The Reality Of Salvation 4-12-26 AM

I.            The realization of sin (Acts 2:37).

a.    The apostles had just stated that God had made Jesus both Lord and Christ and they had crucified Him (Acts 2:36).

b.    This message pierced them.

         i.      They were cut to the heart.

         ii.      Some versions say pierced to the heart.

         iii.      One version has the footnote, “Wounded in conscience.”

c.     This means that truth wounded them before it healed them.

d.     These people were brought face to face with their guilt.

e.      In order to be saved, a person must stop arguing with God about sin and start agreeing with Him about it.

f.       People have to come to understand two things:

          i.      How much God hates sin.

          ii.      They have sin in their lives.

g.     Until those two things are realized, individuals will never be saved.

          i.      The people on Pentecost were religious and devout, which tells us they were aware of the first thing.

          ii.      It was not until Peter and the apostles pointed out their complicity in the death of Jesus that they became aware of the second.

h.     No one comes to Christ or becomes saved casually.

          i.      There is no such thing as accidental salvation.

          ii.      Before one can have peace with God, there has to be conviction of sin.

i.       These people heard the gospel.

          i.      They were shown by scripture who Jesus was.

          ii.      They were shown what they had done in bringing about His death.

          iii.      They were shown what that meant before God.

j.       The word of God exposed their sin to them.

k.      Heb. 4:12.

          i.      Acts 2 contains a vivid illustration of the truth of this verse.

          ii.      The sermon did not just inform them, it exposed their hearts.

l.       When do we usually go to the doctor?

          i.      Not until the pain becomes too severe to dismiss.

          ii.      The pain isn’t the cure though, is it?

          iii.      It is the warning that something is wrong and needs to be seen about.

m.    In the same way, conviction of sin is painful, but it is merciful.

          i.      God is showing us that our condition is serious.

          ii.      He is showing us that our condition is spiritually deadly.

n.      Some people never come to Christ because they are never honest about their sinful state.

          i.      They compare themselves to others and say, “I’m not that bad.”

          ii.      It does not matter if we are better or worse that someone else.

          iii.      It matters only if we are right with God.

o.      The prodigal son did not come home until he came to himself (Lu. 15:17).

p.      David was not restored until he said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13).

q.      The publican in Luke 18 went home justified only after he cried out “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

r.       No one will seek salvation until there is a realization of sin in one’s life.

II.            The requirement for salvation (Acts 2:38).

a.      Once the people asked what they needed to do, Peter, by inspiration, gave them a clear answer.

           i.      He didn’t say, say this prayer.

           ii.      He didn’t say, you are already saved.

           iii.      He didn’t say, nothing at all.

b.      The requirement was plain: repent and be baptized.

c.      Repentance is a change of heart that leads to a change of life.

          i.      It is a turning away from sin.

          ii.      But it has to be coupled with a surrender to the rule of Christ.

d.     Baptism is not presented as being optional or a good idea.

          i.      Peter joins it with repentance as the response of faith to the gospel.

          ii.      When they came to believe who Jesus was, they had to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins.

e.      There is a lot of argument about this in the religious world.

          i.      And joins things of like value.

          ii.      The word translated for means to obtain.

          iii.      It really is this simple.

          iv.      Repentance and baptism are equal and, when combined, bring about the obtaining of the remission of one’s sins.

f.       The book of Acts consistently presents this response as the way people entered Christ.

          i.      In every conversion account in the book, baptism takes place.

          ii.      These on Pentecost, those at the temple when Peter and John heal the lame man, Cornelius, Saul who became Paul, the Samaritans in Acts 8, Lydia, and every other account in the book.

g.     Jesus said whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mk. 16:16).

h.     Romans 6:3-4 tells us that in baptism we are united with Christ in His death and raised to walk in newness of life.

i.       In 2 Kings 5 we read about Naaman.

          i.      He wanted to be healed of his leprosy but he was resisting God’s simple command to dip seven times in the Jordan River.

          ii.      He wanted to be healed on his own terms.

          iii.      Only when he humbled himself and obeyed exactly what God said was he healed.

j.       This is still the struggle today.

          i.      People are glad and willing to talk about grace in the abstract, but continually resist the form of obedience God has laid out.

          ii.      Grace does not eliminate our response: it calls for a response.

k.     The world says, “Do what you want or what feels right”; the gospel says, “Do what God says.”

l.       We can’t rewrite Acts 2:38 to fit our preferences.

m.    Peter preached by the authority of Christ and was guided by the Holy Spirit in so doing.

n.      We can’t improve on heaven’s answer to this vital question.

o.      Repentance means we can’t hold on to the sins we love.

p.      Baptism means we can’t keep Jesus at a distance.

q.      Both say: “I yield myself to Christ.”

r.       Real salvation follows the requirements of God instead of inventing its own.

