Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Acts 18:24-28.

 

“²⁴  Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus;  and he was mighty in the Scriptures.

 

 ²⁵  This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John;

 

 ²⁶  and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue.  But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

 

 ²⁷  And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him;  and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace,

 

 ²⁸  for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.”  Acts 18:24-28.

 

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First of all, we believe “through grace“.  We don’t believe through our own wisdom or our own will.

 

We don’t believe through our own wisdom.  “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”  1 Corinthians 1:21.

 

We don’t believe through our own will.  “For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”  Romans 9:15-16.  

 

“THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;”  Romans 9:11. 

 

We receive our faith.  “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:”  2 Peter 1:1

 

1 Corinthians 4:7
“For who regards you as superior?  What do you have that you did not receive?  And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”

 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”  Ephesians 2:8.

 

And so, we see Priscilla and Aquila, new converts, gently taking aside Apollos behind the scenes, to explain to him the way of God more accurately.  And, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him.  There is no boasting here.  There is no arrogance here.  There is no public confrontation here.  There is only humility consistent with the fact that we believe through grace.