Is Your Life Accessible?

 

“He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.”

—Acts 10:42

Most of you who read these posts have long ago realized that I am, first and foremost, writing to Christians, or as I prefer to call them “Christ’s-ones” for that’s what the word “Christian” means: “those who belong to Christ.” And, I’m not talking about any particular denomination or version of Christianity.

I would like to think that my brothers and sisters in Christ include all who worship Christ as King: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and any of the many subsets in between.

God intends us, as Christians, to be salt and light in a troubled world. To do this we have to allow the Holy Spirit to so fill us with God’s love that His love will fairly burst out of us and flood those around us.

An important question we must ask ourselves, if we want to become effective in sharing what God has done for us with the people who cross our pathway: "Is Your Life Accessible?" Do we live in such a way that we allow people to see who we really are, namely, sinners saved by God’s grace.

Notice how the Apostle Peter shared in a very accessible way. And, as you read, please remember that Peter was a Jew who heretofore was forbidden by Jewish law to have anything to do with "unclean" people, especially non-Jews, or we would say, "Gentiles." Here’s Acts 10:34-48:

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.

“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

“You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

“He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Peter made his life accessible to these Gentiles. There’s a lesson in this for you and me.

The Gospel—the good news that, through Jesus, God has made provision for the penalty of our sins to be paid in full—becomes accessible when we allow our lives to become accessible to those who need our Savior.

Let’s determine to become accessible to those who cross our pathway this week. Let’s listen to what they say, but also to what they are really saying.

Then, let’s humbly and gently share the love of Christ from deep within our now-transformed beings.

 

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