“There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” – Acts 4:34-35
What a powerful image of what happens when the people of God are completely filled with the Holy Spirit! Needs get met without asking. No guilt, no compulsion, no commands. People voluntarily share in deeply sacrificial ways to care for needy brothers and sisters. No one took advantage of their brothers and sisters. No one turned a blind eye to their brothers and sisters. The love was genuine and the fellowship was deep and powerful.
For those following Jesus today, these verses should be challenging and convicting. They simply don’t describe our lived experiences, by and large. These verses should bring questions flooding into our minds… What depths of community, love, and fellowship have we been missing out on? What blessings of God have we failed to experience? Are we too cautious, too careful, and too concerned with our own financial security and future? Are we too skeptical, too cynical, or too contemptuous of fellow believers in need? What would it be like to be so profoundly filled by the Holy Spirit that this sort of thing happened regularly?
Rather than trying to imitate the external behaviors of giving and sharing sacrificially, the more urgent question is how can we recreate the internal situation described in these verses? How can we experience the total filling of the Holy Spirit both personally and within our churches? So that we would also feel led to completely follow the Spirit’s leading in giving, sharing, and caring? So that we would be driven by faith over fear, love over security, and trust in God rather than our earthly possessions.
Pursue the Holy Spirit’s rule over your life and those in your circle of friends. Really fast and pray for the Spirit to work as you submit to His leadership, avoid sin in your life, and wait in prayerful worship. If we all do, then perhaps the world will once again see community, love, and fellowship like this! #FollowJesus