Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Acts chapter 25 verses 7 and 8 say that when

Paul had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him,

bring many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.

Paul argued in his defense, neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple

nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.

So I'm reading this and I can't help but to think about Jesus instruction to his disciples in

Matthew 10 when he sends them out he says I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. So Jesus is making clear to his disciples in that text

that it's not going to be easy as they go out as followers of Christ proclaiming

Christ that they're going to be like sheep among wolves.

But he says, when you go, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

So be wise in those situations and be innocent. In the sense be blameless. Don't let

them have things against you, your character, and who you are and how you've lived. And this is

exactly what's happening here in Paul. So the Jews are trying to make charges

against Paul, but they can't prove anything and Paul Paul is saying in his defense, neither against the

law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar, have I committed any offense.

There's an innocence here that is so good and right in light of what Jesus had instructed back in Matthew chapter 10.

So I just want to encourage us based on this text as I'm encouraged in my own heart that

yes we will face challenges as followers of Christ

proclaiming the gospel of Christ in this world but may our character in the

middle of those challenges be blameless. May the character of Christ be evident in us,

the love of Christ, the gentleness of Christ, the wisdom of Christ, the purity of Christ in a way that shines like salt and light in the world

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