Ep 433 – Acts 19:2-20

Christianity is meant to be life-changing. It is not a religion to be practiced, but a radical new way of life, empowered by the Spirit of God, and intended to be lived out in the sight of a lost and dying world. In the early days of the church, as the gospel continued to spread, many people were coming to faith in Christ and experiencing the redemptive, transformative power of the Spirit of God as He regenerated their hearts and began the process of molding them into the likeness of Christ. In Acts 19:8-20, Luke provides us with a glimpse into the gospel's life-changing capacity by revealing the impact it had on the people of Ephesus. This was a town with a reputation for witchcraft and sorcery, much of which was directly tied to demonic activity. So, when Paul began to proclaim the availability of new life in Christ made possible by His sacrificial death on the cross, people not only placed their faith in Christ, they underwent dramatic transformations, resulting in behavioral change that was visible and measurable. Ephesus was a spiritually charged city, where the remarkable and sometimes inexplicable were standard fare. But what began to happen when Paul arrived in town and the good news of Jesus Christ began to make its way around the city, was like nothing these people had ever seen before. They were seeing something new and many of them were becoming new creations, and experiencing the life-altering joy of new life in Christ.