From my reading in Acts 4:1-22 in the One Year New Testament.
Popular culture says that there are many legitimate faith systems and that ultimately all roads lead to God.
The Bible, on the other hand, is very clear that Jesus is the only way to be saved. It is an unpopular, counter-cultural message but one that needs to be shared if we are to stay faithful to the God and his word. Peter boldly proclaimed this when he was on trial.
“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
No one else but Jesus can save us!
Why, you may ask? Because no one else is a legitimate sacrifice. All other humans and even religious teachers were flawed, sinful people. They may have taught helpful things but none of them were God in flesh, none of them lived a perfect life, none of them died as a sacrifice for the debt of our sins.
Debt is a huge issue in our society.
Many of us have credit card debit. All humans have a debt before God. It is called sin. When we sin, a debt is credited to our account that can only be paid by one person. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid our debt. Our choice is to receive his payment.
Jesus is the only way to be saved from our sin because he is the only sacrifice for our sin.
For those of us who have already accepted this message, I want us to learn from the messengers of this unpopular statement. Here’s what Luke writes about them in the next verse,
“The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13
It takes great boldness to share this message today as it did 2,000 years ago.
Your wiliness to share the gospel of Christ boldly can be a testimony to people that you have “been with Jesus.” Now we all don’t have to do what the apostles did in the same way. But as a church, we must be a part of using our gifts to share this message.
If you are convinced that there really is “no other name” than Jesus, then you ought to be a part of sharing it whether those around you want you to or not. Peter and John were asked to stop telling others about Jesus and this was there response:
“Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19–20
If God is telling you to share Jesus with someone, do it!
It is better to obey God than to please men. We should have a passion to share about what we have experienced in Christ.
davidworcester.net 