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Acts 17:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”
4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
In the above scriptures, we see that as a result of Apostle Paul’s efforts in explaining and demonstrating the scriptures, some people were persuaded that the Jesus he preached was the Christ (Acts 17:3; NKJV). But not everyone was persuaded. In fact, those not persuaded attacked the house of Jason with the hope of finding Paul and Silas.
Acts 17:6-7 (NKJV) states: But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”
From the above, we know that Apostle Paul and Silas were making an impact. Indeed, Acts 17:6 tells us: These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. While this accusation was intended to be seen as a bad thing, it proves that Paul and Silas were not just showing up and blending in. No. They were being effective in carrying out God’s work.
This begs the question whether, as believers, we are living lives that demonstrate that we do not serve the god of this world. That we serve the one and only true King—Jesus Christ.
I have lived the experience where my main focus was on securing my own eternity in Heaven. Where I did not have a desire to press ahead, enduring hardship and personal challenges, in order to advance the Kingdom of God here on this earth. But that was not how God wanted me to live. Or any other believer for that matter.
Out of our love for God, we should want to proclaim to the world that there is another King – Jesus – who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that those who believe in Him will have eternal life. And, because this other King – Jesus – has redeemed us and transformed our lives, we count it an honor to live in a way that persuades others to accept Jesus and to surrender to His Lordship.
Here is a question: are you living a life that shows that “there is another king—Jesus”? My hope is that we can all confidently and truthfully say ‘yes’!
Matthew 5:13 (AMPC): You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James Version (KJV) – all public domain.
