When God shows up, there always seem to be two responses. There is the response of faith, belief and trust. This is the response of those who looked for Jesus and found their miracle. There also seems to be the response of accusations, distrust, and religious positioning. This is the response of those who wanted to defend their religious comfort zones at the expense of an encounter with Jesus. This is the response who valued their religious position and control over people more than a life changing experience with the God they spoke about.
Jesus always had the hungry and the Pharisees following him. He always had the seeker as well as the accuser. Those who have had a real encounter with Jesus should expect the same. When the Holy Spirit showed up, there were two responses. “(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” ” (Acts 2:11–13, NIV84) The first group was amazed and began to wonder and seek what God was doing. The second group felt this experience was too undignified to be God. The experience did not fit their religious understanding so they condemned the move of God and accused those who had received from God.
Peter and John healed a man (Acts 3). There were two responses. Some were hungry to know and experience the reality of God’s love for themselves. The religious leaders however were threatened because this reality was beyond their experience. They tried to stop the move of God. “They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. ” (Acts 4:3, NIV84)
The apostles preached, healed the sick, cast our demons and demonstrated the power of God. “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.” (Acts 5:12, NIV84) The hungry listened and believed. They experienced the intimate reality of God for themselves. The religious leaders were jealous and spoke out against the move of God. They tried again to stop the move of God. “Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. ” (Acts 5:17–18, NIV84)
This pattern continues. The reason is simple.
An experience with God tells us that God is truly real and is truly involved in our lives. When we truly believe that, we realize also the awesome holiness of God. In that realization, we learn that our lives can no longer be lived for ourselves and our agendas. We realize that our lives must be lived for the glory of God. We realize that our lives becomes tools to proclaim the love of God. We realize that as we surrender to God, our lives become the message of God’s love. Our lives are no longer ours, but God’s. A life changing encounter with God is all it takes to transform every one into a messenger and a witness of the Gospel. We then become a people who, “”Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.” At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. ” (Acts 5:20–21, NIV84)
The religious spirit will condemn the move because they have not experienced it. They will condemn the move of God because it is beyond their understanding. They will condemn the move of God because it appears undignified. They will condemn the move of God because to embrace it would require their own repentance. To embrace the move of God would mean to admit they have a lack in their religious traditions. The religious spirit will become jealous of those who experience God. That jealousy will fuel accusations and a passion to speak and destroy those who are seeking to experience God.
What is your response when you see God doing something new? Your decision will either be the one of the seeker or the one of the Pharisee. The outcome of your decision will lead you to either repent and grow in your surrender to God or you will condemn and speak against those who receive. A good test of where you stand (Pharisee or God-seeker) lies in the words of your mouth. Do you condemn other Christians who have placed faith in Jesus? Do you speak against their experiences with God that you have not had?
What would happen if those who are taking the time to speak against Christians would instead spend their effort on preaching the Gospel to people who have not yet heard it? The church would grow and we all would learn to love and respect one another.
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