Beloved, I am pleased to share with you today the above theme from Acts 2:4. Indeed, God’s grace used Peter’s preaching to act on the consciences of many of his listeners; for their hearts were seized with profound gravity, when they understood in what outrageous way they had offended God by crucifying the one whom he made Lord and Christ.
They said to Peter and the other apostles, “What shall we do, brethren?” And Peter said to them: Repent, and let 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 Ghost. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all those who are far away, in as great numbers as the Lord our God will call them.”
Indeed, once the conscience is awakened about guilt, the first thing to do is to repent. And repentance is not just regret for doing wrong, as is often thought; she wants a return on herself and on her way of acting. For example, we hear a man very satisfied with himself who says: “I have not hurt anyone; I didn’t kill or steal.”
But, sometime later, he adds: “I am a wretched sinner, I have deserved only judgment; I am lost.” For he repented; he not only regrets what he has done, but he makes a judgment about himself that is absolutely opposite to the one he made before. To this man, we can proclaim the Gospel, tell him that the blood of Jesus Christ purifies him from all sin.
Then Peter’s preaching had produced in many the deep pain of having offended the Lord God by putting his Son to death. What can be done now to escape the inevitable consequences of such a grave sin? First to repent, to sincerely acknowledge before God that the path they had followed was wrong, to completely change their thinking about themselves and the one they had rejected.
Since they had repented, they had to go through baptism, to recognize in the death of Christ the only way to obtain the remission of sins; through baptism, the figure of this death, they entered the new Christian state of affairs that replaced Israel as a witness of God on earth.
Once there, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, promised by God, in the Old Testament and called “the promise,” which belonged to God’s earthly people, to their children, and also to all those whom the Lord would call to Him outside of Israel. This is what happened when the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and his own who were Gentiles (Acts 10). In Isaiah 57:19 we read,”Peace, peace to him who is far away and to him who is near!” said the Lord. I will heal them.” We who were not Jews are among those who were far from Israel and therefore far from God, but called by Him to give us grace.
Therefore, “those who received his word were baptized; and on that day were added about three thousand souls.” Wonderful result of this first preaching of the Gospel! This number was added to that of the disciples gathered after the Ascension of the Lord and whose number amounted to about one hundred and twenty. Then they formed the Church, or Assembly, witness of God on earth, dwelling of God by the Spirit. He could not dwell among the Jews, since they had rejected him in the person of his Son.
“Many wonders and miracles were done by the apostles.” We no longer have the apostles to perform miracles, necessary for the establishment of Christianity, but who did not nourish or build the assemblies. They were addressing people outside; they accompanied the preaching of the Word, struck the world with astonishment; but by themselves did not communicate life to anyone. All of God’s work in the unconverted, in believers, and in the Assembly is done by means of the Word of God, applied by the Holy Spirit. Christianity has existed for nineteen centuries. The miracles, destined for its establishment in the midst of hostile Jews and superstitious pagans, no longer have their raison d’être.
It is true that God works to save sinners in the midst of nations that profess Christianity, but His Word is enough. “Faith comes from what one hears, and what one hears by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). The rich man in torment (Luke 16) would have wanted a miracle to be performed so that his brothers would not be coming to the place where he was. But he was told, “They have Moses and the prophets—knowing the scriptures—that they listen to them… If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded either if someone is raised from the dead.” The Lord proves by this that the Word of God alone operates salvation in hearts.
The miraculous power, which is so much claimed in some quarters, is absolutely not necessary, neither to convert nor to edify believers. Everything it takes to operate on Behalf of God has remained intact from the beginning. The believer only has to persevere in the truth, to obey the Word of God. There is no point in saying that God can always work miracles when He finds it appropriate; but it is quite different from the pretense of doing so in the sad state in which Christendom finds itself.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
- The gift of Languages:
Mk 16:17 These are the miracles that will accompany those who have believed: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak new tongues; Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to express themselves. Acts 10:46 For they heard them speak in tongues and glorify God. Acts 19:6 When Paul laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
- Testimony:
-refers to personal experience: Ps 66:16 Come, listen, all of you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done to my soul. (Ps 71:15 My mouth will publish your righteousness, your salvation, every day, for I do not know what the limits are. Ps 119:13,46 From my lips I list all the sentences of your mouth. 46 I will speak of your precepts before the kings, and I will not blush.)
-Counts god’s blessings: Isa 63:7 I will publish the graces of Jehovah, the praises of Jehovah, from all that Jehovah has done for us; I will say his great kindness to the house of Israel, which he treated according to his compassions and the richness of his love.
