“They Continued Steadfastly…”
A habit is something a person does over and over again with little or no thought. A superstition is a belief that a person has that drives them to do something a certain way over and over again so that something bad won’t happen to them. A bad habit is something a person does over and over again that is detrimental. A good habit is something a person does over and over again because of solid convictions.
What is Christianity to you? Is it merely a habit that you have been doing over and over again without real conviction? Is it more like a superstition that drives you to do certain things to avoid hell without really striving for heaven? Or, is it more like a good habit that you have consciously chosen out of your personal convictions?
The early Church had good habits. That is the point behind the words, “They continued steadfastly…” (Acts 2:42). They were convicted by the truth taught by the apostles and continued to practice what they were taught.
That is the process by which we all learn anything. As children, we were taught by someone else: a parent, a teacher, a friend. In our adult years, we choose to continue to follow those things taught to us or we reject them for something else.
I see many young people who seem to be “doing the church thing” because their parents are making them do it. I see many adults who have what seems to be a superstition about Christianity that they have to “go to church” or they will go to hell. God does not want mindless habit. He wants continued, steadfast obedience that comes from conviction that this is the right thing to do.
The first century Christians faced other obstacles that were far more sinister than what we face. They were harassed and persecuted for their faith. They were threatened, imprisoned, beaten, and even killed for their faith. Yet, “They continued steadfastly…” How were they able to do this?
The key to their steadfast faith is found in Acts 2:43, “Then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” Their fear did not originate from a concern that they might be sent to a devil’s hell. Their fear was a respect arising out of what they had seen and heard.
The threats and abuse of their persecutors was of no consequence to them because they knew the real of their God. Sure, they might lose their lives in this world, but the next world awaited them and that was enough to help them hold on steadfastly. We are the beneficiaries of the faith of those early Christians. They set an example for us. They showed how powerful faith can be when it is grounded in the power of almighty God!
Psalm 62:6 - "He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I shall not
be shaken."
Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth."
Isaiah 26:4 - "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."
— Mike Johnson
