In ACT 2:37 we read, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

The Lord used this testimony to bring about the conversion of many of those very men who crucified and slew the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus often wants you and me to suffer wrong to become a testimony of His grace. The Lord sometimes uses it for the salvation of these very people, and He also uses it for His glory.

Verse 38 says, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Now Peter can preach repentance and the remission of sins because they became convicted of the sin of their own hand.

A defensive spirit comes against what Jesus said to Peter in MAT 26:51-52, "And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.[You see there was a defensive spirit in Peter. He was going to rise up and defend in the flesh.] Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."

Now these swords and arrows are not only the ones we use to slay the body; our words are piercing swords and arrows also. PSA 64:3 says, "Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words." The Lord says if you take the sword, you shall perish with it. In other words, if you think you can destroy people with piercing words, you may be personally destroyed by those same swords and arrows.

Jesus is speaking of the spirit of the law in our text. This comes through so clearly in 1CO 4:12-14: "And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you."

Do God's people have a problem with being defamed? The Apostle Paul says we do. We are going to become the offscouring of the earth. People are going to come with their swords. They are going to come with the lashing of their tongues and destroy our name, but the Apostle Paul says, "being defamed we intreat..."; we plead with them; we become a testimony onto them. He says he is not telling us this to make us ashamed; he is just warning us.