THIS IS THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE THAT OUR GOD OFFERS US

I heard a sermon on Acts 13 the other day and it spurred me to write a blog on it.

Paul is in Antioch and is talking in the Synagogue to the Jews and some gentiles.

Paul begins by telling the history of the Jews and what God has done for them, and shows how Jesus, being descended from the line of David, who was the son of Jesse, came as their Saviour. (Verses 22 & 23).

It is a message of Salvation.  (verse 26).

The importance of the message is this;

Paul says, “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.” (verses 38 & 39).

Notice he says EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES and EVERY SIN. This is the good news! (Psalm 96:2). It was meant for the Jews, but as they rejected Christ, it was given to the *Gentiles also. (Acts 13:44). This was all prophesised many years before Christ. (Isaiah 49:6)

His word in action was shown when some people bought a paralyzed man to be healed, he said he would prove that ‘the Son of man, (a title Jesus used to describe himself), had the authority on earth to forgive sins,’ ‘then he turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up and went home.’

We are not able to obtain such justification on our own through the law given to Moses, so our loving Father gave us Jesus to do it for us. It was a heavy price to pay, but Jesus did it willingly. It is our faith in Jesus, and how we respond to his love, (by loving others as he first loved us - willingly and unconditionally), that pleases our Heavenly Father and brings us close to him. (Romans 5:1 & Micah 6:8).

Without Jesus, we are lost to our own sins. With him, we are saved from them. That is the truth of it! (John 14:6).

There are many who **scoff at the idea, but for us who believe, this is the hope we hold onto, and I, for one, would rather stand with Jesus, than join in the egotistical craziness of the world.

This is how I understand my God.

Read for yourself, see what you think.

*Gentiles simply means non Jews.

**“Look you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.” (Acts 41 referring to Habukak 1:5)