Responses to God's Grace
Faith Leads to Holy Living
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)
Be an Example of Faith
Acts 17:1-9 New International Version
In Thessalonica
17 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue,and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.[ a] 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
The Good News can be both a blessing and a curse. Some hear a message of salvation, while others are threatened by the change in perspective and power. Jewish opposition in Thessalonica is not much different than those Christians who attack other Christians with distortions of the Gospel. Just as the Jews in Thessalonica, modern opposers certainly believe in their contrary points of view.
Bearing false witness and violence are never an acceptable Christian response to a differing opinion.
MacLaren, in his Exposition of Holy Scripture comments, "‘Open your mouth and shut your eyes, and swallow what I give you,’ is not the language of Christianity, though it has sometimes been the demand of its professed missionaries, and not the teacher only, but the taught also, have been but too ready to exercise blind credulity instead of intelligent examination and clear-eyed faith. If professing Christians to-day (the late 1800s) were better acquainted with the Scriptures, and more in the habit of bringing every new doctrine to them as its touchstone, there would be less currency of errors and firmer grip of truth."
Pray
Pray and read and discuss Scripture. Pray and contemplate differences in interpretation. Pray, and you might find much more common ground in the varieties of Christian faith.
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