"Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all"(Acts 19:19)

The city of Ephesus was in an agitated state. Paul had come, "reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus"(v. 9) and God was working "unusual miracles"(v. 11) by his hands. Some renegades had tried to cast out demons like Paul had, only to be overcome by the demons and have to flee naked and wounded (v. 16). Now many of the new disciples of Jesus "came confessing and telling their deeds"(v. 18), among them a group of former sorcerers who burned their books before all. Why?

They burned their books because they were part of their past. Before the coming of the gospel of Jesus, they had practiced magic and thought it was fine, but now they had learned differently. Such sorcery and dabbling in evil arts would not be acceptable to Jesus Christ (Rev 22:15). However, like every new Christian, the Ephesians could rejoice because that part of their lives was forgiven and forgotten thanks to Jesus Christ! After a chilling list of sins, Paul tells the Corinthians, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God"(1 Cor 6:11). Every Christian has a past of which he is ashamed, yet because of Jesus we can "burn the books"-move on from our past and have it obliterated from our minds. Each of us can look back like Paul, who said, "although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy"(1 Tim 1:13). Although I was formerly a magician, or a fornicator, or a liar, yet I obtained mercy. The memories we had and guilt we felt can vanish as part of a past that is forgotten and forgiven. If you have put on Christ, burn your books! Your past is forgiven!

They burned their books because they were valuable. "And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver"(Acts 19:19). It could not have been easy to burn something so valuable, or to decide not to sell something worth such a staggering amount. Yet passing on books full of false religion would not suffice, and the young commitment they had made demanded that they eliminate the books, despite their immense value. Committing to Jesus means that we must give up many things that are quite valuable to us without reservation. Long ago Jesus looked at the rich young ruler and told him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me"(Mark 10:21). His riches had to be given up; they stood between him and Jesus. When He called certain men to follow Him, one asked to bury his father, while another asked to bid farewell to those in his house (Luke 9:57-62). Jesus accepts neither of these requests, declaring, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God"(Luke 9:60). Jesus must be more valuable than all else to us! Such valuables may not be physical: "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me"(Matt 10:37). Jesus says the kingdom is "like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field"(Matt 13:44). Is there something you love more than Jesus? Burn your books, no matter how valuable! Nothing is worth missing heaven!

They burned their books because they were no longer needed. These new Christians were making a life change, and they wanted everyone to know it was permanent. Thus they "burned them in the sight of all"(Acts 19:19) so that all could see and know that this chapter in their lives was closed. Burning the books was a sign of real repentance, and an indicator that even if they later were tempted to go back to magic, they could not do it! How badly new Christians need to clean house after their conversions! Sinful movies and books need to be removed, wicked acquaintances forgotten, time rearranged, any semblance of evil eliminated. All must be geared toward preventing a relapse into our old lives. "For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries"(1 Pet 4:3). Those contemplating becoming Christians must be warned this will mean serious change, while those who belong to Christ must continually remember that He will countenance no evil. Because the Ephesians understood that they needed to "abstain from every form of evil"(1 Thess 5:22), they burned their books. They would no longer be needed. Have there been real changes for you since your conversion? Or do the evil evidences of your former life still linger? Burn your books!

Those Ephesians did an awesome thing in burning their books, and it had an awesome effect: "So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed"(Acts 19:20). Christians today must recognize a firm break with their past, giving up whatever is necessary, making real change. Far too many today consider being a Christian a matter of a name on a church roster or being baptized. While such things are important, they mean nothing without real change-the kind of change the Ephesians demonstrated so many years ago. Be like them! Burn your books! ___Jacob Hudgins