The Boldness Of The Transformed Life Series

THE BOLDNESS OF THE TRANSFORMED LIFE

ACTS 4:13-31

READ v. 13-14

There had to be some explanation for the healing of the lame man. Peter & John were uneducated and untrained men. They had not been trained in the professional rabbinical schools of Hillel or Shammai. Where did they get their wisdom and clear, precise speech?

Do you see the progression of understanding that is coming to the Sanhedrin? They ƒasawƒ` the boldness of Peter & John...they realized that they were ordinary laymen...they were ƒaastonishedƒ` at what they were able to say and do...and they realized, or took note that these men had been with Jesus. A remarkable compliment!

The same can be true for us. A Christ-captivated life enables us to live an extraordinary life. We are ƒanotƒ` limited to the confines of our own intellect or talent. The secret is Christ in us!

Paul discovered this and spoke of the wonder of the transformed life when he wrote to the Colossians. He said that the mystery was hidden for ages but now it was evident in Christ's people...

"Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Just what does that Scripture mean to you...the hope of glory?? For some reason I always associated that with hope of heaven. Someday we'll be "over in glory"...there are even songs that speak about being in glory land.

But I looked up that word because often I use the word "glory" as a term of praise when I just get excited and happy about something God is doing or that God is saying either through His word or through a sermon or whatever.

Well, the word glory means "beauty, power, or honor; a quality of God's character that emphasizes His greatness and authority. It is used in three senses in the Bible.

First - has to do with the perfection of God's character, one that we all fall short of, and that according to Ps. 113:4 is beyond mans understanding.

Second - Praise. At times glory may mean the honor and audible praise which God's creatures give Him (Ps. 115:1 and Rev. 5:12-13)

Third - is God's moral beauty and perfection as a visible presence. While God's glory is not a substance, at times God does reveal His perfection to man in a visible way. This is often seen as fire or dazzling light, but sometimes as an act of power. (Exodus, Lev. I Kings)

But since the close of the Old Testament, the glory of God has been shown mainly in Christ and in the members of His church. Christ now shares His divine glory with His followers (John 17) so that in their lives Christians are being transformed into the glorious image of God.

Glory is visible...clearly evident. Christ is seen in us as He transforms us into His own image. That is what they saw in Peter and John. Even in their hatred and their prejudice, the members of the Sanhedrin saw in them the glory of Christ.

The secret of the Christian life is not only that we have been with Jesus, but that He is in us! There should be daily amazement - first in us - and then in others, at what we are able to discern...dare... and do.

Christ in us is the inner source of wisdom beyond human intelligence discernment that goes beyond comprehension...love that goes beyond our cautious affection...and truth that goes beyond our experience. The deeper we grow in Christ, the more people will be forced to wonder.

But most of all there will be changed lives all around us because of Christ in us. The apostles had the lame man as evidence that Christ had used them as agents of healing. And yet the greatest is in the conversion and transformation of a person with whom we have shared the love of Christ.

When we give ourselves away in caring, costly relationships of affirmation and encouragement with those who do not know Christ, He uses us to model His power and introduce them to Him. People will live forever because of the Lord's ministry to them - through us!

And ƒaChristƒ` will get the glory! We can enjoy being a channel of His grace, but all the compliments and adulation go to Him. Our reward is a boldness in knowing who we are...whose we are...and for what we are born.

People will see...you can be sure of that. They will wonder what has happened to us...they will marvel at what has happened around us, and finally...they will realize what is happening in us. JESUS. There can be no other explanation.

But does that mean that things will go along smoothly...that once we become a Spirit-filled Christian and set out to serve Him with all our hearts that life will be one glorious miracle after another?