No Other Name

Acts 4:12 -- "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

This is the battle of our age within the church world and the world as a whole: Is Jesus Christ really the only way of salvation for humanity? We here that all religions are equally true and right for those who practice its teachings but truth by definition is exclusive in and of its self. As Ravi Zacharias has said, "it is more probable for all religions to be wrong than all to be right." Redemption of man as taught in Christianity has no equal in any other religion. All major religions at their core are decisively different. Any serious study of the world religions would demonstrate that all of them have a point of exclusion, not just Christianity. In comparison with all other religious leaders, only Jesus of Nazareth addressed the issues of the sinfulness of the heart and the truth of God being a loving heavenly Father who gives His Son for the sins of the world to deal with this condition. To substantiate this revelation, Jesus dies on a cross for the sins of man and God validates the claim of Christ by demonstrating that He is "the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4)." No other religious leader has ever done such as this. When Jesus stated that He was "the Way, Truth and Life," He did not qualify it with any other statements of exception. Jesus was not just a good man or a prophet or a great enlightened one, He was and is the Son of the one true God and He alone is qualified to be the Savior of humanity. C.S. Lewis, the brilliant 20th century Christian thinker and writer, stated this about Jesus: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us (Mere Christianity)." Christ is man's only savior and there in no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. The world must hear this truth by those who hold it in devoted love.

Repentance

Acts 3:19 -- "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out..."

Here Peter speaks the word that John Baptizer and Jesus Christ both began their ministry with, "repent." These great promises that we have discussed the past few days of God dwelling with men can only become a reality for individuals once they have taken the first step of repentance. This glorious Christian life is not something that we think ourselves into, or work ourselves into,but it is something that is freely given to us when we believe what God has spoken to us in the gospel and we act upon that belief by first of all repenting for our sins against a Holy God. Through the Holy Spirit, I was convinced that I was a sinner, that I needed God's forgiveness, and that Jesus Christ had paid my debt of sin so I could receive it. As a result, I fell upon Christ with sorrow and found that He kept His word by forgiving me, cleansing my conscience of guilt, placing within me power to live a new lifestyle (turning from the old) and filling my heart and mind with joy, peace and love like nothing in this world could ever give. Repentance is required of God for entrance into His kingdom...it's the first step to being "born again." You and I cannot afford to do it our way, that leads to death and destruction but repentance leads to life everlasting. The question we need to answer is: "How is our heart with God?"

This is that!

Acts 2:16-18, 39 -- " But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:...For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
This is that...the day that God fulfilled His promise of making His home within man (John 14:23). No more temple...nor more tents and buildings...now God will dwell in man. We are the habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). What a hope, what a consolation, what a joy this is! God in me and with me. I am not only changed and made new by Christ, but now I face life with the eternal God dwelling within. Jesus told us that all power in heaven and earth was His and that He (all power) would be with us forever (Matthew 28:18-20). Now, that gives courage and comfort in such a world as this. Paul said it clearly: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you (1 Corinthians 3:16)." Yes sir this is that and I rejoice that it is...the reality that God dwells within me.

Empowered

Acts 2:1-4 -- "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. "
What a dynamic day in history! The reality that the Comforter has come and God has taken His abode within man. For the child of God, the Father makes available through the infilling of His Spirit, the power to live and work the works of Christ. We must realize that everything that is accomplished for Christ's Kingdom will only be accomplished in the power of His Holy Spirit. What has God called you to? What direction is He leading you? What task do you feel you need to undertake for the kingdom of Heaven? Whatever the answer, the Holy Spirit is the means by which you will accomplish it. Go forward today in the Holy Spirit and allow Him to live Christ in you and through you.

Witnesses

Acts 1:8 - "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
This is what the world needs so desperately...witnesses unto Christ. We must see and understand that a witness and a testimony are not one and the same. A witness in a judicial trial can give a testimony of what he or she has heard or seen.... But to be a witness is to not only be able to testify with our mouth of God's great work through Christ, but to live a life that witnesses to a watching world through its actions of obedience, faith, holiness, righteousness and peacefulness that Jesus is indeed the Savior of mankind. The great part of this is that it's not left up to us to do it in our strength, but we receive "power" through the Holy Spirit to live this life and to testify to the truth of who Christ is. St. Francis of Assisi stated: "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." Is your life a witness today of the living Christ? My prayer is: Lord, make us witnesses unto you.

Acts 1:1-3

Acts 1:1-3 -- "...Jesus...shewed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them (His disciples) by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God:"
As a born-again believer and follower of Jesus Christ, I would like to stir up your memory to this powerful truth: We as Christians do not have a faith that is a mindless leap into the dark, but rather we believe the testimony of eyewitnesses who saw Jesus Christ alive after His death. These were many infallible proofs and these proofs, by the witness of men and the convincing power of God's Spirit, have led millions to a new life in God. To end the reality of Christianity, all that would be needed was for His body to be produced. But history has shown us that this has not happened (and will not happen). Only a living Savior could change lives from hopelessness, guilt and despair to the assurance of sins forgiven, a clear conscience, hope, joy and a purpose not found in selfish pursuits. See, I know Jesus is alive, because of the changed person I am today. The tomb is empty, my heart is full and the proofs are insurmountable. Jesus' own words ring powerfully 2000 years later..."because I live, you shall live also." Are you really living today?