Daily Devotional for Friday, April 21

The Order is Countermanded

“And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him,” Acts 22:28, 29.

Timothy Stackpole was a New York Firefighter who was severely burned in a 1998 fire. After he recovered, he returned to the force despite the advice of some friends and family and the fact that he could retire comfortably. He was a great fire fighter and passionate about his work and was soon promoted to captain. On September 11, 2001, Timothy was one of the firefighters who ran into the second tower to try to save some people. When he did, it collapsed and took his life. He knew his calling—to save people.
In our key verses, Paul remained in custody and continued his testimony before the authorities. With his life on the line, Paul could have watered down the truth to be less offensive or he could have refused to speak the truth. Yet, Paul knew his calling was to share the gospel and to seek to rescue people from sin. Paul boldly declared the truth of the gospel in the face of great opposition.
It seems that Paul’s most effective tool in this instance, as well as others, was to simply share his testimony of how God had saved him. Some Christians may shrink from sharing the gospel because they lack eloquence, or they doubt their ability to handle deep theological issues. Paul was both eloquent and able to handle any theological discussions. Yet, he simply shared how God had saved him from his sin.

THOUGHT: No matter what fear we may face, Christians should not slack in our calling to share the gospel.

Steven Ridings