|
The
Access
To
The
Almighty
God
Of
Acts
2:38
Written
By
Rev
Ivan H Key
Pastor of the First
United Pentecostal Church
4200 Diddle Drive
Bowling Green, Ky
U S A
Copyright 1998 All
rights reserved
All Scripture is from
the King James Version
THE ACCESS TO THE
ALMIGHTY GOD OF ACTS 2:38
(Acts 2:38) Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost.
The statement made by Peter on the day
of Pentecost has echoed down through time until our day.
The truth of this statement still
stands as the question of all people still rings, "Men and
brethren what shall we do?" Lost men still want to know what
they can do to remedy their plight in this world and to stand before
God. Peter's answer remains the answer today as much as ever.
A look at this answer is the substance
of this booklet. I will attempt to explain why Peter gave the answer
he did. If people would understand what Peter answered that day, the
whole world would seek God. Please allow me to explain.
REPENT!
Peter knew what he was saying when he
told his hearers to repent. He was not guessing nor was he
pre-programed by Jesus. Peter was full of the Holy Ghost. Jesus had
opened his mind to the scriptures so that he could understand. He
gave the only access to God that could be given.
There is no way to approach the Holy
God but by the way of repentance. The Almighty God is Holy (1 Peter
1: 15-16) and mankind is sinful. Sinful man can only approach the
HOLY GOD by repentance or by humbling himself.
The humble approach is often
overlooked by people who claim to be righteous. Jesus, in Luke
18:9-14 ". . . spake this parable unto certain which trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men
went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a
publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I
thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I
give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: For
, every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted."
When John the Baptist came preaching
in the wilderness of Judea, he preached, "Repent for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand." This is the acceptable approach to the
Almighty God. Actually, it is the only approach that God can receive.
Approaching God through repentance is
to acknowledge that God is righteous and we are not. King David said
in Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did
my mother conceive me." Paul said in Romans 3:23 "For all
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The only way that man can be used of
God is if he walks with God through humility. Pride in the heart will
always be rejected by God. "For God resisteth the proud and
giveth grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5). It might be worthy
to note that Pride was the original sin of Satan. Isaiah 14:12
states, "How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the
morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the
nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit
also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I
will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High." Paul insisted that pride will result in the judgment of
God as pride brought judgment into the life of Satan.(1 Timothy 3:6)
David said in Psalm. 51:17, "The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart,
0 God, thou wilt not despise." When Jonah preached to Nineveh
the message of destruction, the people from the king to the lowest
man repented in sack cloth and ashes. When God saw how they humbled
themselves in repentance, God repented of the judgment that he would
do and did it not. Time and time again the Bible shows that the only
way to God is through humility and repentance.
AND BE BAPTIZED IN THE
NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS
Water baptism is by definition for the
remission of sins, past or future. The blood of Jesus, which is in
His name, is for the washing away of the past sins. The Name also
brings the blood of Jesus into the believer's life. This blood of
Jesus is the victory of the saints and the church of the living God.
For the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us from sin.
For a person to live for eternity, he
had to be reconciled to God. The Almighty God had to take his abode
in his heart and life. For God to be able to fill the person with the
Holy Ghost, there had to be a sacrifice for sin so that sin could be
removed from his life, This is why Jesus became a sacrifice for all
mankind. 2 Corinthians 5: 19 states, "To wit that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself . . . " It was the
death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that laid down the path into
the presence of God so that you could live for ever. It is in the
waters of baptism that you become identified with God's sacrifice
when you are immersed in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sin.
We must affiliate ourselves with the
Name of Jesus. For it is through this Name that the saving power in
the death of Jesus is incorporated into our life, and the salvation
of Jesus now becomes ours. Apostle Peter said in Acts 4:12, "Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
When you have been baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ, you become identified with the royal family of
God. Paul in Ephesians 3:14-15 said, "For this cause I bow my
knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole
family in heaven and in earth is named." The name of Jesus is a
family name. James said," Do they not blaspheme that worthy name
by which ye are called?" ( James 2:7) Without His name, we are
denied the benefits His name affords.
The name of Jesus has power in heaven,
in earth, or under the earth. Philippians 2:9-10 states, "Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father." It is in the name of Jesus that
you cast out devils. It is in the name of Jesus that healing takes
place.
When you take this name in baptism,
the privilege of the use of His great name is yours.
When we approach the throne of God in
prayer, the name of Jesus identifies us. We are recognized by God
through the name of Jesus, and the blood of Jesus qualifies us to
come into the throne room of God. Hebrews 10:19-20 affirms, "Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood
of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." It thrills the
heart of a man when he realizes that he can stand before the very
presence of God, to petition him for our needs.
May I inject this fact here? We come
into the presence of God on the merits of the blood of Jesus, not
our own worthiness. If the saints of God understood this truth
there would be a great number of people who would delight in prayer.
When we approach God, even with the blood, there can be some
resistance simply because our carnal nature has to be subdued.
However, if you come on the merits of the blood of Jesus, Satan
cannot say, "you are unworthy or you are not qualified to
approach God." Many times we are hindered by the accuser of the
brethren, Satan himself. But what victory is ours when we can reply,
I have the blood of Jesus applied to my life, and I have the
privilege, through the blood, to approach the throne of God. Jesus
bought this privilege for us on the cross. It is the perfect will of
God that we should be able to stand before Him. So salvation is from
God and not of our own works lest any should boast. Salvation is the
handiwork of God and no one else.
Please notice Romans 10:6-7, "But
the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in
thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ
down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to
bring up Christ again from the dead.)" The answer to both
questions is NO ONE. The salvation we have was given to us by the
loving God, and we did nothing to merit it nor did we deserve it.
