Transformed Values

Creator/Creation

Acts 4:23–31 (NIV)

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“ ‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against his anointed one.’

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

The fundamental distinction in our universe is not God against the devil or good against evil or even believers against unbelievers. The fundamental distinction that exists in our universe is between God and everything else, Creator vs Creation. Cornelius Van Til stated in his defense of faith “This theory of reality is that of two levels of being, first of God as infinite, eternal and unchangeable and second, of the universe as derivative, finite, temporal and changeable. The universe depends on God for its existence but God does not depend on the universe for his.

Everything under Heaven

Acts 4:32–37 (NIV)

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

God already owns all our treasures, all our time, all our talents, and our very selves. There is nothing we can add to him, no way in which we can make him greater than he already is. We are in every way dependent on him; he is in no way dependent on us.

This value system places everything and everyone in a perfect and holy economy. The Bible does not teach socialism or capitalism. The Bible teaches