“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
These days so many people are discontent and dissatisfied with life. Many feel powerless and impotent in the face of the governments, polticians, media gurus, and celebrities who seem to control society and culture. They seek to gain some measure of control and autonomy through violence, incivility, and disrespect for authority. The truth of the Word of God reveals that such actions are not free nor they give power to those carrying out such heinous actions. Those who pratice such lawlessness do so as slaves of Satan, though they do not know it.
Each of the readings from our Lectionary this week highlight the only way to break free of such slavery is by faith in Jesus. He brings the truth of salvation and love through His Church which is guided and empowered by His Holy Spirit. As we see in this reading from the book of Acts, the early church expanded rapidly due to the action of the Holy Spirit through the disciples. His work convicted people of sin, healed people of sickness and disability, and created a compassionate and loving community. The Jews who were brought to faith in Christ experienced the power and love of God as never before. Naturally the religious leaders of the Jews did not like what was going on. They viewed these apostles of Jesus as unschooled troublemakers who threatened their power, so they had them arrested.
The apostles received great courage and wisdom from the Holy Spirit to confront these rulers. They proclaimed that Jesus is God. And, in addition, they maintained that not only had Jesus risen from the dead, but that salvation was to be found in Him alone. This was an incredible and dangerous statement to make to a person of any other religion or belief system because it maintains that all other religions are worthless and ineffective, that those who profess to worship a God other than the one revealed in Jesus Christ are hopelessly lost, enslaved by Satan, and bound for hell.
In the spiritual pluralism that existed in the ancient world and exists in our own this is still quite a radical and dangerous claim, one which many find offensive. Consequently, many label Christians as intolerant. Because of this, we may be tempted to soften this dynamic claim. We fear antagonizing people or making them feel bad about themselves. We also fear persecution.
Nevertheless, we must continue to preach the gospel in word and deed even if others find it offensive. The fact is, they ought to feel offended, they ought to feel guilty because they are sinners. Unless they feel guilt over sin they will never know they need a savior. They will never be led to faith in Jesus alone. They will never find the freedom they earnestly desire. So, therefore, we ought to pray for the boldness of the Holy Spirit to enable us to speak the truth in love.