Jesus didn’t defeat sin and death just to give us personal salvation, he died and resurrected so that we could have new life in him. Not a cleaned up version of our old lives, but a completely new life.
This new life gives us a devoted family of believers; a family who loves one another through sacrifice. A family who is loyal to one another, even in the mess. A family who commits to one another. A family who carries each others’ burdens as far, as long, and as often as necessary. This is the kind of family that we read about in Acts 4: “All the believers were on in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possession was their own, but they shared everything they had” (NIV). Instead of excusing ourselves from this kind of community based on our current culture and social climate, we can learn to embrace what this could mean for our lives.
A devoted family shares everything they have (Acts 4:32), testifies to the resurrection of Jesus (4:33), gives to anyone in need (4:35), devotes themselves to the apostles teaching (2:42), to fellowship (2:42), to the breaking of bread (2:42), to prayer (4:42); they eat together and praise God (2:46), and they’re always growing (2:47). This was possible with the early church, not because of anything special about the area where they lived, what they did, or who they were, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit. That same Spirit lives in believers today and can work through us as we devote ourselves to one another as the family of God.
Reflection/Discussion Question: What similarities/differences do you see between your own community and the early church community described in Acts 2 and 4?
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