The Grace that Pursues Us

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him (Acts 8:26-31).

An angel told Philip to leave the excitement and success of the Samaritan crusade and go off to… “a desert place”. This was an unattractive, illogical command. When I put myself in Philip’s place, I am ashamed to say that I would probably have raised some major objections with this angel. Then there was the Ethiopian official. We know… “he had come to Jerusalem to worship”. The Spirit shows us that as He worshipped the Lord, something got a grip on his heart. He was searching the scriptures and reading about the Messiah as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. Something was shaking up these two lives and driving them to a glorious convergence. God was at work, compelling His servant to leave the large flock of sheep in Samaria to go after a lost sheep from Ethiopia… “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” (Luke 15:4-5). Luke remembered this parable of Jesus, and gives us here a wonderful glimpse of the grace that pursues us.

Grace called to the Ethiopian. The Ethiopian official’s heart is revealed here. He had traveled miles to Jerusalem to worship God. His desire to be near God also compelled him to study the scriptures on his way home. Jesus taught that God’s grace works to draw lost children to Himself… “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:44). God’s grace revealed through Christ still calls us to Him… “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). Because we are in Christ, we are called daily into a closer, intimate fellowship with our precious Father.

Grace connected Philip with the Ethiopian. I believe the Spirit inspired Luke to intentionally mention that the angel directed Philip to… “a desert place”. We are impressed that even though things were really going well in the Samarian revival, Philip… “rose and went” to this lonely, hostile, desert place without hesitation, question, or objection. God did not pick Philip up and supernaturally transport him into the desert. God’s grace moved on Philip’s pure, obedient heart, and he was compelled to obey. That’s what God’s grace does. Beyond saving us, God’s grace sets us apart from the world, makes us available to Him, fills us with anticipation for the appearance of Jesus, and makes us eager to do His work… “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14). God’s grace is working in our lives today, just as it did in Philip, to connect us with those Christ wants us to love and serve into a saving relationship with Him.

Grace compelled Philip to speak to the Ethiopian. The grace that connected Philip and the Ethiopian also compelled Philip to speak to him. God’s grace moved and empowered Philip to share understanding that would lead the Ethiopian to Christ. The Spirit of grace wants us to share His gospel too… “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14). We enjoy the blessing of leading others to Christ as we are compelled to speak His gospel into their lives.

As we grow up into Christ, we have been saved and we are compelled to share His gospel by…

The Grace that Pursues Us.