Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
This passage of scripture describes for us the effect that an ongoing relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ has on those who seek Him daily, to be renewed, re-energized, and strengthened with might in the inner man, through the indwelling of The Holy Ghost. It's not enough for us to have had a one-time experience with the Lord at our baptism, neither is it sufficient to have a weekly dose of the Holy spirit when we attend church services. Our personal salvation must be understood in the present tense, meaning that God's grace should be poured out on us daily, through the gift of The Spirit, who then empowers us to live victoriously each day, and witness to those around us, that we have been with Jesus.
This is what the disciples did before and after the day of Pentecost, and their consistency in seeking God daily, resulted in them doing great things for the building up of His kingdom, for it was by this means that the gospel was carried to every part of the inhabited world back then. Let's read:
Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
But it is a sad commentary of our time that the great commission given us by Christ has taken a different turn, for many of us are now saddled with the cares of this life, and are consumed with making a living, or getting an education, to the point where our salvation exists primarily in the past tense instead of the present, and that's why fresh testimonies of what The Lord has done for and through us, in some cases comes primarily from the past experiences we have had. God want's us to have a new experience in our walk with Him each day, He desires that we reach into new fields of service, be given new ideas to save the dying, and take the gospel of salvation into new frontiers, so that the world that is fast deteriorating can be informed of God's saving grace.
Every soldier of the cross should have some type of ministry whereby the great commission can be fulfilled on an individual level. Collective evangelism is good, and ought to be encouraged, but not to the neglect of personal efforts to reach those within our sphere of influence. The reason for this is that most people will feel much more comfortable speaking to a friend or acquaintance about issues pertaining to salvation, than they would with a complete stranger, especially in these days of uncertainty and insecurity. We should never be afraid or intimidated by inhibitions placed by society, to speak of those things which we have seen and heard of the Lord Jesus, for this is what the disciples did whenever opportunity presented itself. Let's read:
1st John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
This attitude of the disciples should be adopted by every true believer, and as we interact with our peers and coworkers from day to day, we should be ready to speak a word for Christ, in season or out of season as the Holy Spirit gives us utterance. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which demonstrates for us the energy and the attitude we should harbor always, as it pertains to experiencing and delivering God's salvation in the present tense. Let's read:
Romans 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you" ........ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" ...... 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
May this be our experience today and in the future, for the fulfillment of the gospel commission is always of great benefit to those around us as well as to our own souls. God bless!