But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." (vs29-32)
Obedience evidences the Spirit's presence, so that where He is, sinners are changed, cowards are made strong, and otherwise proud failures are made into obedient people, worshiping Christ His way, laying down our lives in bold proclamation of His truth. He said, “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him”. This power is from God alone, but He gives it wherever the Spirit is present.
Obedience is ours by the gift of Christ, whereby the Spirit is given to us because He laid down His life a ransom for sin. It is not produced by the flesh, and we war within, but the blood of Christ earned new natures and Holy Spirit power, whereby we overcome the flesh and surrender to holiness. We willingly yield ourselves as instruments and workers of righteousness to do God's will (Rom 6:13-14). We do impossible things, standing for Christ against the world, and it's by the power of His gift of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Repentance is His gift, whereby we turn FROM sin to Him, seeing ourselves justly condemned, and looking to His merciful way. Forgiveness is the open armed reception that every repenter gets, so that we're convicted of our need, convinced that He's met our need, and now we're convinced that He will meet our needs in the future, even enabling us to obey (John 16:8-11).
The apostles were imprisoned for believing and preaching, and yet they're loosed miraculously to believe and preach more. It says, “But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life” (vs19-20). They didn't keep quiet or hide the gospel. They didn't compromise with this world, but in love, they went on preaching, realizing that God is their Boss, and they must obey Him - “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: We ought to obey God rather than men”. Obedience is better for us and it is right; it is what we do.
This obedience evidences God's spiritual presence, that we're really saved. Do you have this confidence in you? Do you have self-hatred for sin, like Job, abhorring yourself and repenting in dust and ashes (Job 42:6)? Do you have hope, like sinners should, that the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses you from all sin (1 John 1:9)? If so, then you also have assurance that the Spirit is yours for Christ's sake. You've turned from cowardly self-serving to the Lord, and He'll make you able to stand and give Him honor, just as He did the early church. You won't walk invisibly out of prison, but you will escape tribulations, temptations to quit, and persecutions, standing for Christ openly and publicly, proving that you know God. He is with you by the obedience that He gives, and His gift evidences that Christ is yours for real.
Obedience, not mere words, but actually doing God's will against all odds and no matter the cost is the mark of the saints. We are Spirit-filled, and you must have this yourself! If you haven't obeyed, then turn to Him as a sinner, lest you be damned. Receive the forgiveness that He FREELY and always gives to seekers, and get power from the Spirit as a son to walk uprightly, fear God, and receive the rewards of His Son's obedience to death for you.
It is good to know that Christianity produces the impossible by the actual power of God.
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