I often wonder what it would be like to be a Christian in these times -- when it was so fresh. It's easy to romanticize, and to forget how many people had their entire community turn their back on them because they joined the early church. Paul says something key here -- he says that they received the word in much affliction. I don't know how many of us are signing up for that. We tend to run from affliction. But they had the joy of the Holy Spirit, and that helped them overcome this affliction. Their faith in God was so strong that they were able to endure the afflictions they faced.
I don't think it was any easier to be a Christian then. It might've been harder, in many ways. But thanks be to God for their witness, and may we live in such a way to leave a similar legacy to others, pointing to the joy we have in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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