Tuesday, March 1 – Acts 4:14

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

After experiencing something remarkable, it can be hard to formulate a response. This was the situation for the Council in this verse. They had heard of a marvelous miracle, they heard the gospel presented clearly, and they recognized that none of this could be from the men that were standing in front of them because they were not equipped for such tasks. In this remarkable moment, they had an opportunity to respond to the gospel they have heard so clearly and repent, ask more questions, or glorify God for using these men for such a miracle. Instead, they saw what happened and said nothing.

It would be easy to point out the failure in the response of these men, but often we share their same problem. We listen to the lesson in a small group, the application to the sermon, or read Scripture that is meant to be applied to our lives and it falls on deaf ears. We may easily think about who else might benefit from such a lesson, but we do not want to accept the matter of conviction ourselves. We have nothing in reply. It is one thing to be in awe of God, too amazed by Him to formulate words. But it is another to be so convinced we know the right path that not even the clearest work of God can change our minds. Ezekiel 36:26 says, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” As a follower of Jesus, your heart is now soft to conviction, correction, and repentance. This is a part of your new nature that you should not ignore, lest you become like these men who were so set on keeping the law of God they missed God Himself.

• When was the last time you were convicted by a sermon, Scripture passage, or Bible study lesson? How did you respond?
• Why is a heart that is soft to repentance so important?
• Pray and be honest with God about the areas where you struggle to see conviction or repentance in your life. Ask Him to refine you and use repentance to bring you closer to Him.