27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
03 Acts 09 32-43 THE MINISTRY OF PETER 06 Acts 09 33-35 True conversion
📖 Acts 09:32-43
06 – Mon03Jun2024 – *True conversion* - _Acts 09:32-43_ – THE MINISTRY OF PETER – Mark 01:14-15_
_Acts 9:33-34 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. (34) And Peter said to him, *"Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed."* Then he arose immediately._
Aeneas arose immediately. This was what happened as soon as Peter told Aeneas, *"Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed."* Aeneas responded. This required great faith on the part of Aeneas that he should have responded the way he did. He could have hesitated but it seems as though he was ready and prepared to hear and obey the words of Peter.
Peter was familiar with living by the Truth, though the facts around him were contrary. His life was a constant faith equation on Jesus the Christ. Nothing else mattered to Peter. He lived from Truth to Truth in all situations. This is where all of us need to be as the church.
We remember how Peter once began with Truth but then slipped into the realm of fact. _Matthew 14:28-33 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." (29) So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. (30) But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" (31) And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (32) And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. (33) Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."_
Peter saw the fact of the wind and it was boisterous. Peter was afraid, for facts took over, and his eyes shifted from Truth to fact. Friends, how often this has happened with each of us? We have now accepted this as the norm and we live only based on facts. If God can somehow hold our heads above the waters, we are thankful, but walking on the water is not for us.
It is a life of faith or living on the basis of Truth that makes us be in a love relationship with Jesus. _Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him._
Every time we live by facts and not by Truth, we cause sadness to the heart of Jesus for He longs to embrace us and shower His goodness on us. *Will we ask Him, this very moment, to make us those who live by Truth and not by fact?*
Aeneas too had to now live by Truth and not by fact for him to arise immediately at Peter’s instruction. The miracle of faith was birthed in the heart of Aeneas. Aeneas held on to the faith of Peter and he arose. This is what we do to each other in the body of Christ. *Our faith in Jesus becomes the bridge, a stepping stone, and a helping hand, for others to cross over, climb on, and hold on to, to live by Truth.*
This is what cements relationships in the church. Therefore, whether we are conscious of this principle or not, we are constantly impacting each other in the body of Christ. *We can now understand how terribly we affect others in the fellowship when we are not living by Truth, especially those of us known as the elders in the church.*
Aeneas’s life was completely changed at that very moment. He not only arose and made his bed. He was now a man who had experienced Truth over fact. His life must have become infectious for the next verse says, _Acts 9:35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord._
People in this region saw Aeneas and they turned to Jesus and believed in Him. This is how powerful each of our lives will be as we live by Truth and not by fact. The verse says that people turned to the Lord. This is a very powerful way to explain conversion.
Conversion is turning our gaze on Truth, on Jesus. We have been facing another direction and that direction was fact. We must realise what is fact to me, may not be fact to you. Each of us is holding on to or gazing at our own facts. *Conversion is to reject our facts, whatever it may be very deliberately, repent that we had been living our lives based on our facts, turn, and now fix our eyes on Jesus.*
Many of us call ourselves believers in Christ. I dare ask this question. *Are you converted? Have you stopped focusing on your facts and turned to now look at Jesus, the Truth?* This is scary because many of us are still gazing at fact though outwardly we claim belief in Jesus. God sees the heart and He knows that our eyes are not on Him.
In His presence, we are exposed. _I Corinthians 3:13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is._
```May we live from Truth to Truth.```