Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 40 And when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
It’s becoming more obvious to us that some drastic change must have taken place in Peter, for it seems as if the behavioral pattern of impulsive retaliation when his rights were violated is somehow, nowhere to be found. When folks become truly converted, a marked and decided change is made by God, which puts the former person into stark contrast.
There is no more use of expletives, for conversion also directly affects one’s speech. If you read the Bible from cover to cover, you would never find one single instance where Peter cursed after conversion for there are certain things a person does not do if they are converted. And there is no more denial of Christ in the public or private square, for his conversion includes holy boldness for Christ, to the point where others took knowledge of him, that he must have been with Jesus.
Therefore, unless we become reconciled to the fact that true conversion, creates a radical, 180 degree change in the person, we will continue to buy into a distorted version of what Christ is endeavoring to accomplish in us, and as a direct result, persons will remain in a lukewarm state, if the necessary change in our perspective does not take place.
Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!