Daily Devotional for Friday, May 12

Paul Speaks of His Commission

“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins,and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that
is in me,” Acts 26:16-18.

A recent gospel song includes the phrase “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” While we could poke some holes in the theological weight of this statement and the one to whom the quote is attributed, there is some value in this statement for us to consider. It is absolutely necessary to use words to preach the gospel. However, our daily life choices also declare a message to those around us. We must consider how our lives could open or close doors of opportunity for us to share the gospel with others.
As Paul shared the testimony of his conversion and his call to the ministry, he expressed that God would use his changed life as a means to proclaim the gospel. Those who knew Paul before he was saved would know that he had been a savage enemy of the gospel and any who dared to preach it. Yet, those who would see his changed life would be witness to the power of the gospel.
We cannot choose to live a life of ungodliness and expect to have an impact for the gospel. We must choose to live a life of holiness and purity before God and man so that we do not discredit the message of the gospel with our behavior.

THOUGHT: We dare not live in such a way that would cause others to doubt the gospel.

Steven Ridings