Friday, January 15, 2016

Taking a Stand for Truth and Justice

And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.
(Acts 5:21-32 ESV)
There they were again - Standing in the temple preaching about Jesus - the exact thing they had been warned and threatened not to do.  Why? Sometimes it's a choice: what pleases God verse what pleases men.  And it was a stand for the Truth.  The truth of the Gospel was being squelched. The leaders had tried to cover up the facts of Christ's death and His resurrection.  Finally, it was a matter of Justice: Jesus was innocent and was killed by the powers to be.  It all sounds almost like a D.C. inner-beltway soap opera.  But it was far more important.  Let us be willing to stand for the truth, for justice, for Christ.  

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