Reflecting on Acts 5:17-42“God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.” (Acts 5:31)
God exalts Jesus as Prince and Saviour for a reason.
The reason is to being about repentance and forgiveness.
To repent is to change the way we think about God and life.
Jesus challenged us to prioritize love over hate, kindness over cruelty.
Even though He suffered and died for that, God exalted Him for it.
To love God and people is the God-pleasing, God-exalted way to live.
God wants to forgive (to release) us from selfish, loveless living.
Through His love we are set free to live in, like and for His love.
As our Prince, He rules this world for love, and we can reign with Him.
He gives us His Spirit to live in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.
Love overcomes evil, and we are urged to obey God’s law of love.
Even if the world around us resists this, we must obey God over people.
We may suffer and even die for living for love, but God will exalt us too.
For we can be confident in Jesus our loving Prince and Saviour.
Do I think about love like this, and am I feeling released to love like this?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, Your life of self-giving, other-serving love is the life that God exalts. You are exalted, and I will be exalted with You as I follow Your way of self-giving, other-serving love.