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04 Acts 13 49-52 The spread of the Gospel 01 Acts 13 49 The work of the Gospel
📖 Acts 13:49-52
01 – Tue, 16 Sep 2025 – *The work of the Gospel*- _Acts 13:49-52_ – THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL – _I Thessalonians 01:06-08_
_Acts 13:49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region._
As many as had been appointed to eternal life believed, and a wave of transformation followed. The word of the Lord spread throughout the region.
People will receive the Gospel because they see that it changes the lives of those who have received it. This change is genuine, consistent, and does not retract under any amount of pressure to return to the old way of life.
The Gospel impacts the lives of those who receive it in such a powerful way that their lives become an epistle read by everyone. _II Corinthians 3:2-3 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; (3) clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart._
This work of transformation of the Gospel is the work of the Holy Spirit. _II Corinthians 3:7-8 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, (8) *how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?*_
The ministry of the Spirit of God will be visible and known to everyone around that something extraordinary has happened with this person who has received the Gospel. For those who still live by the law of the Old Testament, a veil lies over their face. When people turn to Christ, that veil is lifted, and the glory of the Lord begins to shine in and through them.
_II Corinthians 3:14-16 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. (15) But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. (16) *Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.*_
What happens when we turn to Christ? _II Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord._
The new believers in Antioch, Pisidia, had come to Christ. *Coming to Christ was a homecoming into the habitation of Christ. He was their fullness.* He was their Husband. They were complete in Him.
We live in a multi-tasking, compartmentalised, transactional world. At best, we do not mind including our relationship with Christ as a segment in our busy schedules, but to surrender to Christ completely is too big an ask for us. Our reasoning does not allow us to take that leap of faith.
Many do invite Jesus into their lives, but since they are still segmented in their life journey, they do not experience the glow of Jesus in them. Praise God for the new believers in Antioch, Pisidia. They had obviously given their lives over to Christ completely. There was a visible difference in their lives, which was impacting others, and the Gospel spread throughout the region.
What was the change that was happening in them?
The ‘self’ or the old nature in them was being crucified with Christ, and the life of Christ was being manifested in them. _II Corinthians 4:10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body._
The reason Jesus went to the cross was that we should no longer live for ourselves. _II Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again._
The ‘self’ is what causes us to rebel against God. This root cause is set right when we come to Christ and receive Him by faith. *The shackle of the self in us is broken, and we are now able to live a life of the Spirit of God.* _Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death._
This new law of the Spirit of God enables us to live out the life of Christ in our mortal flesh. _Romans 8:10-11 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you._
A powerful transformation was taking place in the lives of the new believers. The Gospel was having its full effect on them. _Romans 6:3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life._
```Death, burial and resurrection with Jesus Christ were taking place, and people in the whole region were turning to Christ. Let us pray that this turnaround would happen again and again in our times.```