Jesus, the name above all names. There is no other way to the Father except through His only begotten Son. All God yet all man He provides everything needed for our salvation!
John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
What does God require of us? Micah 6:8
Be fair
Be merciful
Be humble
It is nothing to do with our goodness and everything to do with His
The disciples of Jesus in His earthly ministry were still practicing Jews with all its laws and doctrines. They were persecuted in the synagogue for their allegiance to Him.
Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring;
The Gentiles were not raised Jewish nor did they understand the Jewish Old Covenant of works and they were now offered this gift of God under the New Covenant of Grace. God does not want anyone to perish He died for the whole human race.
Romans 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
In the end God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to Paul’s gospel of grace. Jesus, the Creator of everything, was born, died and was resurrected for mankind, and only in Him can we be saved. He came to restore to Himself the perfect world that He originally made and then He rested at the right hand of the Majesty of High.
Some hear the word of salvation and cannot understand it. Some hear the word and they have no real connection and when persecution comes it dies. Some hear the word and the cares of the world choke it out. Some hear and believe and their faith allows it to grow and produce by the help of Holy Spirit.
God's friendship with us is faithfully fierce, deeply loyal and committedly true.
How can we, as mere humans, reciprocate in our relationship with God and love Him with all our hearts? The answer lies further in the passage. James 4:6 states, "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. '" The key to being loyal to God is to rely on the grace He grants us. This grace is a gift or blessing brought to us only by Jesus Christ. It encompasses His divine favor and ultimate kindness.
What an absolute joy it is to know that through Christ's completed work on the cross, we can experience true friendship with God here on earth. Jesus Himself said, "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Why is pride so worthy of opposition? The word "proud" in this passage in the original Greek is huperephanos. It is used five times in the New Testament and is best defined as showing oneself above others in an arrogant way, attempting to outdo or outshine, or disdainfully trying to be more than what God directs. The root word huper means "above, beyond, more than." But as Matthew 10:24 says, "A disciple is not above[huper] his teacher.”
Scripture mentions that pride comes from within a person, defiling them (Mark 7:20-23). It does not come from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:16). So God resists the proud, and as sinners, we all have incidents of pride at times because all sin is prideful. Sin is thinking we know better than God. It means choosing the ways of the world over God's ways.
Thankfully, as we follow Jesus, He helps us display humility and experience the fullness of God's grace (1 Peter 5:5). Philippians 2:3 urges, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." Such humility combats pride and allows us to live in harmony with God and others. Meanwhile, we eagerly wait for the day when Christ will return and every form of pride in us will be forever rooted out. First5
Let us be grounded in the soil of grace, gentleness, kindness, healing, restitution, renewal, replenishment.
And yes, to find rest in our soul.
Sabbath Moments
Acts 2:38–39
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” The New King James Version
Many in the crowd respond to Peter’s sermon in repentance and faith, are baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Greek word used here for repent, metanoeō, denotes a change of mind, will, or actions. Peter calls the people to believe that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the old testament.
Peter’s exhortation involves two actions: repentance and baptism. These are connected with two promises: forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Acts, Luke presents saving faith, repentance, forgiveness, baptism, and the gift of the Spirit as interrelated aspects of embracing Jesus and coming to belong to the people of God in Christ.
Just as circumcision served as a visible external marker of inclusion in the covenant community of Israel, so baptism serves as the public sign and seal of a person’s solidarity with Christ and participation in the new covenant community of faith, which encompasses both Jewish and non-Jewish people. Baptism identifies a person with Jesus in His life, death, burial, and resurrection.
God does not overlook or ignore sin, but graciously frees those who belong to Jesus from its condemnation and power. Before His ascension, Jesus promised to send the Spirit to dwell in those who belong to Him, enabling them to trust and follow Him as their Savior and Lord. Faithlife Study Bible
Repentance for the Judeans involved rejecting their former attitudes and opinions concerning who Jesus was. When a person recognizes who Jesus Christ really is, the result is the desire to do what He commands.
A comparison of Peter’s message in 10:34–43 makes it clear that “remission of sins” comes to “whoever believes.” Believers are baptized in view of God’s work of forgiveness, not in order to receive that forgiveness. God’s forgiveness in Christ gives baptism its significance. Baptism is a public declaration that a person’s sins have been forgiven because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross.
The gift of the Holy Spirit was the promise of Jesus. The Holy Spirit puts us in communion with the Father and the Son. This indwelling of the Spirit is a beautiful promise of the New Covenant an indication not only that our sins are forgiven, but also that the Lord has placed His law within us.
Peter exhorted his listeners to repent. In other words, each person had to make the decision to turn away from his or her sinful habits and turn to God in faith. Then God would forgive that person’s sins and declare them righteous because of Jesus’ work on the Cross.
In first-century Israel, a father held tremendous influence in his home. When a father chose to receive Christ and be baptized, his children would follow his lead. The NKJV Study Bible
Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Ephesians 2:12–13 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Acts 22:16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
No comments:
Post a Comment