Testify of the Gospel of the Grace of God [Acts 20]

¹⁷From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. ¹⁸And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, ²¹solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ²²"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.

 ²⁴"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. ²⁵"And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. ²⁶"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

 

This is a sad farewell for Paul and for the leaders of the church of Ephesus.  Paul has been with them for three years, pouring the gospel into their lives, "solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ."
Now the Holy Spirit has revealed to him "that bonds and afflictions await me," and that they will not see him again. In the midst of tears Paul reminds them of the gospel and his commitment to the ministry God had given him. "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God." He was encouraging them not to waver in their faith and to guard the faith of those they were leading. "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." (v. 28)

What an important ministry Paul had as he carefully taught the early churches about God's grace.  What an important ministry you and I have as we also "testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." This is the same grace that he defines in verse 32 as "which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."  This ongoing grace is God's power, building us up.  May we speak the word of God's grace boldly to each other today.

Father, I admit that I have been shrinking back from testifying about Your grace that is at work in my life.  Thank You for the reminder that it is the ministry that You give and that You will give the strength to speak out about grace. We praise You that You did not spare Your own Son and that we are Yours because Jesus purchased us with His own blood. We praise You that You are the One who continues to build us up and to grow us in faith. That is Your work not ours. We praise You that You are the One who continues to build us up and to grow us in faith. This is Your work not ours.