Intro to Acts 2:37-41

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/1/2017 8:00 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Intro to Acts 2:37-41

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 2:37-41

            Message of the verses:  “37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!" 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”

            I have to believe that it is every preacher of the gospel’s dream to hear the question that the people asked Peter after his sermon which is “What shall we do” and the implication is what shall we do to be saved?”  If one gives a wrong answer to this question then it makes all the difference in this world and in the next world.  I have to say that a lifelong friend of mine was talking to me back in 2014 about when his mother died, and he said that his mother was afraid of what lies ahead after death.  He told her not to worry about it for she would end up in heaven.  Now I have to say that I am, and never will be anyone’s judge, but in my opinion this was the wrong answer that he gave to his mother.  One has to have hope, hope being a noun and not a verb when one is near death, the hope that is promised to those who realize that they are sinners and have repented of being a sinner, that is agreeing with God, and the trusting that when Jesus Christ did on the cross is all that is needed to have your sins paid for in order to have eternal life something Peter talks about in this short section of Acts chapter two.

            There are some who will give a different answer to this question as mentioned in my story above, for example the “legalist” will argue that you can only be saved by good works.  James 2:21 says “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?”  Of course the answer to that question is that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.  Abraham believed what he knew to be true about God, thus God saved him, and when Jesus died on the cross He paid for Abraham’s sin.  As to why Abraham offered up Isaac on the altar, he did it to be obedient to what God called him to do which is evidence of his faith in God.  Works come after salvation “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10).”

            Now a moralist will take a slightly different view in that if his good works out weigh his bad works then he will be able to get into heaven.  Paul writes in Romans 3:10b-11 “"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11  THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD.” 

            There are certain Jews who believe that they will get into heaven because of the fact that they are God’s chosen people, and they are not the only ones who believe this lie as there are certain cults who believe that just because they belong to a certain organization they will get to heaven.  Some also believe that because their parents are believers that makes them believers, but God has no grand-children, only children.

            John MacArthur concludes his introduction to this section by writing “Unlike the purveyors of false teaching, Peter gives the correct answer to the question of how to be saved.  He wraps up his sermon with an appeal to his listeners.  The passage then concludes by giving the results of Peter’s sermon.”  We will take a few days looking at “The Appeal” and then we will take a day to look at “The Results.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful that the Lord opened my eyes and gave me the correct answer to the question that I had asked many years ago, that is how can I get into heaven.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will allow me to answer that question to many people.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “In Bethlehem of Judea” (Luke 2:3).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who said, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace’?”

Answer in our next SD.

8/1/2017 8:38 AM