Saturday, August 02, 2008

No New Message

Acts 10:35-37 KJV
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

It is not that those who "feareth him and worketh righteousness" are saved in and of those acts. Cornelius did both, but he was not saved until he heard the Word of the Lord and it indwelt him. (This passage says nothing of their praying the sinner's prayer but that as they heard the Word of God the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard.) He wasn't saved through his good works, but God did honor those good works by sending to him a man to tell him about Christ.

I think it is interesting that Peter told Cornelius and those with him that he already knew the Word Peter would preach. It had been "published throughout all Judea" and Cornelius was in Judea. In some parts of the world, it might be necessary to publish the Word in the first place so that people know about
The children of Israel
The baptism of John and
The message of Jesus Christ

But in most of the Western Cultures, it would still hold true that we can assume they have heard at least the rudimentary elements of these messages.

Peter did not give a new message; he just reaffirmed the message he knew they had already heard and let God do with that message as He pleased.
God anointed Jesus - whose 3 1/2 year ministry was much used of the Lord
The Apostles witnessed that He was taken by the Jews and crucified
But Jesus resurrected after three days and was openly shown to the apostles to be alive
Those apostles were then commanded to preach that Jesus is the Judge of the quick (those saved) and the dead (those who are not saved) and
That whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins (be saved).

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