In the sermon the past Sunday, our pastor preached on the conversions of the Ethiopian, Saul, and Cornelius in Acts, chapters 8,9, and 10. In each of those cases, God used a human agent to bring someone to salvation. I noticed that even though God set up the situation, and success was sure, He doesn’t make it easy for Phillip, Ananias, and Peter to go talk to those who would be saved.
Phillip was asked to go out into the desert road without being told what he was suppose to do. “What do you want me to do out there? Well, here comes some rich, upper class Ethiopian passing by. But he has a comfortable life, why would he want to hear the gospel? He won’t listen to me. I’ll just witness to the next guy, someone who has a felt need that I can address, or at least a Jew I can relate to.”
I think Ananias had the toughest job. In this incident, God did tell him who he was suppose to talk to, but maybe it would’ve been better if He didn’t. He was told to go to a notorious murderer. Not just any murderer, but a murderer of Christians who was coming to town to capture people like him. “You want me to walk into the death chamber?” Notice God said, “Go.” He did not say, “Go, and I will protect you.”
Peter went way out of his comfort zone to talk to the last person he would want to associate with. “I don’t even want to walk on the same side of the road with a Roman soldier, and you want me to go inside his house?”
Acting in faith requires that there be some uncertainty. When God asks us to do something difficult that takes us out of our comfort zone, not knowing what the results would be, it stretches us to put our faith into practice. Do I believe in the sovereignty of God, that he is in control? Do I believe in the love of God, that he is controlling this for my good? Do I believe in the wisdom of God, that He knows what He is doing? How I answer those questions determine how I will respond to a challenge.
In the three incidences above in Acts, when we see the final results after Phillip, Ananias, and Peter acted in obedience, we see that God did not fail. Throughout the Bible, He tells us that we can trust Him.
I always complain why the Christian life couldn’t be easier. Couldn’t God have made it easier for Phillip, Ananias and Peter? Sure, He could have. But God is not an easy teacher that gives us the answers to the quizzes. We have to work for it. Then we will see Him as He is – sovereign, loving, and wise.