The heart of the Gospel is the message of grace. In Acts 13, Paul declares this message to Jews and Gentiles alike: we can be in right relationship with God through belief in Jesus!
Scripture:
Job, chapters 9-10; Acts, chapters 13-14
Acts 13:38-47 (CEB):
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, know this: Through Jesus we proclaim forgiveness of sins to you. From all those sins from which you couldn’t be put in right relationship with God through Moses’ Law, through Jesus everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God. Take care that the prophets’ words don’t apply to you: ‘Look, you scoffers, marvel and die. I’m going to do work in your day – a work you won’t believe even if someone told you.’”
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to speak about these things again on the next Sabbath. When the people in the synagogue were dismissed, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism accompanied Paul and Barnabas, who urged them to remain faithful to the message of God’s grace.
On the next Sabbath, almost everyone in the city gathered to hear the Lord’s word. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were overcome with jealousy. They argued against what Paul was saying by slandering him. Speaking courageously, Paul and Barnabas said, “We had to speak God’s word to you first. Since you reject it and show that you are unworthy to receive eternal life, we will turn to the Gentiles. This is what the Lord commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that you could bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”
Observations: The Heart of the Gospel
Paul and Barnabas arrived in Pisidian Antioch after sailing from Cyprus. In Cyprus, even the governor, Sergius Paulus, came to believe in Jesus. A false teacher and sorcerer named Bar-Jesus opposed their preaching; he had wielded influence over the governor and didn’t want to lose his position of power. Paul announced that “the Lord’s power” would strike Bar-Jesus blind – and that’s exactly what happened! While Paul acted with power, the governor also believed because “he was astonished by the teaching about the Lord” (Acts 13:12).
When they left Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas headed north to the area which is the modern-day country of Turkey. When they came to Pisidian Antioch, they went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. While there, they shared a message with the assembled group. Paul got up to preach. He briefly recounted the history of God’s interaction with the people of Israel, from Moses down to Jesus. Paul described this message as “the good news” – the gospel – and declared that God had fulfilled what He had promised by raising Jesus from the dead.
The Heart of the Gospel: Forgiveness of Sins
That brings us to today’s passage, and Paul’s declaration of forgiveness of sins through Jesus. His audience of Jews and Gentile God-worshipers understood what sin was – a violation of God’s commands. Since Moses’ time, the system of ritual sacrifices in the Law atoned for sins. But as the writer of Hebrews points out, “It’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). The ritual atonement of the Law did nothing to actually change people – so they fell back into sin over and over again. Again from Hebrews 10: “[The Law] can never perfect the ones who are trying to draw near to God through the same sacrifices that are offered continually every year. Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered? If the people carrying out their religious duties had been completely cleansed once, no one would have been aware of sin anymore. Instead, these sacrifices are a reminder of sin every year…” (Hebrews 10:1-3).
The Heart of the Gospel: By Grace Through Faith
The good news is not simply that sins are forgiven through Jesus, but that we can be put in right relationship with God. We cannot earn this righteousness through sacrifices or service; it is “by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Through Jesus everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God.
That prompts the question: what kind of “belief” does Paul mean? Verse 43 tells us that it involves remaining faithful to the message of God’s grace. Remaining faithful implies an active participation on our part, as Paul makes clear in many of his epistles. The message of grace does not invite us to continue in sin because grace covers our sins! “Should we sin because we aren’t under Law but under grace? Absolutely not! Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, that you are slaves of the one whom you obey?…Now that you have been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:15-18, emphasis added).
Application: The Heart of the Gospel: The Message of Grace
If the message of grace is good news, that means that we need God’s grace to take away our sins. The first step therefore is to acknowledge our sins – our need for God’s grace. If we don’t have any sins, we don’t need forgiveness. That’s why Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. To believe the message requires that we admit our sin.
Unfortunately, that’s where so much of our world has gone off the rails. Our culture has denied the existence of absolute truth in an attempt to define away human sinfulness. If there is no such thing as “right and wrong,” then different behaviors and attitudes are simply matters of preference. Another approach is to claim that “we can’t help it,” that “that’s just the way we are.” Such a claim ignores the truth of Scripture and diminishes the power of the salvation we have through Jesus. If “that’s just the way we are,” it’s because of the sinful nature that we’re born with. Jesus’ victory over sin both forgives our sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
In order to receive the “good news,” we have to accept the “bad news.” All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Sin is neither acceptable nor inevitable for the follower of Jesus. That’s why the gospel brings hope!
Prayer:
Father, thank You for Your grace. Through Jesus, we have both forgiveness and life. The victory which Jesus won on the cross is enough for both salvation and transformation. Help us not only to say that we believe this, but to live as though we believe it! Amen.
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