Salvation therefore is the gift of God. There should always be a
rejoicing in our hearts for the love of God that brought salvation.
THE POWERFUL BLOOD OF
JESUS
There is no way that I can begin to
tell of the power or benefits of the blood. It is the blood that
gives us the victory over sin. "The life of the flesh is in the
blood. I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for
your souls, for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the
soul." (Leviticus 17:11, 14). The life of Jesus was in His
blood. Paul said, "When Christ who is our life shall appear."
(Colossians 3:3) The church was purchased with the blood of God.
(Acts 20:28.)
The Spirit of God is what makes the
blood work. In 1 John 5:8 we read these words, "There are three
that bear witness on the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the
blood, these three are one. The water refers to water baptism and the
blood witness to the redemption of Jesus. The Spirit supplies the
power to the water and to the Blood.
The death of Jesus on the cross and
the blood that was spilled is what reconciles us to the Holy God. Sin
had total control of our lives until we were delivered by the power
of the blood of Jesus. It was because of sin that God could not
fellowship man after the fall. The cross of Jesus and the shed blood
had the power to blot out all our transgressions and deliver us from
the Devil himself. When the blood is applied to a person's life, he
becomes, holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in God's sight.
(Colossians. 1:22) He is now holy and able to fellowship the Holy
God. When we are reconciled to God, we have become His son or
daughter and the hatred that God had against us is removed, and now
God is the greatest friend that anyone could have.
The Blood continually cleanses the
heart to which it is applied. In 1 John 1:7 we read, "If we walk
in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship the one with
the other and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us of all
sin." The blood, being taken on by someone in baptism, begins
its work by blotting out past transgressions. "For as many that
have been baptized into Christ has put on Christ,"
(Galatians3:27). The blood continues in our life as a bonding agent
that keeps us clean and in fellowship with the Almighty God. (1 John
1:7) It is the blood that is upon our soul that keeps us day by day.
If it were not for the cleansing work of the blood, there would be no
flesh saved.
The blood has the power to sanctify.
In Hebrews 13:12, "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify
the people suffered without the gate." In simple terms
sanctification means set aside or separated. When a person is
sanctified by the blood of Jesus, he is set apart to be a vessel that
God can use. When God sanctifies someone the person is now God's
personal property and fit for the M aster's use. When Aaron and his
sons were sanctified in the Old Testament, the blood of the sacrifice
was touched to his right ear, to the thumb of the right hand and to
his great toe on his right foot. The reason for the blood to be
applied is such a manner was that he and his sons were going to
minister in the presence of the Lord. Their cleansing by the blood
was to approve them before the Lord. The blood of Jesus applied to
our lives has the same effect. Because of the blood you can handle
the Word of God and the Spirit of God while ministering to the needs
of mankind.
It is because of the sanctification of
the blood that the church stands holy and separate from the world.
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) This is a
testimony that the blood of Jesus has the power to make new creatures
out of all of us.
It is the power of the blood that
enables us to walk in the Spirit. It is the power of the blood that
gives us the privilege of fellowship with the Great and Holy God. It
is the power of the blood of Jesus that bids us to enter into the
Holy of Holies where our Savior is seated upon the throne. We have
the right to enter into the realm of the Spirit because of the shed
blood of Jesus.
YE SHALL RECEIVE THE
GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST
After Peter had told the people to
repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, he told them that
they could receive the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is the very presence of
the Almighty God. When we receive the Holy Ghost, it is our birth of
the Spirit. The Holy Ghost is the power of the resurrected Jesus now
living in the heart of his disciple. It is this Spirit that makes us
overcomers. It is this Spirit that has the power to work miracles. It
is this Spirit that heals the sick and delivers those that are bound.
It is this Spirit that ushers us into the new testament, which is the
realm of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:6) Anyone and everyone can walk
in the Spirit because the way into the presence of God has been
bought and paid for by the man named Jesus through his death on the
cross.
The baptism of the Holy Ghost is the
direct result of the works of Calvary. It was the lamb slain in
Exodus 12 that delivered Israel from Egypt. In fact, it was the death
of the lamb that brought the people to the foot of Mt. Sinai where
the law was given. It was the death of the true Lamb of God, Jesus,
that brought us to Mt. Sion (Zion), the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the
general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in
heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men
made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to
the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of
Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24) In short, the sacrifice of Jesus brings the
person to God, and to all that God has in His kingdom.
When God fills the believer with the
Holy Ghost he will speak in other tongues. (Acts 2:14) This is the
birth of the Spirit, spoken by Jesus in John 3:3-8. This Spirit is
the resurrected Jesus filling the heart of His believer. (Galatians.
4:6) The blood of Jesus has accomplished a great work in our lives,
for we who were by nature children of wrath, are now the sons of God.
(Ephesians 2:3)
CONCLUSION OF THE
MATTER
When you are baptized
in the name of Jesus the blood of the covenant is applied to your
life. Because of the blood of Jesus, you can draw nigh to the
Almighty God. The route of approach is simple, humble yourself before
the Almighty God. Press your way through the veil of carnality until
you find yourself in the powerful presence of God. Just remember you
have the blood of the sacrificial lamb in your life, and this blood
guarantees you the privilege of standing before the Almighty God. You
may feel unworthy, and truly we are, but remember you are approaching
God on the merits of the blood of Jesus.
He has given us access to His kingdom,
and all His believers are welcome at the foot of His throne. Anyone
who has Acts 2:38 active in his life has the keys of the kingdom, and
you can stand before Him as often as you wish.
|
