Uncompromising Faith

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” Acts 5:19–20

(I would encourage you to read the full story of Peter and the apostles from Acts 5:17-42, for it is a great testament to the faithfulness of God and the power of His presence.)

The apostles were determined to do what Jesus has commanded them – to preach the gospel. Jesus had left them with the power of the Spirit and He was giving them the boldness and the courage to carry out the task. The opposition, however, were just as determined to stop the spread of this outrageous good news, and so, they put the apostles in prison. Imagine the confused looks the following morning when they heard that these same men were preaching once again in the temple. The situation was so perplexing that they didn’t even ask Peter how they got out! In fact, the council seemed more upset that their orders to stop preaching had been ignored. Peter’s boldness didn’t waver as he told them that his obedience was to God and not to men.

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. Acts 5:42

There are many today who, like the apostles, are still arrested and beaten for boldly standing up for their faith in Jesus and for declaring the good news of the gospel. They are all a witness to us of the courage and strength required to live a life of unwavering faith in the face of opposition.

Do we have this kind of perseverance in our own walk of faith? Have we committed to listening only to the voice of God and following His will? These are challenging questions, and the type of perseverance required will differ for each of us, but we can all be assured that when things look bleak, God is always at work.

The apostles love for the Lord was seen in the uncompromising way that their faith was worked out on a daily basis, for they did not cease to do what Jesus asked of them. Let us, with courage, love with the same uncompromising determination every single day.

Father in heaven, help us to develop a resilient faith so that we would stand strong and firm, whatever comes our way, and help us to never miss an opportunity to witness for you. Amen.