Acts Chapter 24: Verses 14-16 (NIV)
However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
Paul was always very clear that he was not discrediting the law and the prophets, which he had studied as a young man. He often used the scriptures as the Jews knew them, to point to the reason that Jesus was the Messiah. He was always very respectful and didn’t go out of his way to stir up trouble. It was his opponents who did that. He taught the way of Jesus in accordance to the law, because it was the law of God. It was more important to keep his conscience clear before God, rather than worry about how men were interpreting his actions. After all, as he explained, he had the same hope in God that the other Jewish leaders had.
Even today, we may come across others who worship God differently to the way that we do. They may do their outreach different to what we may be used to, but we don’t need to be anxious about what they are doing, as long as we share the same hope, faith and message of Jesus. The only thing we need to be concerned about for ourselves is that, like Paul, our conscience is clear before God. We don’t need to make a great fuss about our differences, but we do need to celebrate the truth of the Good News and the way to be in fellowship with God. At the end of the day, that’s what counts.
Dear Lord,
Help me to learn from the wisdom and experience of Paul. Keep my heart directed to following You, and my conscience clear before You, rather than looking to see how everyone else is doing. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.