Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 2:45 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “His Tender Mercies.” Speak, Lord, your
words to my heart. I read Acts 2
(Select vv. ESV).
Background
During the time Jesus Christ
was still on the earth, before he had gone back to heaven to be with the
Father, he told his disciples that he was leaving them, but that he would not
leave them comfortless. He would send them a comforter, the Holy Spirit, who
was then with them, but who would now be in them. He told them, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I said to you” (Jn. 14:26).
After Jesus left the earth
to go back to the Father, after about 40 days, I think it was, he sent the
promised Holy Spirit. All of Christ’s followers who were present on the Day of
Pentecost were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke in the languages of
the people who were present that day. The people, who were from many different
places, heard the disciples declaring the wonders of God in their own
languages. Some of the people were amazed at what they were hearing, and so
they wondered what it all meant. Others, however, made fun of them, and they
accused them of being drunk with wine.
So, Peter stood up and
addressed the crowd. He stated that these men were not drunk, but that what the
people were witnessing was a fulfillment of what the prophet Joel had spoken.
In the last days God would pour out his Spirit on all people, and they would
dream dreams and see visions and they would prophesy – both men and women. And,
then he went on to tell the people about Jesus, who he was, and what he did. He
told the people about what they did, too. He told them that God had made Jesus,
whom they had crucified, both Lord (God) and Christ (Messiah), i.e. that they
had killed their Lord. Yet, he let them know that this happened by God’s set
purpose and foreknowledge, and that God had raised Jesus from the dead, and
that he was now at the right hand of God, as he had said he would be.
What Shall We Do? (vv. 37-41)
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart,
and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all
who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many
other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save
yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were
baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
When the people heard this,
they were cut to the heart. They were grieved in their spirits, sorrowful, and
troubled over what they had just heard. The Holy Spirit of God had spoken to
their hearts, had convicted them of sin, and had drawn them to respond to the
message of the gospel with faith. This is the kind of heart response to the
preaching of the gospel that should accompany those who believe on Jesus Christ
to be Lord and Savior of their lives. Nonetheless, so many people today, who
claim to be Christians and saved from their sins, never had such a heart
response to God and to his gospel, because the gospel they heard preached was
absent of the power of the Holy Spirit, and absent of the power of the cross
and conviction of sin.
So, they asked Peter what
they should do. He told them first of all that they needed to repent of their
sins. To repent literally means to have a change of mind, i.e. to think
differently afterwards (source: biblehub.com). In scripture, the word repent is
primarily used in the context of being sorrowful over sin to the point of
turning away from the sin, of forsaking idols, and turning to God to follow him
in obedience. When Jesus commissioned Paul to be a minister of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, he told him that he was to open blinded eyes, to turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so they could receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in
Jesus Christ (See: Ac. 26:16-18).
Secondly, Peter told them
that they needed to be baptized. Now, this is a controversial verse (verse 38),
because our English translation implies that water baptism is required for
salvation. So, how do we reconcile this? Well, it helps to know a little Greek,
but we must also compare scripture with scripture, to see if this is consistent
throughout the New Testament, with regard to the preaching of the gospel of our
salvation, and to what is required of us. The Greek word translated here as “for”
(as in “for the forgiveness of sins”) can also be translated as “because of,” “with
reference or respect to,” or “on account of.” Yet, the Greek Word “eis” also
has a strong meaning of “to a particular purpose or result” (biblehub.com). So,
there are many different viewpoints and beliefs as to the meaning.
So, then we look to scripture
to see if this is consistent teaching. Yet, even this subject is controversial,
depending upon how scripture is interpreted. But, in the book of Acts we read
that there were people who believed in Jesus, received the Holy Spirit, and
then they were baptized with water (See: Ac. 10:47). If water baptism is necessary
for salvation, then this could not have happened. And, then we have Paul making
a distinction between the preaching of the gospel and water baptism, where he
said that Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the gospel (See: 1
Co. 1:17).
