They Have Been with Jesus
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13)
Vast numbers of people in the world claim Jesus as their Lord. But honestly, what evidence proves that they are His. Is a mere verbal confession all it takes? To be sure, “with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). However, since the Bible reveals that saving faith is an obedient/working faith (Jas. 2:14-26; Heb. 11; Acts 10:35), and that confessing Christ is not just talking the talk, but walking the walk (i.e., we confess or deny Christ by the conduct of our lives – Jn. 3:21; Tit. 1:16), it is apparent that not everyone who claims Jesus as their Lord is actually “with” Jesus (spiritually speaking).
What identified Peter and John as men who had been with Jesus was not a mere confession that they were His disciples, but rather, it was what they taught and how they taught it. These men were obeying the command of Christ to “(teach) them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). They were keenly aware that the only ones whom Jesus claims as His true disciples are those who serve and worship God in spirit (implying a genuine, sincere heart) and truth (God’s inspired Word) – (Jn. 4:23-24).
So how do we know whether or not someone has “been with Jesus”? It won’t be merely because they say, “I’m a Christian,” but by what they believe, teach and practice (1 Jn 4:6), and by how they conduct their lives (Rom 12:1-2). Friends, have you been with Jesus? If not, why not come to Him today?