Control of our lives

Chapter 16

v. 3 - submitting - the world counts this as a dirty word. And it does go against everything in our flesh. The #1 sin of all time is pride - the desire to be the decision-maker (see Adam and Eve and Lucifer/Satan). However, this is a necessary ingredient to be a follower of Christ. What does this have to do with Timothy in 16:3? Timothy submits his will and allows himself to be circumcised. That would be a big deal today with hospitals, doctors, anesthesia, etc. Imagine how big of a deal this would've been back then. And why did Timothy allow this? Paul's usual pattern of gospel ministry was to go first into a city's temple (where Jews were) and preach to them. If Paul's right-hand man or one of his close associates wasn't even circumcised and came from a family where his father was an unbeliever, this would've cost Paul and the team an audience with the Jews. The irony is that they just addressed this situation in the previous chapter and ruled that new converts didn't HAVE to be circumcised to be a Christ-follower. This is the best type of submission: willing submission - doing it because we see the bigger picture...not because someone is forcing us.

vv.6-10 - being Spirit-led - this is a crazy phrase for those outside Christianity and a barely understood term for those who call themselves Christ-followers. These verses give us an idea of what it means to be Spirit-led. In 2 verses, it says that Paul & the team were "kept" from going to a certain place by the Holy Spirit and the "Spirit of Jesus." Paul then has a dream and is told to go to a certain place. Imagine being so sensitive to what God is up to that we are led exactly where to go, what to say, how to think, how to act, how to give, etc. I'm fairly certain if I were with Paul and he said that the Spirit would not let them go to a certain city, I would've said, "Why would the Spirit (who is fully God) not want us to go tell those people the Gospel when we know that Jesus (also fully God) has commissioned us to take the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth?" The answer to that would probably have been that God does call us to take the Gospel to everyone, but He also has perfect timing. All this to say, it's a interesting pursuit to try to live an entire day led by the Spirit. To do this, we have to be super-sensitive to confessing sin as soon as we realize it (because sin dulls our ability to relate to God) and to be looking/listening for God in all situations.

v.17 - careful - not trying to get too focused on demons/demon-possession here, but it is worth noting that the demon inside this girl makes an absolutely truthful statement: These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved. I think we all expect demons to tip their hand that they are evil by saying things that are offensive, untrue or blasphemous. I also think it's funny because Paul gets tired of her yappin', so he puts the smack down on this situation.

v.25 - and the other prisoners were listening to them - uggh. I'm not sure I could be more convicted by this verse. Most of us are already convicted by the first part which says Paul and Silas, while in chains in prison having been flogged (yes, like what happened to Jesus), were PRAYING & SINGING praises to God. If that's not enough, I'm extra convicted by this second phrase because it says that others are watching us. When the earthquake comes later and the jailer asks Paul & Silas how he can be saved (more below), why does he ask them? What did they show him that made him think their way was better? Was it the fact that these guys were faithful in the midst of a crucible? It's embarrassing enough to think how my first reaction when I encounter trials (nothing compared to these guys) is almost never to pray and sing praise. It's even worse when I consider that I have an opportunity to give a great testimony for God in front of neighbors, friends, co-workers, other brothers and sisters, and even my own family. Ouch - sometimes I wish God would've left out some stories.

v.30 - what must I do to be saved? Most of us will go our entire lives and nobody will ever come right out and ask us this question (or ask it so bluntly/plainly). As I stated above, this could be because we haven't lived a life worthy of the question. But that's not my real thought here. I hope we all would ask ourselves, "Could I have answered this guy? Could I have given this guy the irreducible minimums of salvation? Could I confidently and succinctly have told this guy how he could know God through Jesus?" If not, I believe we need to equip ourselves to be able to do this - see 1 Peter 3:15.