Last week I discussed the faith of Simon, who believed and was baptized, but was chastised by Peter because his heart was not right before God, and he was still captive to sin (see Acts 8:21-23). Today, I want to contrast the story of Simon with “a saving faith” of the Ethiopian eunuch, which is also found in the 8th Chapter of Acts. For in the story of the eunuch, we can begin to understand a faith that leads to repentance, service, joy, and eternal life in Christ Jesus the Lord. So let me begin with the story of the Ethiopian eunuch, found in Acts 8:26-40:
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.
The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Within the story of the Ethiopian eunuch can be found several truths regarding a saving faith, including the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, the significance of a seeking and humble heart, the relevance of the scripture and an essential focus on Christ, and the importance of an appropriate response to faith. Right from the beginning we can see the importance of work of the Holy Spirit in calling Philip to be present. But the Holy Spirit was also at work in the eunuch because our salvation is only through God’s calling and saving grace, and not by our own accord. For John 6:44 (NIV) states that “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day”, for apart from God we are a rebellious and sinful lot (MacArthur, 1994). Additionally, it is clear from the narrative that the eunuch was seeking for the truth for he was both willing to travel a long distance to Jerusalem to worship, and he was searching the scripture for the true God. In Jeremiah 29:13 God says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”. God has made Himself known through creation, and He has revealed Himself through the scripture. And as the eunuch was earnestly seeking to know God and to worship Him with all of his heart, we also need to humble ourselves before the Creator and seek him with a humble heart.
It is also important to recognize the relevance of scripture and an essential focus on Christ in the faith journey of the eunuch (and for us), for although he did not fully understand the passages he was reading in Isaiah, we know that the gospel “is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Ultimately, through the work of the Holy Spirit and the reading of God’s word, the eunuch came to understand the saving grace of faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I think that many times even Christians do not fully grasp the transformational power of the Word of God, and therefore we do not regularly and earnestly read the Bible in readiness to be transformed by His Word. But God clearly articulates the power of scripture through exclaiming that “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). And ultimately, as articulated in the scripture, it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved from eternal punishment for our sins (see John 3:16).
Finally, the eunuch had an appropriate response to his faith. The eunuch, once placing his faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and savior, repented of his sins, and immediately put his faith into practice by requesting to be baptized. And this faith brought him great joy. For we know that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Therefore, it is an important aspect of our faith to put it into practice. For although we are called to have faith in Christ Jesus, we are “considered righteous by what ‘we’ do and not by faith alone (James 2:24). Because we know that in whatever we do, we are to “work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24). And finally, the eunuch’s reward, and the reward for all Christians, is great joy in knowing and believing in the Jesus of the Bible. For in 1 Peter 1:8-9 it states “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls”.
Conclusion:
If you want to know the joy of faith in Christ Jesus, or even if you want to deepen your faith, I encourage you to start by watching the following series by David Legge titled “Encountering God”.
Resources:
MacArthur, John (1994). The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Acts 1-12.