Spiritual Nuggets

For 05-17-2009

161. Do you think some preachers are too long winded? Did you know that Paul preached a long sermon until midnight, then it was interrupted when Eutychus fell out of the third story window to his death and Paul raised him up. After that Paul preached even more, until daylight:

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. (Acts 20:7-11))

Paul was committed to God to the point of not sleeping, if necessary, to do his will.

162. Does a Christian have any legal “rights”? Ponder this as you endeavor to answer that question:

As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.” The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. Then the commander said, “I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. (Acts 22:25-29)

Paul was treated differently after his Roman citizenship became known. That brings up an unsolved mystery—why didn’t Paul similarly tell them at Philippi that he was a Roman citizen before they flogged and jailed him:

This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. (Acts 16:17-24)

163. Paul repeatedly encouraged the saints, especially after there was an outbreak of persecution, a riot, etc. because of him (Acts 16:40; 20:1). If one looked at those situations from the natural he would think Paul should have been on the receiving end of encouragement. Rather he was the encourager! Godly encouragement is very important and Paul did that, as well as many other things, for the benefit of souls. (On the other hand, the devil is always trying to discourage the saints.)

164. Some wrongly think Paul’s message to the Jews was different than his message to the Gentiles. That idea is demolished here:

I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:21)

There is only 1 gospel for all people, no matter who they are or where they live. It is repent or perish. Fruit or fire. Live holy or be damned. Heaven or hell. You must endure to the end for salvation. God doesn’t show partiality.

165. The Bible speaks of people who have gone all the way back to where they were before their regeneration and in their lost condition they were at no time said to be never saved because they went back. This is an important truth for Christians to remember as they reason with the eternal security proponents. Why? Because some wrongly think that is impossible:

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” (2 Pet 2:20-22)

It is clearly possible for a saved person to return to his former life of sin. Hence, the following directive was/is in order:

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (1 Pet 1:14)

Peter knew such does occur.

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