Act 4:32-37 “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
We have no way of knowing exactly how many people a multitude is. The word translated as multitude meant “a fulness or a large number.” So regardless of the specific number, this was no small thing. There was a multitude of believers.
This multitude of believers were blessed with something that seems very rare in our world today. They were of one heart and one soul. They were joined together on a deep level of love and concern for the things of God and for each other. Rather than seeking to amass great wealth, they desired to share together the things they had.
The prevalent attitude in society today seems to be “what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine if I can figure out how to get it.” As believers, our attitude should not be that of “social norms.” We cannot truly claim to be believers if we are not living the things we say we believe. Our belief is proven by how we live and not how we talk.
When believers are of one heart and one soul, their witness has great power. Our very lives declare the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is still great grace to be had by believers whose trust is fastened upon Jesus and not on our own strength. Our desire should be that there be no lack among us.
God is still able today to distribute to everyone according to their need. Our first need should be to feel our need for Him. We cannot be joined in heart and soul without first understanding that we have a common need for the grace and mercy of a loving God. There is only one Savior, one Redeemer, and one hope of eternal life.
When we are of one heart and one soul, we will find great comfort in a body of believers. We may be blessed to witness, and to be, sons and daughters of consolation to others. There is a great blessing in living a life of service. There is no greater example of this than Jesus himself who declared that He did not come to be served but rather to serve others (Mark 10:45).
May we seek to be like these believers, being of one heart and one soul, to serve God and one another with zeal!