So, what are we to conclude
from all this? I believe, from what I have studied, that water baptism is not
required for salvation, but that it is to follow salvation as an outward symbol
of our inward faith, and as a testimony to God’s saving grace in our lives. It
is to symbolize that belief in Jesus means we die with Christ to sin, and we
are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). So, immersion is the recommended mode
of baptism.
If we examine the scriptures
carefully, with regard to our salvation, we learn that Jesus died that we might
die to sin and live to righteousness. This is really the essence of the gospel
of our salvation – to be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan to God, so we might receive forgiveness of sins. It is a heart
transformation. John said that if we say we have fellowship with God, but we
walk in darkness, we are liars. Paul said that if we walk according to our
sinful flesh, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to
death the deeds of the flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity. Yes, we
should follow our Lord in water baptism, but it is the baptism of the heart
(death to sin and resurrection to life in Christ) that matters for eternity,
i.e. to be saved from this “crooked generation.”
Teaching and Fellowship (vv. 42-47)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching
and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon
every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were
selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all,
as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking
bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their
number day by day those who were being saved.
When we believe in Jesus
Christ to be Lord (owner-master) of our lives, in death to sin, and in
resurrection to new life in Christ, we are filled (indwelt and empowered) with
the Holy Spirit of God, who is Christ in us, the hope of glory. Not only is he
used of God to convict of sin, and to transform our hearts from darkness to
light, but he lives within each one of us to teach, counsel, warn, encourage,
guide, direct, convict, and to urge us to live lives consistent with our
profession of faith – all in the working and power of God (the Holy Spirit) within
us.
Through faith in Jesus
Christ, we now enter into relationship with our living God, who is in us, and
who is living his life out through us, as we surrender our lives over to him
and to his will for our lives. Daily we now meet with our Lord in worship of
him, in fellowship, in prayer and in the study of His Word. We listen to him
speak his words to our hearts, and then we act on what we hear, and we obey
what his word teaches us. And, as his followers, we are now included in his
body, the church, which is a living organism with Christ as her head. And, via
the Holy Spirit now living within each one of us who are part of his body, we
enter into spiritual fellowship with one another. We are, thus, encouraged to
meet together with one another for the teaching of the Word, for prayer, for
fellowship, and for communion.
Yet, this is not to be just
rituals we perform once a week, and then go about our normal lives the rest of
the time. The believers in Christ met daily in the temple courts and from house
to house. And, they were devoted (zealous, dedicated, and committed) to these
things – to the teaching and preaching of the Word; to fellowship, prayer and
communion (the breaking of bread). So, our lifestyles should be about
fellowship with our Lord and with his body, and about learning from his Word
and obeying what it teaches us. And, our lifestyles should be about ministering
to the needs of the saints, and encouraging one another in our faith, and in
using the spiritual gifts imparted to us of the Spirit of God for the
edification, instruction and spiritual growth and development of the Lord’s
body, his church.
When the Lord’s body, his
church, functions as he intended her to function individually and collectively,
she will have an impact on this world for Jesus Christ, and many will be drawn
to Jesus Christ, and the Lord will add to his church those who are being saved.
Yet, we will also be persecuted for our faith and for our testimonies for Jesus
Christ, too. Jesus said that we would be hated and mistreated as he was hated
and mistreated, and that many of us would be put to death for our faith in
Jesus Christ and for the sake of his gospel of salvation. Yet, we are not to
fear what men will do to us, but we must remain strong in our faith and keep on
sharing his gospel, so that many others will know Christ and his grace, and his
salvation.
His Tender Mercies / An Original Work / January 26, 2014
Fear not! I’m with you.
Be not dismayed!
God watches o’er you.
Trust Him today.
He’ll lead and guide you;
Give you His aid.
He’ll love and keep you
With Him always.
Walk in His footsteps.
He’ll lead the way.
Trust in His love;
Believe that He cares.
He will not leave you.
Faithful He’ll be.
His tender mercies
Now you will see.
Fellowship with Him
Throughout the day.
Tell Him your heartaches.
He’ll heal always.
Rest in His comfort.
He is your friend.
Your faith He’ll strengthen,
True to the end.
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