“With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). The apostles and the early church faced immediate opposition and hostility. Nevertheless, their preaching and testimony to a risen, exalted Christ was unstoppable. “Beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it” (Acts 4:13-14). Christ had ascended and the Holy Spirit had been given. The Spirit’s activity could not be denied. “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will” (Heb. 2:4). It was very evident that the favor of God rested upon this growing company of believers. Later, the Christians were accused of having “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). These were early days and that sweet communion with the Lord had not been disrupted. “They continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles” (Acts 2:42-43). The great grace of God was upon them all and it displayed itself, not just in their testimony for Christ, but also practically in their lives. “Neither was there any among them that lacked: ... and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need” (Acts. 4:34-35).
We can identify similar times throughout the history of Christianity. The Protestant Reformation freed God’s Word from Rome’s imprisonment and its light swept through Europe like the rising sun of a new dawn. Martin Luther could have been martyred, as Jan Hus had been a hundred years earlier, but he was not. God allowed the Ottomans to divert the attention of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. Again, in the nineteenth century, the light of the Word of God was brought to bear upon the true character of the Church causing many to leave the independent, non-conformist churches of the day to be gathered to the Lord’s name alone. Many other truths were brought to light at that time also—the righteousness of God, justification, the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, our heavenly calling, prophecy, the true hope of the church—these are just some of the doctrines restored to their proper footing. We ask the question: Why at these times? Faithful men have labored throughout Christendom’s sad history, many in quiet obscurity; some even giving the ultimate sacrifice, their lives. In many instances the work was preparatory—it was God working in grace. Nevertheless, in His perfect timing, God can also act with great grace and the results are unstoppable.