Acts 5: If It Is from God

The Jewish leaders had grown weary of the followers of Jesus adding thousands of new converts to their movement after the death of Jesus. Miracles continued to take place. Momentum was building in Jerusalem and beyond to support Jesus as alive again and as the Jewish Messiah. Now the apostles were on trial. Leaders needed to take action.

Then Gamaliel, a wise leader from among the Jewish religious elite, spoke of several past movements that had resulted in nothing. His conclusion in regard to the followers of Jesus was:

³⁸ Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.

This man acknowledged God was real and could be at work. If God was behind the activities of these followers, nothing could stop them.

This advice remains true today. If our lives are centered around Christ, we cannot fail. But if our work is of only a human origin, it will fail. This difference, often unrecognizable to those around us, is the essential difference between the life of one led by God’s Spirit and one motivated by other factors.

As you face the challenges of your life today, ask yourself, “Is this from God?” You choice, your activity, your life. If not, it will ultimately fail. But if it is from God, no one will be able to stop what Christ has purposed for you to do.

“If it is from God.”

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Dillon Burroughs is the author or co-author of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of the New Testament in 2011 at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.