Day #29

Review

God's Word gives us strength to face the challenges of each new day. If you have a trial you are facing in your life, there may be something in your quiet time today that will give you some guidance.

Read

Let God fill your cup as you read Acts 21-24.

Reflect

"Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name" (Acts 22:16). The three key phrases in this verse are stated as taking place simultaneously. In other words, when we are baptized, our sins are washed away and we are calling on His name. Our sins are cleansed at the point in time when we are immersed into Christ. Our baptism also calls on Jesus' name to be our own, much like a wife calls on the name of her husband when they are married. Acts 2:21 says, "AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Some think that means you have to call out, "Hey, Lord!" to be saved. No, we call on the name of the Lord when we are united with Him in baptism. When Peter's listeners wanted to know what to do to be right with God later on in this same chapter, Peter told them to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Did Peter contradict what he told them in verse 21? No, being baptized and calling on His name is one in the same thing.

Felix seemed to enjoy studying with Paul until Paul started teaching him about "righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come" (Acts 24:25). At that point the Bible says, "Felix became frightened." What was he afraid of? Why did he ask Paul to leave? Write down what you have learned from Felix's example. Explain the similarity with how people respond to the gospel today.