Today was a day of looking forward and looking back for me. I was reflecting on the sermon from this past Sunday (Trust In God), and I was also getting excited for the Acts series coming in the fall. I was reminded of a passage encompasses both of these thoughts.
In Acts 4 Peter and John are arrested for proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The elders and scribes question Peter and John quite extensively, and saw clearly that they were with Jesus and that notable signs had indeed been performed. Instead of punishing them they decided they would let them go, but they “charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” Then Peter and John say something that hits me like a ton of bricks everytime. “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Then they were released.
That is a very nutshell version of the passage in Acts 4, but what is important is their response to opposition to the gospel. Peter and John had such faith and such trust in God that they sought the will of God over the will of man. They didn’t allow the scribes and elders to intimidate them into standing down from preaching the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Their answer could have lead down a very dangerous path, even to death. But they didn’t care because were doing what was right in the sight of God over what was right in the eyes of the elders and scribes. What an amazing picture of trust!
This passage always forces me to ask the question, “What would I have done in this situation?” Would I trust God or would I back down in fear? This is a question that I need to ask myself each day, am I trusting God? We serve an awesome, good, righteous, just, and trustworthy God. Will you trust Him?