(26) The Beauty of Sovereign Grace

In telling part of the story of the early spread of Christianity the book of Acts reveals many reasons Christianity has grown so tremendously: it came of age in a unique historical moment. It was embraced and spread by dedicated people. It offers hope as no other movement can. But one of the main themes in Acts—the primary reason for the church's growth—is God's sovereign grace.

God had been closing doors against the missionary team of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. But, having led them across the Aegean Sea he again energized their work.

We need to see the beauty of God's sovereign grace. Only Jesus can awaken spiritually dull hearts. Only Jesus can loosen Satan's grip on sinners. Only Jesus can give us powerful testimonies that can catch the attention of a needy world. As the chapter ends with Paul encouraging the brothers to stand firm, be encouraged to stand firm by this sustained presentation of the beauty of sovereign grace.