We are continuing to look at reasons that the early church seemed to have more power and authority than the church in America. After Peter and John had been returned from their imprisonment for preaching the gospel, the people prayed in part in Acts 4:28: "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." The early church understood Divine Sovereignty. To the contrary today, many emphasize man and what the gospel can do for him. Salvation is about the power and glory of God in that the Father determined before the foundation of the world that Jesus Christ would die for the sins of His people. If you are redeemed today, the process began before you were born and became effective when you gave your life to God and were redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ. It is best to give God all the glory for your salvation and take none for yourself.
Philip Doddridge commented: "But it is our unspeakable comfort to think, that by their utmost rage they cannot break in upon thy schemes, or prevent the efficacy of any of thy purposes; for we know that, in the midst of all this impious fury they have shown against thy Son, they have only been able to do what thine hand had pointed out before, and what thy unerring counsel, to which all future events are obvious, had before determined that, for wise reasons, thou wouldst permit to be done." We can have great boldness to speak the Word and live the Word when we know that God's Sovereignty controls the future and not the power of our works. This knowledge, in part, enabled the early church to be fearless. We need that same fearlessness.
Today, consider the events of your life. See them in light of God's Sovereignty. He was walking with you before you knew it; but He was still there guiding you to where you are today. Know that that same Sovereignty will take you through today. Be bold for the gospel; you have nothing to fear because God is still in control!
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