THEM THAT BELIEVED Acts 4:32 - 5:11

As we read the accounts of the beginning and establishment of this new society in Christ, we find a phrase which reveals the characteristics of the first generation Christians. The phrase is, �And the multitude of them that believed� (Acts 4:32) This multitude, by this time, had grown to over 8000 and are now given a new name, �believers�. This means that they must have believed something to be a part of this new society which God, through His Holy Spirit, brought into existance. It had already been established that these early Christians believed three things which centered in the person of Jesus Christ. They believed His divine Messiahship. They believed He was crucified for sin. They believed His resurrection from the dead. These three things constituted the basis of faith demanded of believers in order to be included in this new society. These constitute the central truth of Christian faith. Any deviation from these three things changes the true and real nature of Christianity. As we study the history and growth of the early church we find the true nature of Christianity changing and that Jesus Christ is gradually substituted for an ecclesiastical structure and the true essence of Christianity changed. It becomes faith in an institution, tradition, ritual instead of faith in Jesus Christ. One of the things that characterized the infant church was its solidarity and unanimity. The Scripture says they were, �of one heart and one soul� (verse 32). They shared their possessions, �neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.� We are not talking communism here, but true communalism. The principle was a coming together to meet an existing need. A need that arose because of the threat Christianity posed to Judaism. Therefore, to demonstrate the love of God, the disciple pooled their resources to meet the need. Luke presents to examples that occured at that time. GIVING YOUR ALL Joses, renamed Barnabas. Here was a Cypriot Jew who sold all he had to and presented it to the Apostles for distribution. This was a man who believed in committing totally to the Lord, he gave his all. Aninias and Saphira. Here were two who, by their own choice, held back. Honesty was called for and they chose to lie to God. Like so many today who hold back on God and fail to give their all. Who do we trust, ourselves and our ability or God? Deception and worldly thinking began its ugly entrance in what would be called the church. The early believers centered their faith in the Person of Jesus Christ rather than the institution of the church as we know it today. Over the years, subtle changes have taken place. The church became a substitute for Christ. Religion became a substitute for redemption, and Ritual for fellowship with God. This new society of believers became to focus of persecution because they embraced the person and name of Jesus Christ, the resurrected Messiah. The �Church� continued to develop in spite of or, because of persecution until the time of Constantine. We find that Roman state religion was mechanical and external. It had its altars, idols, priests, processionals, rites and practices that the people could see. The Christians had no idols, and little visible items of worship. Their worship was spiritual and internal.(�they that worship God must worship Him in spirit and truth.�). The purity of their lives was a silent rebuke to the scandalous lives that people of the upper class were leading. The Christians nonconformity to existing social patterns led the non-believers to believe that they were a danger to society. Christians were punished by loss of property, exile, imprisonment, or execution by the sword or wild beasts. By 311 A.D. an attitude of toleration for Christianity prevailed provided the Christians did not violate the peace of the empire. By 313, Constantine and the Edict of Milan brought freedom of worship. The changes came to the church when Constantine embraced Christianity and made it the state religion. Everybody had to accept the Christian faith under penalty of punishment. This established a church/state relationship which amounted to a religious relationship to the church rather than a personal relationship with Christ. It was assumed, as in many cases today, in this kind of church relationship that if one subscribes to and is submissive to the church and observes its orders, sacraments, and rituals that salvation is an accomplished fact. (When asked today of many, �Are you a Christian?� a typical reply might be, I used to go to church or yes, I joined the church.) This idea of church relationship poses a vital question. Which church saves? The organized, visible church is divided into many communions but Christ is ONE. There are many groups who say they are the only way and the only true church. Which one will you attach to to be sure of salvation? The belief is in or out of these various categories you are either saved or lost, Christian or non-Christian. These ecclesiastical categories are not God�s categories, they are man�s. Christianity is not a package labelled Catholic or Protestant or any other. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. (Jo.14:6, �I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me,� Jesus said.) The church today is not even a reasonable facsimile of the church found in the book of the Acts - because of substitution of institution for Christ. There are no additions to it from paganisn and no carry-overs from Judaism. It is not Christ and a thousand other things churchmen have invented. It is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and His completed work on Calvary and His resurrection from the dead. What about you? Have you been born again from above? Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour? Only Christ and His life in us can make a difference. Jesus said He came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly. This life is not bound in ecclesiastical legislation but if the Son make you free, you are free indeed. Gal. 5:1, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Back|Home