They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
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The thing that struck me about this passage was the word devoted. We quite often use the phrase love and devotion. To me devotion here is all about intense love for what they were doing.
The dictionary definition of devotion states a strong attachment to or affection for, marked by dedicated loyalty. It also describes it as religious zeal.
I dont know about you but I dont use the word zeal very often.
Zeal in the dictionary describes fervent or enthusiastic devotion, often extreme in nature.
This is powerful stuff.
The Greek word is proskartereo which means constant, continuous, to give ones self continually or wait on continually. To be steadfastly attentive, or to give unremitting care to something.
To me the whole essence is one of total and utter dedication without care for ones self. Giving all you have, your time, your goods, sharing together everything for the good of all.
Acts 2, 44-47 confirms all of this.
When I think about it, I realize how far I have to go in my Christian life to emulate the actions of these early believers.
What is there in scripture as way of further guidance?
One thing these people had in abundance was love for one another.
I am drawn time and again to one of the most well known passages in the Bible from
1 Corinthians, 13 on love. In it the message is firmly spelt out, that all good deeds and
actions, prophecies, tongues, knowledge, faith are all utterly worthless without love.
It finishes in verse 13; "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love".
In Galatians 5 13 we are told; "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love".
It follows in verse 14; "The entire law is summed up in a single command, Love your neighbour as yourself."
In Galatians 6 10 we read, "let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers".
Jesus himself when asked about the Greatest Commandment replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
These instructions are of paramount importance and must be obeyed to get close to the way the early believers lived and indeed as Jesus wants us to live. We must cast out the sinful nature and live in tune with God. This is all about our determination to honour Jesus
as Lord and grow more like Him as we forget about our own selfish desires.
For most of us, I dont think this can happen overnight. We must be prayerful and hold on to Gods promises. In this the Holy Sprit will guide and encourage us.
We must be steadfast because the devil will try and trip us up at our weakest point.
One thing is certain, if we have the desire, Jesus will honour and bless us as He so longs to do. The Apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The thing that struck me about this passage was the word devoted. We quite often use the phrase love and devotion. To me devotion here is all about intense love for what they were doing.
The dictionary definition of devotion states a strong attachment to or affection for, marked by dedicated loyalty. It also describes it as religious zeal.
I dont know about you but I dont use the word zeal very often.
Zeal in the dictionary describes fervent or enthusiastic devotion, often extreme in nature.
This is powerful stuff.
The Greek word is proskartereo which means constant, continuous, to give ones self continually or wait on continually. To be steadfastly attentive, or to give unremitting care to something.
To me the whole essence is one of total and utter dedication without care for ones self. Giving all you have, your time, your goods, sharing together everything for the good of all.
Acts 2, 44-47 confirms all of this.
When I think about it, I realize how far I have to go in my Christian life to emulate the actions of these early believers.
What is there in scripture as way of further guidance?
One thing these people had in abundance was love for one another.
I am drawn time and again to one of the most well known passages in the Bible from
1 Corinthians, 13 on love. In it the message is firmly spelt out, that all good deeds and
actions, prophecies, tongues, knowledge, faith are all utterly worthless without love.
It finishes in verse 13; "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love".
In Galatians 5 13 we are told; "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love".
It follows in verse 14; "The entire law is summed up in a single command, Love your neighbour as yourself."
In Galatians 6 10 we read, "let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers".
Jesus himself when asked about the Greatest Commandment replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
These instructions are of paramount importance and must be obeyed to get close to the way the early believers lived and indeed as Jesus wants us to live. We must cast out the sinful nature and live in tune with God. This is all about our determination to honour Jesus
as Lord and grow more like Him as we forget about our own selfish desires.
For most of us, I dont think this can happen overnight. We must be prayerful and hold on to Gods promises. In this the Holy Sprit will guide and encourage us.
We must be steadfast because the devil will try and trip us up at our weakest point.
One thing is certain, if we have the desire, Jesus will honour and bless us as He so longs to do. The Apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer
