Many decisions that ought to be taken are not taken due to one of the following reasons:
1. we try to rationalize the situation assuming that our finite and limited human minds has infinite comprehension and abilities or
2. we think of the consequences of the decision and are paralyzed for fear of life or fear of being ridiculed.

Why are there Christians today? Imagine that if for a moment, all of those who had seen and heard about what Jesus had done, stopped from speaking and teaching about it, what the state of affairs would be today? We would have not heard about the wonderful and redemptive work of Jesus for us all. The Bible possibly would not exist and those who claimed to be Christ followers (Christ Ones or Christians) would probably be just a long lost allegiance, if at all anyone knew about it today.

In today’s text, taken from Acts 4:13-31, we will look at two of the Apostles of Jesus Christ, Peter and John who chose to speak in the name of Jesus NO MATTER WHAT.

As a backdrop to this account, Peter and John heal a man who is lame in the name of Jesus (Act 3:11). They are then imprisoned for teaching about Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 4:1-4), brought before the Sanhendrin, where they preach again in the name and power of Jesus (Acts 4:7,10) and are then threatened to no longer teach or speak to any man in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:17-18). If they had rationalized or thought of the consequences of what the men in temporary power of the Sanhedrin could do to them, they may have succumbed to refraining from speaking and teaching about the God with eternal power. But with their focus on doing what is right in the sight of God and not man (Acts 4:19), they responded “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). In other words, they were saying, we will continue to speak and teach in the name of Jesus, NO MATTER WHAT. Their act of obedience to the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) brought about glory to God (Acts 4:21) and today we know of the work of Jesus Christ because the early followers of Christ, could not stop from speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. Nothing absolutely nothing, no power of man, imprisonment or fear of death could stop these Apostles from keeping to themselves from speaking and teaching about what Jesus had done for all mankind.

Points to ponder:

  1. Are we obedient to the call to speak and teach in the name of Jesus, that which we have heard (from his Word and His people) and seen (experienced)? What is it that we can do to make sure that we do according to what is right in the sight of God and not man?
  2. Can we take the step to speak and teach in the name of Jesus , without rationalizing or thinking of the consequences, NO MATTER WHAT?