III.            The responsibility of self (Acts 2:40).

a.      We don’t have all the words that Peter and the apostles preached on that great day.

b.      But we do have this saying recorded in verse 40.

c.      There is no way that Peter was saying they had the power to save themselves apart from Jesus.

          i.      Scripture is clear that Jesus is the only Savior.

          ii.      His blood is the purchase price of our redemption (Acts 20:28; Rom. 5:8-9).

          iii.      We will always be saved by God’s grace (Eph. 2:8-9).

d.     What Peter did say is that each one present had a personal responsibility to respond to the gospel.

          i.      No one could obey for them.

          ii.      Their spouses, parents, children, friends could not respond for them.

          iii.      No one could surrender their heart for them or anyone else but him or herself.

e.      These words scream out personal responsibility.

          i.      Their generation, like all previous and following ones, was crooked, or sinful.

          ii.      They did not have to remain a part of it, just like we do not.

          iii.      They were being called to separate from rebellion and submit to Jesus and we are as well.

f.       This fits the pattern of scripture.

          i.      Noah built the ark, but each person had to enter it.

          ii.      Moses lifted up the serpent, but each bitten person had to look at it.

          iii.      Jesus died for all men, but each soul must submit in obedience.

g.     No one can eat for you can they?

h.     No one can take medicine for you can they?

i.       Someone may care deeply about you, plead with you, and pray for you, but that person cannot obey the gospel for you.

          i.      Parents can raise you to know the truth.

          ii.      A spouse can encourage you.

          iii.      A preacher can preach to you.

          iv.      A congregation can surround you with love and encouragement.

          v.      No one can obey Jesus in your place.

j.       This is where many people stall.

          i.      They know the truth and may even feel conviction.

          ii.      They may even intend one day to obey, but they keep waiting for a better time.

k.      Felix trembled in Acts 24, but that is not the same thing as transforming.

l.        Agrippa was almost persuaded in Acts 26, but almost is still lost.

m.    3,000 people in Acts did not just feel something, they acted.

n.      You and I, individually, are responsible for what we do with Jesus.

o.      You and I, individually, are responsible for what we do with truth.

p.      You and I, individually, are responsible for whether we remain in sin or come to Christ.

q.      This passage teaches the responsibility of self.

IV.            The reception of the Savior (Acts 2:41).

a.      This is the beautiful end of the passage.

           i.      Those that were in despair did not all stay in it.

           ii.      The people who asked the question got an answer.

           iii.      The people who heard the word received it.

b.      We know this because they obeyed it.

c.       Receiving the word was not just merely nodding and agreeing with the sermon.

           i.      It was not admiring the apostles preaching.

           ii.      It was responding in obedient faith.

d.      Their receiving the Savior was active, not passive.

           i.      They welcomed the truth and submitted to it.

           ii.      Their glad reception showed itself in immediate obedience.

e.      The result was wonderful: they were added to the church – the Lord and His people (Acts 2:47).

f.       Receiving the Savior at His word was not invisible sentiment or a great feeling.

g.     It brought those people into a new life, a new people, a new allegiance, and a new hope.

h.     When a person is drowning, he doesn’t argue with the lifeguard.

          i.      He doesn’t say, “Thanks for the offer, let me think about it for a minute.”

          ii.      He yields to the rescue.

i.       This is what the 3,000 did with Jesus.

j.       They did not debate the remedy, they received it.

k.     3,000 people obeyed that day.

          i.      The gospel can still move large numbers, but it always comes down to individual hearts.

          ii.      Every one of those 3,000 souls had to receive the word for him or herself.

l.       Today, people often want a Savior without surrender.

          i.      You can’t receive Christ and reject His word.

          ii.      Luke 6:46.

m.    When we truly receive the Savior, He is gladly obeyed.