Acts 5:17-42“Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new life.” (Acts 5:20)
What ‘new life’ does the angel want them to tell the people about?
The original Greek says ‘the words of this life’.
In the previous section ‘this life’ was a life of blessing and healing.
People were being rescued, restored, healed, helped and blessed.
Any and all could experience God’s grace and blessing.
People were drawn to the life of this community of Jesus followers.
People were eager to experience the fruit of the Spirit at work.
The surrounding community highly regarded this community because of ‘this life’.
It was because the Sadducees were jealous of ‘this life’ that they were jailed.
The world knew that they were Jesus’s disciples because of their love.
Is this what is happening today, are people drawn to ‘this life’?
Are we highly regarded because of how people are helped and blessed?
I suspect that this is not what commonly happens with our churches.
It is hard to witness to ‘this life’ when this is not what we represent.
How can we become a community that reflects ‘this life’?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we cannot witness to this life if we are not experiencing this life. Help us to become a fruit of the Spirit community, so that we have something to witness to the people around us!
May others see we are Christian by our love. Our words and deeds need to show the love of God in us – we are instruments of His peace. His way and not my own selfish way. I need to let His light shine in me and through me.
Make me a channel of Your peace
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love
Where there is injury, Your pardon Lord
And where there’s doubt, true faith in You
Make me a channel of Your peace
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there’s sadness, ever joy
Oh master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of Your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we’re born into eternal life