No Apology or Hesitation

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
–1 John 5:13

What can we learn from the first instance of persecution in the early church?

First of all, believing in the name of Jesus offers the only way to heaven. There is only one way for you and me to be saved, and it is by trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Years after Peter and John were arrested and questioned, John wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

Second, sharing the name of Jesus is the most loving thing we can do for others. Don’t fall for the line that you’re a bigot or a hatemonger if you insist that Jesus is the only way to be saved. You’re not hurting people when you say this; you’re trying to lead them to salvation.

Imagine you’re on a plane that has crash-landed. The cabin is filling with smoke, and it’s difficult to see. But a flight attendant waves a flashlight and says, “There’s only one way out. Come with me.” Would you accuse the flight attendant of being hateful and intolerant for insisting there is only one way to escape the burning plane? No, you would thank them and follow them. When we share with people that there’s only one way to escape eternity in hell, it’s not hateful or intolerant; it is the most compassionate thing we can do.

Finally, proclaiming the name of Jesus will lead to persecution. In 1 Peter 2:8, Peter referred to Jesus as “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” If your life is devoted to sharing Jesus as the only way to heaven, trouble is going to come into your life. Satan knows exactly what it will take to shut you up, and he will send things into your life to distract you, discourage you, and destroy you. His goal is clear: to keep you from proclaiming the name of Jesus.

Peter and John did not waffle or waver when they faced persecution. Just as the early church was inspired by their boldness, you and I can learn from their example and keep proclaiming the name of Jesus without apology or hesitation. There is salvation in no one else.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “No Other Name,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2021.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.