ACTS 2:24

In Acts chapter two Peter is preaching a sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Back in Acts chapter one when the apostles were looking for a replacement for Judas, Peter said that the one that they picked must be “a witness with us of his resurrection.” Peter himself did bear witness of the resurrection of Christ and Peter said in Acts 2:24-31, “Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David spoke concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption.”

Concerning the death of Christ, Peter referred to the “pains of death.” This undoubtedly speaks of the great agony that Jesus suffered when He died for the sins of the world. The phrase “the pains of death” might also refer to death in general. Death is the last great enemy of the human race and all of life. We are all one day closer to the grave. There may be no greater suffering than to have to take one that you love dearly and bury their body into the earth. Some people never recover from such a pain, and it becomes a critical blow that takes away their joy and reason for living. But because of Jesus and His life after death, death no longer has to be regarded as an enemy. That’s why in these verses in quoting King David concerning the results of Christ rising from the dead, instead of speaking of sadness and sorrow and pain, we hear these phrases: “Therefore did my heart rejoice,” and “my tongue was glad,” and “my flesh shall rest in hope.”

The resurrection of Christ is so very important for many reasons. Of course, it gives us who believe in Him the assurance that we will have the same destiny. Our soul will not be left in hell either. Jesus promised in John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Jesus also spoke concerning the resurrection that everyone can have in John 11:25-26. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

The resurrection of Christ tells us who believe what we can look forward to even as we face the grave; but the resurrection of Christ also shows us something important about the character and person of Christ. It shows us that Jesus was different than other men that came before Him. Jesus was different because He did not stay in the grave. The grave could not hold Him because He was the divine Son of God. The treachery of the Jews and the violence of the Romans against Jesus did not work. Jesus is alive and He reigns supreme on the right hand of God, and everyone who believe in Him will be able to join Him.

The position of Christ in heaven as the divine Son of God is emphasized by Peter as he quotes once again from the Old Testament and the writings of King David. Peter said in Acts 2:32-36, “This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father he promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this, which you now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he said himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. That means that the Jewish people of Jerusalem were guilty of a horrible sin: they had caused the crucifixion of the Christ of God. Of course, we all bear part of the guilt of sending Christ to the cross. If He died for the sins of all, then your sins are also part of the reason that Jesus was crucified. We are not anti-semitic. The Jews had their part of the blame; so did the Romans; and so do the rest of us. If you understand the greatness of your own sins, the question now is what should you do about it. The people to whom Peter was speaking asked that question. The Bible says in Acts 2:37, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Peter gave the answer that anyone needs to know in order to get right with God. The Bible says in 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 you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” The first thing that Peter said to do is to repent. True belief involves repentance. Jesus Himself said, “Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.” It is interesting to note the many ways in which the Bible refers to this experience of getting right with God. It’s called to believe, to repent, to call upon the name of the Lord, to be born again. If you have done one of these things, you have done them all. They all happen at the same time at the moment that a person is converted to Christ.

Once you repent you receive the remission of sins from Jesus, and you receive the Holy Spirit. Receiving the Holy Spirit is not a second experience. It happens at the same time that you are saved. It did not happen that way for the apostles because they went through the transition period. Since the time of the apostles, everyone who repents and believes on Jesus is given the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 says, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

There is one part of Acts 2:38 that is misunderstood by a group that calls themselves Christians. Remember there is only one gospel. If anyone preaches another gospel that was not preached by the apostle Paul, then it’s not another gospel: it’s a false gospel. Paul wrote in Galatians 1:8, “But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Always remember that salvation is by grace and grace alone. There are no actions and there are no works and there are no religious ceremonies required to obtain salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Let’s look at the real meaning of the phrase in Acts 2:38 that says, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” The word that is translated “for” means in this context “on the basis of.” Repent, and be baptized on the basis of the remission of sins. Water baptism is only symbolic of the spiritual cleansing that took place at the time of repentance. The remission of sins must have already taken place, or you are not eligible to be baptized. That is the same thing that John the Baptist said to those who heard his message. John the Baptist would not baptize someone who had not yet repented. This same phrase was used concerning the ministry of John the Baptist. Luke 3:3 says about John the Baptist, “And he came into all the country round about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” John would not baptize people unless they has already repented and already received the remission of sins. That is why John said in Luke 3:7-8 to those who came to be baptized but had not already repented, “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance.”

The phrase, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,” means “be baptized based upon the forgiveness of sins.” If you have already received the forgiveness of sins, then you can be baptized. If I say to someone, “Here is your paycheck for the work that you did last week,” what I mean is “Here is your paycheck based upon the work that you did last week.” The work came first, and then the paycheck. Forgiveness of sins must come first, and then you may be baptized. Forgiveness comes not by water baptism, but by repentance and by faith in Christ. There are no physical requirements to obtaining salvation. Salvation is entirely a spiritual experience. Water is entirely a physical substance. Water cannot cleanse from sin. But if you repent of your sins, you can find cleansing and remission from your sins in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Acts 2:39-40 Peter continued to speak on the subject of salvation. He said, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” In the first of these two verses we are told an important point on how people get saved. Who can be saved? “As many as the Lord our God shall call.” Of course, anyone can be saved. Whosoever will may drink of the water of life freely. But no one can get saved until God calls you. Salvation takes place when someone responds positively to the call of God, and until the call of God comes into someone’s heart and life, they cannot be saved. That’s why you want to be careful with this concept of leading someone to Christ. You cannot lead someone to Christ unless the Spirit of God touches their heart. You might talk them into bowing their heads and repeating some words, but they will not get saved unless they are first called by God.

To get saved you must be called by God because salvation comes from God and from Christ. That’s the sovereignty of God and the power of God and the will of God that must be present for a soul to be saved. Of course, we know that the will of man must concur with the will of God. That is why the second of these verses says, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” God chooses to call you, and then you must choose to enter into His salvation. When the time is right, God will call you; and then you must choose to either go with Christ, or to go your own way, which is the way of death. When this verse says, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation,” the word “untoward” means wicked and perverse. This generation is wicked and perverse, and many of the sinful things that you have done are no doubt partly due to the bad influences of those around you. You have entered further into sin than otherwise you would have gone because of the crowd that you followed or the voice that you listened to. “The world is passing away and the lust thereof.” Save yourself from the terrible destiny that awaits those of the world by throwing yourself on the mercy of Christ. If you do, He will save you.

The Bible says in Acts 2:41, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Again we see the same pattern: first they gladly receive the Word (that is what happens at salvation), and then later they are baptized after having already received the word. The number of people saved on that day of Pentecost was three thousand. If God could do that in the first century, then he can do it again. But we must follow the same pattern. Christians must wait upon God to lead them. Then if the Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit, they will be enabled and empowered by the Lord to deliver the gospel in just the right way and at just the right time so that lost souls will be touched with the guilt of their sins and the same lost souls will ask the question, “Sirs, what must we do to be saved?” Revival must start with the people of God. If the people of God will turn from their sins, and wait upon God until they are filled with the Spirit, and then go out with the gospel: there is no limit to the revival that might take place or to the souls that might be saved.

There once was a pastor who pastured the largest church in Greenville, South Carolina. Someone once asked him what it took to build a large church. His reply was that he did not know, because God is the one who built the church. That’s what happened on the day of Pentecost. The apostles were filled with the Spirit, and they preached the gospel; and then God added to the church such as should be saved.

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