We have 24/7 and Live Streaming! visit us at http://www.shrevegrace.org/
The Final Word
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Acts 3:24-26
Acts 3:24- From Moses through all of the prophets (among whom was Samuel), they are they that testify of Christ. (John 5:29) (Luke 24:44) Here is a powerful address to warn the Jews or any professing worshippers of the dreadful consequences of unbelief in reading the Scriptures. Many preach the Bible as a book of laws, rules, regulations, and morals, but such do despite to the Word because rather than preach God's righteousness that Christ came to earn, establish, and complete to the satisfaction of His law and justice, they preach up man's personal obedience, which can never satisfy a holy God (Isaiah 64:6).
Many preach the Bible as a book of future events and as a code book for the unfolding of prophecy in modern times, but that is not why God inspired His Word. Christ, not the unfolding of prophecy, is the Subject of Scripture. As Peter declared, 'all of the prophets foretold of these days' and again in 1 Peter 1:11-'the Spirit of Christ who was in the prophets, testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.'
These Jews, like people in religion today, have their favorite scriptures and writers that they like to quote, and whose sayings they often print out and put on the walls of their homes and offices. The Jews' favorite was Moses, but as Peter declared with such plainness by the Spirit of Christ, Moses spoke of Christ, and warned the people that when God would raise Him up from among them, they were to hear HIM, Acts 3:22. God gives a hearing of Christ, through His Word, and it is when HE does that the veil is removed from the heart to know Him, see Him, and believe on Him as He is in the Word- 2 Corinthians 3:15.
Acts 3:25-The message of the Gospel and that of ALL of Scripture is that God sent His Son as the Christ into the world, and with Him the blessing of salvation, that not just His elect among the Jewish nation be blessed, but in HIM 'all the kindreds of the earth be blessed,' that is those that He redeemed out of every tribe, nation, and tongue-Revelation 5:9.
Acts 3:26- The pouring out of the Spirit on all flesh (those gathered from the various regions of the world where they were scattered), as evidenced on the day of Pentecost, was that the LORD Jesus be exalted by His Word, in their ears, and a hearing be granted to those that Christ redeemed in turning each of them away from iniquities. How so? In causing them to own their own wretchedness before God, and confess that they are nothing but sinfulness. Confession means to say the same thing as God with regard to our sin, but also regarding His Son and His death accomplished for sinners. He sent his Spirit to bless in drawing sinners to Christ crucified, and there is no greater blessing for any of us who are redeemed and justified by Christ's blood, than to see our blessing in HIM.
Older
Top
