Acts 4:12–No One Else

Acts 4:12–"And there is no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

This verse says it all, everything that needs to be said at least.  To be sure, sermons upon sermons could be written about this passage but today it seems more appropriate to let the verse speak to itself.  In other words, I simply ask that you would read the passage again and consider the reality of what it says: Do I believe this?  Is it foundational for my life?

I urge you to spend some time considering the content of this verse today.  Think about what it means for you as a person.

Acts 4:12: Salvation found in no one else

Acts 4:12: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."

At the onset, it must be asserted that this verse is certainly taken semi-out of context but that being said it is one of the clearest, boldest affirmations about the supremacy of Christ in the salvation of man.  This is from Peter's sermon at Pentecost, in fact, it is the pinnacle point of his sermon.

Needless to say, there is more than a little theology in this assertion.  But it can be boiled down to this: Jesus saves.  Jesus alone saves.  Only by His name, only by His grace, and only through faith in Him.  In the end, we should never forget that salvation is found in Christ and Christ alone.  And we should always take joy and hope in that truth.

In Him we Live and Move and Have our Being

Paul, on his second missionary journey, came to the city of Athens.  A city heralded for its sophistry and its intellect, Athens was also an influential city in the mediterranean world.  In many ways, outside of Rome itself, Athens may have been the port of ideas that spread philosophy and education across the known world.  It proved to be a good place for Paul to preach a message to the Aeropogus on Mars Hill.

And while Paul's gospel message was met with varied apathy and sneering flippancy, there was a minority of listeners that were touched by God.  This message is recorded for us in Acts 17.  The message in its entirety is certainly worth reading and thinking through, however, it is the final words of the message that strike me to the heart today: "In Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28).

Perhaps no statement in Scripture outside of Deut 7:7-11 or John 3:16 rings more clearly about the nature of God and His relationship to man.  He made us, knitting us together with every strand of DNA and fiber of marrow or joint in the womb (Psa 139:13).  This fact alone is the fundamental truth of reality, the truth of humanity, and the primary description of the human life.

He made us.  He owns us.  Every breath we breathe is a gift from His sovereign hand of grace.  There is nothing, not one thing about humanity that cannot be boiled down to this: we are His.  He has it in His full rights to terminate our lives at any moment.  And we deserve that termination because of our disobedience and lovelessness (please read that sentence again).

But yet He shows us mercy.  He does give us breath, He does give us reason and intellect, He does give us relationships, and He does give us the ability to not choose to recognize those gifts of grace at all.  In fact, He loves humanity so much that He allows to spurn Him for our very beings!  And He still loves us!

Today, do not let this day pass without considering the graciousness of God.  I implore you to think about Him.  Dwell on His mercy, linger on His forgiveness as it relates to our faithlessness.  And when you feel that you have tired of that, think, at last, of what God Himself has done by sending His Son to be crushed and murdered for all our sin so that we would not have to meet that fate.  Think about that.  Pray about that.  Above all else: praise God!  For "In Him we live and move and have our being."

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

In reading through the Book of Acts today, there was a sequence of events in chapter 8 that caught my attention, sending my mind and heart reeling.  The story speaks of Philip evangelizing throughout Samaria.  The Gospel, empowered by the Holy Spirit, was making great strides throughout Samaria and many people were believing and being baptized into the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12).

The news of the Gospel's spread and affect in Samaria began to reach Jerusalem, prompting Peter and John to go and check out the buzz.  But, although the new converts had been baptized into the name of Christ Jesus, they had not received the the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-16).  What struck me today was that even though the had came to Christ in faith and been baptized into the name of Christ Jesus, for them to receive the Holy Spirit was an altogether other event.

The implications of such a discovery were and are staggering.  The people of Samaria were saved.  They had confessed their sin and professed their faith and commitment in covenant with God through the blood of Christ Jesus.  However, they had not received the Holy Spirit.  In other words, economically they were saved, but transformationally they still lacked the Holy Spirit's power.

I began to look around at my local congregation and the people who have professed their faith but still lack the fruit that is to accompany such profession and I wonder: have they received the Holy Spirit?  Have I?  This is not a flippant or intentionally provocative thought.  Instead, this is a serious inquiry into the state of my relationship with the Lord Almighty.  For if I am saved but have yet to receive the Holy Spirit, then I too will lack the power of God.

Essentially, I could have the Word but still not possess the Spirit who applies it to my life personally and directly in the matter of sanctification.  Therefore, I think it is still a necessity for Christians who cannot definitively say that they have received the Holy Spirit to pray that He would indwell their hearts and empower them miraculously!