Acts 2:42-47

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. -Acts 2:42-47

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Heart transformation through Jesus Christ leads to true social transformation.  We’re at the cusp of incredible social upheaval in the United States.  Racial tension, police reform, etc. have been on the forefront of the news.

Christian or not, everyone would agree that this passage is pretty incredible and a wonderful model of what we wish and hope society to be like.  Everyone is sharing everything.  Everyone is taking care of one another.  Some people might even accuse these early Christians as being communist or socialist by the way they are behaving.

But it’s not because there’s no government involved here.  There isn’t a law that is forcing all these people to share everything that they have.  There’s no political structure governing this.  This is something more.

In the secular world, we try to use laws and political structures to change people’s behavior and it works to a certain extent.  But laws cannot change people’s hearts.  You can pass laws to try to rectify the effects of racism.  But no law can get rid racism in the heart.

Only Jesus can change hearts.  Let’s run that over again.  Only God can change hearts.  This passage is revealing what society would like it if everyone’s hearts were touched and transformed by God.  It’s pretty incredible.  They share not because they have to or some law forces them too.  They share because they want to.  They.  Want.  To.

If you want true social change in the world, pray that people would know Jesus and that their hearts would be changed and transformed by Him.