Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Acts 22
14 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’
14 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’
Commentary:
22:16 Be baptized and wash away your sins does not imply that the physical act of baptism itself cleanses people spiritually from sin, for Ananias gives Paul two distinct commands. Thus baptism should be viewed as an outward symbol of the cleansing from sin that occurs when someone trusts in Jesus (cf. 1 Pet. 3:21). Belief leads to cleansing, but baptism pictures this. Because baptism pictures the reality, the two are often discussed as if they belong to the same act. As Heb. 10:19–22 shows, the believer’s sins are “washed away” through faith in “the blood of Jesus,” with the result that the believer is “sprinkled clean” and “washed with pure water.”
Questions:
- Your conduct before conversion, the circumstances of your conversion, and now the third and final piece of your apologia is your COMMISSION after conversion. After Paul submitted his life to Jesus, he was given an assignment. God had a plan for Paul, and He has a plan for you! How much time to you spend praying for God to guide and direct your steps? How much of you life is built on obedience to Him?
- David wrote in the Psalms that God delights in every detail of our lives. Of course God wants to be in your day-to-day decisions. And when it comes to His WILL for your life, it starts with making the name of Jesus known on the earth. This is your primary calling, no matter your vocation. How are you doing with this assignment? What are you doing to bring God glory in your life?
Prayer Topics:
- That God would direct your steps.
- That you would have the courage to be obedient to Him.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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