Ac. 10:36-43, WDY’K: God Keeps His Children Forever (1)

(Pardon the abbreviation in the title.  You know what it means by now.)

Doctrinal Statement: We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming children of God, and are eternally secure.

I hesitated on this final part of the doctrinal statement because we have spent considerable time on this subject recently (Sept. 22-Oct. 1).  But we have a different approach in this study as we include the doctrine of “regeneration.”

1)    What does the Bible say about being “born again?” (John 3:1-17; Titus 3:5; Acts 10:36-43).  To be born again one must receive Jesus Christ by faith (John 1:12-13).  We do not hold to the idea that the new birth precedes the expression of faith.  To those who believe God gives the power to become His sons.  Thus, the gospel includes certain facts about Christ and then issues in a call to faith.  Let’s use Peter’s presentation of the gospel to Cornelius in Acts 10 to see what facts were presented.

a)    Peter talked about Jesus’ life (v37-39a).  This is not the “gospel” itself, although it is wonderfully good news.  The life Jesus lived was required for the gospel.  He had to be proven worthy to be the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.  The gospel depends on the sinless life of Christ.

b)    Peter talked about Jesus’ death (v39b).  He puts this in the context of, “we are witnesses.”  Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Heb. 9:22).  Christ was set forth by God to satisfy God’s righteous demands (i.e. be the propitiation) “through faith in His blood” (Rom. 3:25).  This is the basis of the peace that Christ came to preach (Acts 10:36); “having made peace through the blood of the cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself” (Col. 1:20).

c)    Peter talked about Jesus’ resurrection (v40-42).  This is as essential to the gospel as is the cross (2 Tim. 2:8).  “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).  Read the great resurrection chapter, 1 Cor. 15, especially v1-8, 12-19,22.  The resurrection is also essential to Christ’s Lordship.  Look at John 20:16,28 and see how both Mary Magdalene and Thomas saw the resurrected Christ.  Paul’s message to the Athenians states that God “will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this by raising Him from the dead” (Ac. 17:30-31).  The resurrection is the final and most convincing sign that Christ is truly the Son of God (Rom. 1:4).  See also Rom. 4:24-26; 10:9-13.

Then Peter talked about faith (v43).  And before he could ask who might want to receive Christ, the Spirit moved those who were listening to believe!