Good day dear friends.
Are people made Christians by social conditioning? Or is it a myth?
Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: In Acts 8:26-39, we find yet another conversion of sorts. Read this interesting story and see how it speaks to your heart and soul. Again, a man who was “conditioned” to live his life in a certain way yet he is converted to Jesus Christ. Notice his response after he affirms Jesus as Lord.
Here is the passage from Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian {[27] That is, from the upper Nile region}eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." {[33] Isaiah 53:7,8} 34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 37 {[36] Some late manuscripts baptized?" [37] Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." The eunuch answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."} 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
This Ethiopian eunuch had been told about the scriptures by someone. He knew and loved them to be reading them while traveling. What he read he did not completely understand, but read them as a way of being in relationship with God. He did not yet know there was a fullness to the relationship that comes through Christ Jesus. It was for that reason that an angel sent Philip to walk alongside the chariot. It is interesting that the official is on a desert road heading south. Philip uses that reading as an opportunity to share Jesus. The good news included the message of baptism to which this Ethiopian responded that he wanted to be baptized. This conversion took him from a shallow relationship with God to the fullness of one in Jesus. The official went from being confused about scripture to knowing fully and being joyful about what had happened in his life.
The invitation to be in this fullness relationship is still ours for the asking.
PRAYER: Come, God of life, and make my life full in Jesus Christ. Open my mind to a deeper understanding of what you offer to us. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
