| “Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.” |
| —Acts 15:35 |
Not every Christian is called by God to actually preach. But, every Christian is called by God to proclaim—in a tender, gentle, and loving way—the truth of God’s gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus. There really is no point to trying to be a passive Christian.
Christianity is an active faith. Because we Christians recognize the great gift that God has given us through release from the power that sin has over us and through the cleansing of our sins by the blood of Jesus, we must become active in sharing everything that God has done in us, and for us, and through us. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul recognized that, through Christ, the hold that sin had formerly had over him had been nailed to the cross. The new life that Christ provided for Paul—and provides for us—promotes an active response. That is why Dr. Luke records the following in Acts 15:35:
Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
The very least that Paul and Barnabas could do when confronted by “so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3) was to actively proclaim the magnificent truth of the gospel by means of teaching and preaching. While we may not be called, nor equipped, to preach, or even teach, we have been equipped by the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit to lovingly share what God has done for us through Christ.
Therefore, as we begin another new day, let’s remain aware of those opportunities that God may bring our way to share a word of encouragement and love in the name of Jesus. We do well when we actively participate in God’s work in this world. We are, after all, a vital part of God’s Kingdom here on earth. It’s high time we took advantage of the privilege that is ours to represent our Great King to a troubled and needy world.
Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, November 6, 2018
