Devotional Acts 1: The Promise of the Holy Spirit and Forgiveness Reflection on Acts 1: the ascension of Jesus, the promise of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives, and the apostles' forgiveness toward Judas Iscariot. Topics: Devotional, New Testament.

Devotional Acts 1: The Promise of the Holy Spirit and Forgiveness

My devotional today is on chapter 1 of the Book of Acts, and this was the synopsis.

Synopsis: This book, written by Luke, portrays the acts of the apostles (mainly Peter and Paul) immediately after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven to rejoin God the Father. In this chapter in particular, Jesus gathers for the last time with His disciples and blesses them before returning to heaven. The apostles gather in Jerusalem in the upper room to cast lots, among the men present who had accompanied Jesus (from His baptism by John the Baptist until His return to God’s side), with the help of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, for the person appointed to replace the ministry that Judas left when he strayed from the right path.

Observations

These were my observations on this chapter.

1. Sanctification is the power we receive from God. Before departing, Jesus promised the disciples that they would receive power from God as soon as Jesus ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit came upon them. For it is the Holy Spirit who gives us wisdom, teaches us the Word, enables us to resist temptations, and work miracles. In other words, baptism not only allows us to repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, but also symbolizes the Holy Spirit taking possession of our bodies and souls—sanctifying them. It is only because of the Holy Spirit that we can truly become children of God capable of faithfully reflecting Jesus Christ. For it was only when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the Jordan River that His ministry began. That is to say, we cannot be true Christians without the help of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must always pray and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help at every step of our walk.
2. The disciples forgiven Judas. Despite Judas’s betrayal in handing Jesus Christ over to the Pharisees and chief priests, the apostles ultimately forgave him. For they realized that Scripture had to be fulfilled so that Jesus and, consequently, God could be glorified through the Word. Furthermore, Satan was able to take possession of Judas and influence him to betray Jesus. For Judas did not do it simply because he was evil—he was not. But Judas was indeed impressionable and flirted with worldly things. That is why Satan took advantage of him. However, the apostles proved to be true Christians by reacting in the same way Jesus did—forgiving Judas for his transgressions and betrayal. This teaches us that there is no better way to honor Jesus and God than to forgive those who harm us. For in doing so, we practice what Jesus Christ did for us and share an infinitesimal fraction of His pain by accepting the harm caused by sin against us.