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What is saving faith in Jesus Christ? Acts 4:1-22. 12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NIV84). Jesus Christ - Who is He?. The man who was born of the virgin Mary by a miraculous conception
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What is saving faith in Jesus Christ?Acts 4:1-22 12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NIV84)
Jesus Christ - Who is He? • The man who was born of the virgin Mary by a miraculous conception • The Savior of the world • Birthplace: Bethlehem of Judea, 4 B.C. • Title: “The Christ” - fulfilling many OT prophecies • The utterly unique distinction being both fully God and fully man
sacrifice, forgiveness and atonement • Jesusthe only human, bodily sacrifice for sins • offering forgiveness of sin to each human being • to restore relationship – the meaning of atonement
sacrifice • a God-approved living animal • slaughtered as an offering to God • on behalf of the persons bringing the sacrifice.
Leviticus 1:1-2 (NIV84) 1 The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any of you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
Leviticus 1:3-5, 9 (NIV84) 3 “ ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. 4 He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. 5 He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. … 9 … the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
atonement • involves an innocent animal, taking the punishment that was due the guilty person bringing the animal.
atonement • “to cover sin so that God no longer sees it.” atoning sacrifice • the innocence of the animal is conferred onto the repentant sinner.
forgiveness • The Old Testament sacrifices only put off complete forgiveness until the ultimate sacrifice would be made by Christ Himself.
Hebrews 10:1-4 (NIV84) 1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews 10:5-7 (NIV84) 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You (God) did not desire, but a body (Christ’s body) You prepared for Me (God the Father gave His Son a body); 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings You were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about Me in the scroll— I have come to do Your will (to be a sacrifice), O God.’ ”
Hebrews 10:8-10 (NIV84) 8 First He said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then He said, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:11-14 (NIV84) 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this Priest(that is, Jesus Christ,)had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
What does the word faith mean? a noun that is often expressed in verb form believe, trust, obey or hope. Faith in Christ’s redeeming work on the cross for our salvation, this is saving faith.
Saving faith … a man abandons all reliance in his own efforts to obtain salvation. … complete trust in Christ, of reliance on Him alone for all that salvation means. L.L. Morris
Q 29. How can we be saved? A 29. Only by faith in Jesus Christ and in His substitutionary atoning death on the cross
“I am a sinner for whom Christ died. He is my righteousness. My faith rests in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me.” Charles Spurgeon
“It is the object of faith that saves us. … Jesus Christ. He’s the object.” Kevin DeYoung
“The righteous life that Christ lived is imputed to us. … it’s reckoned to us. (like) a wire transfer of funds. Kevin DeYoung
The life of faith in Jesus Christ • Surrender yourself fully and completely to Christ for salvation and to His leadership in every aspect of your life.
Acts 1Here is evidence that saving faith initiates us into a life of faith in Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8 (NIV84) 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 2The empowering of Christ’s church to share boldly the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Living a life of faith, leading to unbelievers to exercise saving faith. • Acts 2:46-47 (NIV84) 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 3-4The first miracle along with Peter’s sermon, precipitated the first opposition. Acts 4:2-3 (NIV84) 2They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
Acts 3:11-13a (NIV84) 11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus.
Acts 3:13b-15 (NIV84) You handed Him over to be killed, and you disowned Him before Pilate, though he had decided to let Him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
Acts 3:16-18 (NIV84) 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. 17 “Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what He had foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer.
Acts 3:19-20, 26 (NIV84) 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. -- 26 When God raised up His servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
Acts 4:1-4 (NIV84) 1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
Acts 4:5-7 (NIV84) 5 The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Acts 4:8-12 (NIV84) 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
If God is asking us to do something, He will provide the empowering to do it. There is a clear correlation between obedience and empowering,between faith and the filling of the Holy Spirit.
We are servants of God and He will in His sovereignty fill us with His Holy Spirit as we live in cooperation with Him.
Acts 4:13-17 (NIV84) 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
They closed their minds and hearts to the transforming grace of the Christ they had crucified, who, nonetheless, extended forgiveness and an opportunity for them to experience new and eternal life.
Acts 4:18-22 (NIV84) 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
Acts 4:12 (NIV84) 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Christianity is about… the transformation of human lives. … taking on a new identity, yielding to the control of Jesus Christ as our Lord.
When we can call our community to come meet the Savior who transforms lives, show them a room full of people at all stages of the transformation process, THEN realize there is hope, there is a way out, there is salvation in Jesus Christ.
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