Speak all the Words of this Life - Acts 5:20
“Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” Acts 5:20 (Read Acts 5:17-42)
Before our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven to His position of authority at the right hand of God the Father, He commanded His disciples: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). He told His followers, to the end of this world: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:18-20).
After the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them at Pentecost, Jesus’ followers held back nothing but proclaimed all the words which Jesus had given them. We read that when they were arrested by the rulers of the Jews and put in prison, “an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught” (Acts 20:19-21).
Even after they had been beaten and warned not to preach any longer in the name of Jesus, they not only rejoiced at being counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ sake (cf. Matthew 5:10ff.), “daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42). They obeyed the command of God - of their Lord Jesus - rather than men (Acts 5:29).
What does this say to us today? Are we to hold back any of “the words of this life”? If rulers and governments tell us not to speak in the name of Jesus, do we become silent and await the day when Gospel preaching is legalized and acceptable? If people in general - or even churches - do not want us to preach the Law of God in its full severity or do not wish to hear of the grace and mercy of God which He offers and gives only in Christ Jesus and for the sake of Jesus’ blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the world, do we hold back? What did Jesus command His disciples to do? What did the angel of the Lord say to the apostles as he opened the prison doors? Who do we obey: God or man?
We have work to do. By the grace of God, we have come to know our sinfulness and the punishment we truly deserve but we have also come to know that in Jesus, and for the sake of His cross, we have forgiveness for all our sins and life everlasting! Others too need to know, and time is running out. Let’s not hold back but speak to everyone “all the words of this life”!
O dearest Jesus, You have given us forgiveness and life in Your name. Move us to hold back nothing but speak all the words of this life to people everywhere that they too may come to know You. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible.]
News, Pages 4 on 06/30/2010