CHRISTIANS MUST BE LOYAL TO GOD

Acts 4:18-20 And they (members of the Sanhedrin) called them (Peter and John), and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye, for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

The five verses proceeding the lesson text tell us a number of things that lead up to the teaching it contains. Since Peter and John were not educated in the Jewish Rabbinical schools of religion, the members of the Sanhedrin were amazed. They marveled at their scriptural knowledge and the boldness, confidence, and authoritative power with which they spoke of Jesus as the Christ - the long-awaited Messiah, being fully aware that they had been with Jesus (Vs. 13). Not only did they speak with authority, but Verse 14 also tells us that the man that was once impotent - the man which was healed (now) standing with them, was undeniable evidence that the power demonstrated by Peter and John to perform a miracle and the message that they taught, came with God's blessing and by His inspiration.

Having no wrongdoing on which to convict Peter and John, the members of the Sanhedrin had them taken away from their presence in order to freely confer among themselves and find a solution to the "unfavorable" influence they were having among the Jewish people (Vs. 15). When they were removed, this question needed to be answered by the council: What shall we do to these men? Certainly they could not punish them for the notable miracle, which had been performed in their presence. Why? Because it was a good deed, and it was too well known to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it (Vs. 16). From their deliberations they concluded that there was no other way they must stop the preaching of Jesus as the Messiah, except by threatening Peter and John (Vs. 17).

Therefore they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. Their threat was in the form of this command, which carries with it severe punishment if violated. The defense of Peter and John was this. First, the impotent man, who was healed in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Acts 3:6) stoodbefore them, and could not be denied. And secondly, their defense was demonstrated by their complete and total loyalty to God. They appealed to a law higher than that legislated by the men of the Sanhedrin. They appealed to the same God that these Jewish legislators claimed to obey and worship. Peter and John appealed to the righteous judgment of God with this defensive plea: Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

From this we learn that whatever we do we should ask ourselves this question: Is it right in the sight of men and women of the world, is it right in the sight of God, or is it right in the sight of both God and mankind? From this we are assured from this scripture that, where there is a disagreement between God and mankind, God is always right. All to often we let our actions to be guided by our desire to please men and women during our lifetime here on earth. We know from this biblical example that the true test of righteous conduct can only be determined by questioning our actions as to whether we are also pleasing in the sight of God. As His chosen apostles, both Peter and John had a personal experience with Jesus Christ. What they had been taught by Him and the Holy Spirit of God was their assurance that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God, and the promised Savior of the world. The message of salvation they preached was not their human thoughts but the will of Jesus Christ, that of the Holy Spirit, and, ultimately, that of God, the Creator of all things, and the Author of eternal salvation, which they taught.

This third truthful answer was the greatest defense they could possibly present to the governing body of the Jewish nation. Like Peter and John, Christians must also be loyal to God. And regardless of the opinion of the world around us, what we all need is that personal experience with Jesus Christ that is available to all mankind through hearing and believing the word of God, repenting and turning away from our sinful past, accepting and confessing Jesus as our personal Savior, being baptized for the remission of our sins, and living a life obedient to the will of God.