Blessed Assurance

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Opening Prayer

Father, I want to make my days and years count and advance Your Kingdom here on earth.

Read Acts 22:30-23:11

^[30] The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. ^[1] Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” ^[2] At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. ^[3] Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” ^[4] Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!” ^[5] Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'” ^[6] Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” ^[7] When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ^[8] (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) ^[9] There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ^[10] The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. ^[11] The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Meditate

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood” (Fanny Crosby, 1820-1915). Like Paul (11), we need to remember this truth!

Think Further

A popular blues song from the 1990s included this refrain: “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all” (“Born Under A Bad Sign,” William Bell). I wonder if the apostle Paul ever felt that way. It’s natural to assume that if we’ve decided to follow Jesus, and are serving him in ministry, our way will be smooth. But that wasn’t Paul’s experience and it probably won’t be ours either. Paul understood that his struggles had nothing to do with “bad luck.” As he later wrote to his dear friends back in Ephesus, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12).

That’s the deeper reality in his heated exchange with the high priest Ananias, whom history reveals as a corrupt religious leader. Some commentators criticize Paul for his angry sarcasm here, especially since Jesus responded so calmly in a similar situation. But there’s a time for righteous indignation and this was it. In any case, Paul had the presence of mind to lob a theological hot potato into the discussion, thereby turning the attackers away from him towards each other.

We’re left with the question: how did Paul keep going through all of his troubles? The answer comes at the very end of the passage: “the Lord stood near Paul” to renew his courage and affirm his mission (11). Without that, he surely would have been overwhelmed. God might not intervene in quite the same way when we face ministry struggles today. It’s more likely he’ll encourage us through Scripture, prayer, a word from a Christian friend or even a timely experience. The point is, ministry involves struggle, so we must look to God for assurance and guidance every step of the way.

Apply

What is the biggest ministry struggle you face? How could you look to God for assurance and guidance today?

Closing prayer

Mighty God, today I look for guidance and strength. I embrace the courage that You give to me.

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