12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. Acts 5:12-26
When I was thinking about naming my OB/GYN practice, it didn't take long to come up with the name New Life OB/GYN. After all, we were bringing new lives into the world delivering on average two babies a day. But also, as a Christian who happened to be a doctor (not a doctor who happened to be a Christian) I was focusing on offering new life in Christ to the 30 patients a day that I saw. Paul talks about this new life when he says;
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
Jesus discussed it with Nicodemus in John 3 when he told Nic that he needed to be born again. The angel told the imprisoned apostles to go out and preach this "new life" and let them out of jail. This would happen to Peter again in Acts 12 and Paul in Acts 16.
Christianity is mentally assenting to a new set of beliefs, but it is so much more than that. What it is at its core is becoming a new person. I often compare it to Peter Parker being bitten by the radioactive spider. He looked like Peter Parker, but he was a whole new person. When we turn from our life of sin, admit we were wrongly living for and indulging ourselves and turning to the author of life and the creator of everything for forgiveness, Jesus takes the penalty for that sin on Himself, makes us clean and then puts His life inside us in the Holy Spirit. We are a brand-new person. Like Peter Parker, we then spend the rest of our lives trying to figure out how to use these brand new "powers" to their maximum.
The apostles were given powers to heal and other miraculous powers. They really were given superpowers. I wish I could lay hands on a person and heal their pancreatic cancer. I'm sure many tried on Tim Keller without success. Today, now that this apostolic age is over, my superpowers are loving and forgiving the unlovable and unforgiveable. They are using my dwindling days to serve others rather than myself. They are using my saved-up money to meet other's needs rather than my wants. Basically, they are treating others as more important than myself which takes every ounce of His energy inside me. This love, if through Christ's strength, practiced correctly should have the same impact on the world around me that a supernatural healing shadow would.
Through God's power working in me and my partner, dozens over the years came to a "new life" in Christ not to mention 20,000 other new lives born physically who still need to be born again. I'm sure by this time many have as I even see some I delivered in the community following Christ including my 4 kids who I delivered along with 5 of my grandkids who my partner delivered.
This new life, as the apostles discovered is not a miserable life of self-denial but is a wonderful freeing life of new opportunities on a daily basis free from the emptiness and sadness that sin brings, the fear of aging and death, and the lack of hope that living for this world and self brings. As Steven Curtis Chapman said, "This is the Great Adventure" and I'm thrilled to be on it. Have you been born again?
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