-is nourished by an inner fire: Jer 20:9 If I say: I will no longer mention him, I will no longer speak in his name, There is in my heart like a devouring fire That is enclosed in my bones. I try to contain it, and I cannot. (Dn 3:25 He resumed and said, Well, I see four unrelated men, walking in the midst of fire, and having no trouble; and the figure of the fourth resembles that of a son of the gods. Jon 1:9 He answered them: I am Hebrew, and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the earth.)
-a daily duty: Ml 3:16 Then those who fear the Lord spoke to each other; The Lord was attentive, and he listened; And a book of remembrance was written before him for those who fear the Lord and honor his name.
Inspired by the Spirit: Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to express themselves.
-becomes untenable: Acts 4:20 because we cannot fail to speak of what we have seen and heard. (Acts 5:32 We witness these things, as is the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey Him. Acts 26:22 But, thanks to God’s help, I have subsisted to this day, giving witness before the young and the great, without deviating in any way from what the prophets and Moses declared to have to happen).
-a fruit of faith: 2 Co 4:13 And, as we have the same spirit of faith that is expressed in this word of Scripture: I believed, that is why I spoke! we also believe, and that is why we speak (1 P 5:12 It is through Silvain, who is in my eyes a faithful brother, that I write to you these few words, to exhort you and to attest to you that the grace of God to which you are attached is the true one.)
- Spiritual words:
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to express themselves. 1 Co 1:5 For in him you have been filled with all the riches that concern word and knowledge; 2 Co 8:7 Just as you excel in all things, in faith, in word, in knowledge, in zeal in all respects, and in your love for us, make sure that you also excel in this work of charity. Eph 6:19 Pray for me, that when I open my mouth, I may be given the power to make known boldly and freely the mystery of the Gospel; Col 4:3 Pray at the same time for us, that God may open a door for the word, so that I may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains,
- Spirit-filled men:
Lk 1:15 For he will be great before the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor intoxicating liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb; Luke 4:1 Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness; Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to express themselves. Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: Leaders of the people, and elders of Israel; Acts 4:31 When they prayed, the place where they were gathered trembled; they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they confidently proclaimed the word of God. Acts 7:55 But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, and staring at heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Acts 11:24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a fairly large crowd joined the Lord. Acts 13:9 Then Saul, also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze upon him, and said; Acts 13:52 as the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
- True Religion: Examples of Piety:
-Enoch Gen 5:24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.
-Noah Gen 6:9 This is Noah’s posterity. Noah was a just and upright man in his time; Noah walked with God.
-Jaebets 1 Ch 4:10 Jaebets invoked the God of Israel, saying, “If you bless me and extend my limits, if your hand is with me, and if you save me from misfortune, so that I am not in suffering!… And God granted what he had asked.
-Hezekiah 2 Ch 31:20 This is what Hezekiah did in all Of Judah; he did what is right, what is right, what is true, before Jehovah, his God.
-Job Jb 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uts who was called Job. And this man was upright and upright; he feared God, and turned away from evil.
-Daniel 6:11 Then these men entered tumultuously, and they found Daniel praying and invoking his God.
Simeon Lk 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon. This man was righteous and pious, he awaited the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
-Anne Lk 2:37 Remained a widow, and aged eighty-four, she did not leave the temple, and she served God night and day in fasting and prayer.
Nathanael Jn 1:47 Jesus, seeing Nathanael coming to him, said of him: Behold truly an Israelite, in whom there is no fraud.
Christ Jn 8:29 The One who sent me is with me; He did not leave me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to Him.
-Cornelius Acts 10:2 This man was pious and feared God, with his whole house; he gave many alms to the people, and prayed to God continuously.
-Barnabas Acts 11:24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a fairly large crowd joined the Lord.
-Ananias Acts 22:12 Now, a man named Ananias, a pious man according to the law, and of whom all the Jews dwelt in Damascus bore a good witness, came to present himself to me,
-Timothy 2 Tim 1:5 keeping the memory of the sincere faith that is in you, that first dwelt in your ancestor Loïs and in your mother Eunice, and that, I am convinced, also dwells in you.
From all of the above, we note that God’s grace used Peter’s preaching to act on the consciences of many of his listeners, inviting them to repentance; for their hearts were seized with profound gravity, when they understood in what outrageous way they had offended God by crucifying the one whom he made Lord and Christ. Many wonders and miracles were done by the apostles. They were addressing people outside; they accompanied the preaching of the Word, struck the world with astonishment; but by themselves did not communicate life to anyone. They persevered in the doctrine of the apostles; they were in communion together and with the apostles; they broke the bread, and spent their time in prayer. Our prayers support you all in your efforts to repent and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Ghost. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may be shining in my life right now.
Thank you Lord Jesus for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby watering point to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and for centuries of centuries. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you in a while about “the healing of a lame man.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.