There is a lot of talk about living like a Christian, walking the walk, being an example, etc. But what does it really look like to live that out? What did it look like in the Bible and what does it look like today to truly live a Christian life? This is a topic that could go on and on, but I want to look at just 5 verses that give us a good example of how to live like Christians.
In Acts 18:24-28, we are introduced to Apollos as an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures, and having been instructed in the way of the Lord. He is also described as being fervent in spirit and teaching accurately of the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. One day while speaking boldly in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila heard him and then took him aside to explain the way of God more accurately. Later on, when Apollos wanted to go to Achaia he was encouraged by his friends and they wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. Once he arrived in Achaia he helped the believers there and showed by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.
We quickly see that Apollos is a good speaker, likely well-liked and well-respected in Ephesus. We also see that he is knowledgeable of the Bible, but that even with his knowledge, he didn't have everything ironed out perfectly. How many of us are like that? We have read the Bible, heard the sermons, seen the Bible stories, and we know a lot about the Scriptures, but there are still some things we don't quite understand, some things that we aren't able to explain fully? This is why we need the church and fellow believers. We need to surround ourselves with people like Priscilla and Aquila who can help correct us when we're wrong and help us to understand more fully the things of God.
Which leads to the next point - how often in today's society do we correct someone's wrong the way Priscilla and Aquila did? They did so privately and in a loving encouraging manner. In today's world, if you make a mistake or commit a wrong, it is plastered all over TV, radio, and social media sometimes before you even realize the mistake. Priscilla and Aquila demonstrated the right way to correct a wrong, patiently, privately, and lovingly. They could have cut Apollos mid-sentence in the middle of his teaching but knew that was not the proper way to handle the error. This is often an area of weakness for me and is one that I personally need to focus on in the days ahead. I think we could all stand to be a little slower to speak, and be more kind in our criticism, no matter how "constructive" we may believe it to be.
Then v27 is so encouraging. We've seen Apollos' mistake and have read how he was corrected and learned about Christ's baptism. In the early church, when a teacher wanted to travel to another church, a letter of recommendation was often used to protect the church from false teachers. False teachers were rampant in the early church and would take advantage of new churches so these letters were much needed. But the amazing part is the grace the people of Ephesus showed Apollos, letting go of his past mistakes and even encouraging him and helping him to continue in the work God had called him to. Who in your life can you extend that grace to today? Who has wronged you, hurt you, messed up, or whatever else that you haven't let go of yet that you can say: You know what, the past is the past and we need to move forward. And don't stop at merely forgiving them, offer an encouraging word to them today.
Living a Christian life in a sin filled word is hard. We all make mistakes and fall short of God's perfect standard. But if we will extend patience and grace to others, I believe that we will begin to see more patience and grace extended to us as well.
In Acts 18:24-28, we are introduced to Apollos as an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures, and having been instructed in the way of the Lord. He is also described as being fervent in spirit and teaching accurately of the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. One day while speaking boldly in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila heard him and then took him aside to explain the way of God more accurately. Later on, when Apollos wanted to go to Achaia he was encouraged by his friends and they wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. Once he arrived in Achaia he helped the believers there and showed by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.
We quickly see that Apollos is a good speaker, likely well-liked and well-respected in Ephesus. We also see that he is knowledgeable of the Bible, but that even with his knowledge, he didn't have everything ironed out perfectly. How many of us are like that? We have read the Bible, heard the sermons, seen the Bible stories, and we know a lot about the Scriptures, but there are still some things we don't quite understand, some things that we aren't able to explain fully? This is why we need the church and fellow believers. We need to surround ourselves with people like Priscilla and Aquila who can help correct us when we're wrong and help us to understand more fully the things of God.
Which leads to the next point - how often in today's society do we correct someone's wrong the way Priscilla and Aquila did? They did so privately and in a loving encouraging manner. In today's world, if you make a mistake or commit a wrong, it is plastered all over TV, radio, and social media sometimes before you even realize the mistake. Priscilla and Aquila demonstrated the right way to correct a wrong, patiently, privately, and lovingly. They could have cut Apollos mid-sentence in the middle of his teaching but knew that was not the proper way to handle the error. This is often an area of weakness for me and is one that I personally need to focus on in the days ahead. I think we could all stand to be a little slower to speak, and be more kind in our criticism, no matter how "constructive" we may believe it to be.
Then v27 is so encouraging. We've seen Apollos' mistake and have read how he was corrected and learned about Christ's baptism. In the early church, when a teacher wanted to travel to another church, a letter of recommendation was often used to protect the church from false teachers. False teachers were rampant in the early church and would take advantage of new churches so these letters were much needed. But the amazing part is the grace the people of Ephesus showed Apollos, letting go of his past mistakes and even encouraging him and helping him to continue in the work God had called him to. Who in your life can you extend that grace to today? Who has wronged you, hurt you, messed up, or whatever else that you haven't let go of yet that you can say: You know what, the past is the past and we need to move forward. And don't stop at merely forgiving them, offer an encouraging word to them today.
Living a Christian life in a sin filled word is hard. We all make mistakes and fall short of God's perfect standard. But if we will extend patience and grace to others, I believe that we will begin to see more patience and grace extended to us as well.
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