Title: Faith That God Responds to
Contents
Acts (33) Faith that God responds to (Acts 5:12-16)
<Integrity is more important than excellence>
The sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira shows that ‘purity’ is far more important than ‘excellence’. In the early church, to become a member, you had to risk your life. So, without being filled with the Holy Spirit, it was impossible to become a member of the church. On the other hand, these days, I think of being a member of the church as a 'profitable thing' rather than a 'risking one's life'. So, as the number of calculating members like Ananias and Sapphira increases, the Korean church is gradually losing its power. But being a church member is a solemn thing. Event-based events such as a feast for inviting new believers do far more harm than good in the long run. The Lord wants disciples, not crowds.
Many signs were revealed through the apostles, and as the Lord's disciples dared to openly expose themselves to the public place of Solomon's tent, the number of believers increased (verses 12-14). Some even carried a sick person into the streets and laid them on beds and mattresses, hoping that their shadow would be covered as Peter passed by (verse 15). Such an attitude itself is superstitious. God hates superstitious attitudes. The Lord said that the adulterous generation seeks a sign (Matthew 12:39; 16:4). Still, the work of healing appeared (verse 16).
Why did the history of healing appear? Because the method itself had a superstitious attitude, but in the heart itself there was a pure faith without calculation. Also, in the early church, “visible miracles” were especially needed. This is because the first church in history could be established only if there was a strong sign following the truth. However, if we pursue miracles with a calculated mind while thinking of the miracles in the text as a general and universal principle, such miracles do not occur, but rather we receive the wrath of God. Because God is never pleased with the idolatrous attitude of looking at anything other than God.
< Faith that God responds to >
Today, many people ignore the 'holy and pure life' and only want 'signs and healing itself'. In such a calculated, misguided situation, there is no ‘healing of God’, but rather, ‘healing of Satan’. In the last days, Satan uses a lot of attack methods to distract from the essence and priority of faith through ‘signs’.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 says this: “The coming of the evil one, according to the works of Satan, will come on those who are perishing with all powers and signs and false miracles and all deceitfulness of unrighteousness, for they have not received the love of the truth, and are not to be saved. He caused temptation to work in them to believe a lie, so that all who do not believe the truth and have delight in iniquity may be condemned.”
The Apostle Paul, speaking of the end times, warns us to beware of “the miracles of Satan.” And pursuing the wrong sign while using ‘Lord’ and ‘Lord’s name’ only as tools is ultimately not believing in the truth and liking injustice, and such a person is severely judged. Now, do not be deceived by the miracles Satan gives you. To be envious of signs and to be swept away by signs-centered faith is to betray the Lord and follow Satan.
True faith comes with signs, but signs should not be the main source of faith. In fact, sincere faith in the Lord makes us not cling to signs. Do not sell your soul to the splendor of the sign, and seek only the Lord purely. And then leave it to God in prayer. Then God will respond to that pure faith in the best way possible. God does not respond to calculated faith, but only to pure faith.