Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ⁷  who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence.  This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

 ⁸  But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

 ⁹  But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,

 ¹⁰  and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

 ¹¹  “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

 ¹²  Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.”  Acts 13:4-12.

—————————— 

The miracle (of the mist of darkness coming upon Elymas the magician) helped the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, to believe.  But, what was most amazing was “the teaching of the Lord”.

It is interesting to compare what the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, encountered:  magic, miracle, and ministry.  But, what was most amazing was the ministry, “the teaching of the Lord”.

Sergius Paulus, encountered:  cult of darkness, cause of darkness, and “called out of darkness” (1 Peter 2:9).  But, what was most amazing was being called out of darkness, “the teaching of the Lord”.

Sergius Paulus, encountered:  Elymas (the magician), who was later enveloped in darkness, and election.  But, what was most amazing was election, “the teaching of the Lord”.

We tend to minimize the amazement that the Gentiles must have felt by the “teaching of the Lord” that they now were being included in salvation.  For what must have seemed like forever, only the Jews, the chosen people, were God’s people included in salvation.  “remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”  Ephesians 2:12-13. 

The Scripture for yesterday’s devotion is also appropriate for today’s devotion.  “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”  1 Peter 2:9-10. 

Are we, like the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, amazed at “the teaching of the Lord”?

Or, do we somehow think we deserve salvation maybe by our works, our general goodness, our niceness, or our exercise of what we think is our free-will acceptance of Christ?

What is most amazing is that according to Acts 10:45 “the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also”. 

What is most amazing is that according to Romans 5:5 “while we were enemies (of God) we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son”.  

What is most amazing is that “even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  Ephesians 2:5-7.