But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29
Peter and the apostles were given strict orders by the religious leaders, stop talking about Jesus or you will be imprisoned or even put to death. For most this would have been an easy decision, keep quiet and save yourself. However the apostles couldn’t keep quiet because they were obeying God and not man
This may seem like a story for the distant past, but as Christians today we often face the same circumstances. Think about if you just started talking about Jesus on a crowded public street, what reaction would you receive? In todays politically correct world, talking about Jesus is forbidden. How dare we offend the Atheists and the Muslim, and the Hindu, and the Buddhist
Most workplaces and schools today don’t welcome the gospel of Jesus Christ either. If you started preaching to your co-workers, what reaction would you get? Most of them would probably avoid you or maybe you would even be fired
So who are you truly obeying, God or society? We need to understand this current world we live in is temporary, and our higher calling is to call people to be saved through Jesus Christ. This mindset wont make you popular or rich, however what does it profit you to gain the whole world and to lose your soul?
Peter and the apostles understood this and faced imprisonment, persecution, and even death. However today they are at home with the Lord because they obeyed God in Jesus Name Amen!