32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Acts 17:32
Paul–one of the most highly-educated men of his day, the greatest missionary and church planter the world has ever seen, the author of 2/3 of the New Testament, the man whose influence on the spread of Christianity was second only to Jesus Christ–had just masterfully and persuasively dissected the Athenians cultural idols and redirected their attention to the good news of Jesus Christ. And what was their response?
Some mocked.
Some wanted to hear more.
And some believed.
The proclamation of the gospel always gets results–but results may vary. Sometimes people hear and believe. Sometimes people hear and need to keep hearing for a while before they believe. And sometimes people hear and refuse to believe, rejecting God’s offer of salvation through Christ.
At the end of the day, you and I aren’t responsible for the results. We don’t have the ability to transform hearts. We don’t have the power or capacity to raise family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. from spiritual death to resurrection life. Only God can do that, so we leave the results to him. Our task is simply to be faithful in setting up the date.
So “do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,” for the Lord is with you and he will be faithful to save his people (Acts 18:9-10).
VC Devotionals 