The Lord Added To Their
Number
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your
children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to
him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his
message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were
being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things
in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the
proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together
in the temple, they broke break at home and ate their food with glad and
generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And
day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Acts 2:38-47
Christians seem to go through three conversions: First to
Christ, then to the church, and then back to the world. The early disciples
declared their conversion to Christ. They then demonstrated their conversion to
the church by devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and
fellowshipping with other believers. Later, when persecution scattered them,
they preached to the world. Conversion is first of all a commitment to Jesus
Christ as our Lord and Savior. We then want to fellowship with other believers.
Lone-ranger Christians are those who don’t want to get involved, and they tend
either to slip back into their old ways or become smug and self-righteous. We
need to return to the world with compassion, loving deeds, kind words, and warm
smiles. It takes only one conversion to be saved but all three to be what God
wants us to be. The conversion of a soul is a miracle of a moment; the growth
of a saint is the task of a lifetime.
Our Daily Bread –