Fighting Against God or For God?

 

By Nick Bibile

 

Acts 5:33-42

 

 

33) more accurate – cut to the heart.

 

See Acts 4:37 – Gospel bring conviction of sin, here they were cut to the heart with godly sorrow.

Acts 5:33 -  Also Gospel that bring conviction of sin, cut to the heart can bring hatred instead of godly sorrow.

See Acts 7:54

Word of God is a double edged sword, it brings division, some people when they hear they will be cut to the heart to receive the gospel with godly sorry and the others who hear it they will be cut to the heart with hatred.

 

Just like how the religious leaders who killed the prophets, how they killed Jesus now they plotted to kill the apostles.

 

34-39) Gamaliel’s Advice

 

There was a great Jewish Rabbi by the name of  Hillel born   110 (BC) and died in 10 (AD) He was a great teacher of the Torah. (5 books of the O.T) He became the most influential force in Jewish life. He is remembered as a great Jewish scholar. Gamaliel is Hillel’s grandson.  Gamaliel was a Pharisee, the original word Pharisee is not a bad name as it means separated ones for God, they began in a right way but later they became hypocritical. Gamaliel like his grandfather was a scholar.  Paul was one of his disciples.  (Acts 22:3)

The Jewish leaders had a great respect for Gamaliel.

 

Gamaliel may not have been a believer but his advice was right. If it is of God you will be fighting against God, we know it is of God. All who oppose Christianity are fighting against God.

 

Many times when we see those people who fight against God, we think of the atheists who oppose God. But there is an old trick of the enemy that we recognize. What is it? There are people who pretend to be religious and come in the name of godliness and hate Jesus of the Bible. Then there those who have an external outward appearance of Christianity but in their actions they hate God. They love God in their mouths, they love God on during Sunday services, but when they go home, outside they hate God in their actions. Truly they are fighting against God as they live in sin not in holiness, they are called hypocrites. I pray that none of us be hypocrites.

 

If you are fighting against God, you will be bend to God or broken. What do you mean? It mean, either you will be bend to him in true repentance, or you will be broken, God Almighty on that great day of judgment will crush you with his fierce anger, he will crush your soul to the lake of fire.

 

Sinner why are you fighting against God? You are rebellious to God as you have many idols, you love these idols more than the Lord Jesus Christ. Come to Jesus, if you come to Jesus you will not fall into the wrath of God’s anger but you will fall into the hands of God’s mercy. During the time of Napoleon, the great military leader of France, he found a soldier sleeping in night watch. He told the soldier, next time I find you sleeping, you will be executed. Then a week later the soldier was found sleeping again. Napoleon said, today you will be executed. The soldiers mother came running to Napoleon and said, sir, have mercy upon my son. Napoleon said, he does not deserve mercy. Then the mother replied, no one deserve mercy.

 

She was absolutely right, no one deserve mercy. We have all fallen short of the glory of God as we have all sinned against God.  But God has provided us mercy through Jesus as Jesus took the punishment of sin whoever will trust in him, come and rest upon his sacrifice, pray to Jesus Lord, I surrender to the arms of Jesus, I trust in his mercy to save me as I fall into the arms of Jesus.

 

Let’s not fight against him but for him.

 

 

Verse 40-42)  Here we see them fighting for Christ, fighting on behalf of Christ, speaking in his name, they rejoiced of their sufferings and they did not stop teaching house to house.

 

Let us sharpen our swords, the word of God, let us hold dear to God’s truth and proclaim the truth of God against the powers of the enemy, let us go into the mission field of the neighbors, friends and outside and witness to men, women and children, how they can be saved. Let us go to the highways and by ways and invited people to Christ.  Let us fight for Christ, contending for the faith, looking after the poor and needy, helping the weak, comforting and encouraging in prayer.

 

There was a French king who heard some people who was against the Lord because of their cruelties. The King said, Oh, if I was their with my troops I would have cut those people to pieces, who came against Christ. My beloved, Jesus did not come to destroy sinners but to save them. Let us fight for Jesus not with swords and guns but with the truth of God, by your holy life, and your love to your friends and enemies.

 

 

http://www.sounddoctrine.net/