Tangible Evidence

02.19.13

Acts 26.20 20 …but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. (ESV)

After his conversion experience, Paul went about sharing the message of God’s love and His invitation of friendship with the Jews and the Gentiles he encountered. What really got him in trouble was the preaching of the message of love. What he bumped into was that people don’t want to love God, they want to appease Him – a happy God is a distant God…so I’ll do what is necessary to make Him happy and then He’ll keep His distance by having to deal with others who haven’t quite caught on that they’re to keep Him happy.

I would say probably one of the most frightening experiences for most people is surrendering to God. I think they fear His presence. I think the reason they fear His presence is they think He is going to take from them what they don’t feel they can (want to) give; or they’re afraid of what they think He is going to make them do. Show me a man who doesn’t fear God and I will show you a coward. Show me a man who is afraid of God and I will show you a stranger to God. In Him we have everything to fear and nothing with which to be afraid.

Paul called Jews and Gentiles to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds in keeping with their repentance. He advocated that their lifestyle should match their confession. That is the process of finding out how God wants us to live and then living accordingly. A happy relationship is that in which the participants find out about the other and then live in a manner to make them happy. Relationships work better with happiness. And when conflict arises the healthy relationships deal with it quickly and then get right back to the business of making each other happy. Glib? Shallow? Not necessarily.

Paul said our lives ought to match our opinions; if we are really God’s people then we should live like we are. Behavior is so important because how we live helps explain who we are. Wisdom poured forth from a mean person is not as accepted as wisdom from someone who is kind. How I live, how I think, and what I say ought to issue forth from what I believe. (And make no mistake, it will!) My living ought to match my saying. It ain’t rocket science; it’s simply finding out what pleases God and then doing it.

By the way, it pleases God when someone believes in Him. It pleases God when someone seeks to know what brings Him pleasure. It pleases God when a believer uses his or her life to advance the good news that God loves people and desires to be their Friend. It pleases God when we live as His friends and seek to do the things He wants us to do. It pleases God when we tell others about Him and our lives match our words… A God-life is a transformed life and a transformed life is a life that tangibly evidences His presence.

Jesus, today may others see only You in me. Amen.