Acts 22:22-30 | in God's HandsSample

God Works through Means

The Roman commander had to rescue Paul again, and it seems he’s had enough. Acts tells us he ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and flogged in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. Torture was accepted as normal in the Roman Empire, just as it is in many countries today. It’s a sad commentary on the condition of humanity that, with all our brilliance and achievements, nobody can come up with better ways to deal with our problems. And Paul had to face it.

Here’s where things get interesting. Just as Paul is about to be tortured, he plays a trump card, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” he asks (Acts 22:25, NIV).

Wait. A Roman citizen? The Romans did not see that coming. In the outer fringe of their Empire, here was a Jew speaking to Jews. He was one of them. Never did they imagine he was also one of us.

Citizenship was no easy thing to procure in the Roman Empire. It was not something those outside of Rome and its immediate vicinities had. Just because you were in the Roman Empire, that did not make you a citizen. Especially out here in the outer rim provinces.

There are all kinds of speculation as to how Paul got his citizenship, and all kinds of historic clues as to how it may have come about. What matters is that he had it. And he wasn’t afraid to use it to his advantage.

God wants us acting wisely in tense situations. When the commander misread the situation, Paul didn’t panic—he stayed engaged. Wisdom often means staying calm and ready to respond.

And God will use the skills, resources, and opportunities he’s giving you. Paul didn’t see his Roman citizenship as a spiritual cop-out, a lack of faith, or something unspiritual. He saw it as a tool for God’s mission. We honor God when we use what we have for his purposes.

There’s an old joke about a man stranded on his rooftop in the middle of a torrential flood, and the water is still rising, praying that God would save him. A boat comes by. “Get in!” the people shouted. “No,” he replied. “God will save me.” And the waters continue to rise. A bit later, another boat comes by. The same thing happens again. Now things are getting desperate. The water is about to overtake the man when a helicopter comes by. They lower a basket. “Get in!” they shout. “No,” he replied. “God will save me.” The water finally overtakes him, and the man drowns. In heaven, the man asks God, “Why didn’t you save me?” To which God replied, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What more did you need!?”

It happens in churches. People who refuse to plan, who fail to use their God-given talents and gifts, who won’t pour themselves into the work heart and soul, hiding behind a faux-faith that “God will provide” (which is often double-speak for laziness and lack of commitment).

A true and heartbreaking story came from a woman in our church whose friend refused medical treatment after a cancer diagnosis because she thought that accepting treatment would be a lack of faith in the healing power of God. God can certainly heal miraculously. And Acts shows us that he does! But God also works through means. And to reject those means can be to reject the providence of God. (Sadly, the woman died.)

God can work through any circumstance to protect and provide for his people. Using what God has given you does not equate to a lack of faith. Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship to avoid torture. And God worked through it. This isn’t just clever; it’s God’s providence at work. God often works through ordinary things to bring about his purposes.

Questions:

God worked through Paul’s Roman citizenship. What’s your “Roman citizenship” that God might work through? How can you use those abilities, connections, resources, and opportunities for his glory this week?