WORDS OF SALVATION
WORDS OF SALVATION
“Words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved”, Acts 11: 14 God is not willing that you should perish, or that you should remain under the bondage of sin or the law, and He directs you to certain words whereby you and your house may be saved — saved from the wrath to come, from the power of Satan, and from the world; saved for glory, for the eternal company of Christ in the Father’s house, and for the life and liberty of divine grace here on earth. Dear reader, would you not like to have this wonderful blessing? You are surely conscious that you need something you have not got. The world with its fleeting pleasures has failed to satisfy your heart, and many a stain of sin is upon your soul. Will you not listen with living interest to words of salvation? You may have security which no storm of infernal wrath can ever impair — which no decree of divine judgment will ever assail; you may have undisturbed and everlasting peace; you may have joy, compared with which all earthly joys are times of mourning. What a glorious train of blessing — all consequent upon certain “words” whereby you and your house may be saved!
An anxious sinner may find great comfort in the case of Cornelius, to whom these words of salvation were addressed by Peter (see Acts 10). If you partake of his anxiety you will assuredly partake of his blessing. It may not come to you quite in the same manner as it came to him. No angelic messenger is likely to wing his rapid flight from the shores of everlasting bliss to direct you. Nor is such guidance necessary or desirable, for the very words which in olden time fell on the ears of Cornelius are still preserved by the Spirit of God. They are still God’s message to every anxious soul, and they are still able to make “wise unto salvation”.
[p. 41] Then let us learn from Cornelius the way in which God’s message should be received. Speaking to Peter, he says, “IMMEDIATELY therefore I sent to thee” (Acts 10: 33). Have you such a sense of your need as to wish for an immediate settlement of this great question? There is incalculable peril in delay, and the issues at stake are too tremendous to be trifled with. The possibility of lying under the judgment of God for ever is so fearful, that to contemplate it for a single moment ought to be sufficient to awaken in the heart of every sinner an intense desire to hear “immediately” words whereby he may be saved.
Then, notice, it was to GOD that Cornelius turned as the only source of blessing. It was true that he had sent for Peter as the appointed channel of blessing, but he says distinctly, “Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God” (verse 33). We see, then, three things in Cornelius. He was a man (1) who knew his need of salvation; (2) who wished to be saved “immediately”; and (3) who was before God as one whose expectation was alone from God. If my reader is likeminded, I can answer for it that he will obtain blessing.
Let us then, as in the very presence of God, listen to these “words” of Peter: “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons” (verse 34).
It was a great thing for Peter to say this. He had had to learn, as we read in this chapter, that the grace of God was above all ceremonial and external distinctions. God would as readily, in His grace, make a Gentile clean as a Jew. It had pleased Him, for special reasons, to separate the Jew from the Gentile, and to confer privileges on the former which were not possessed by the latter, but there was “no difference” in the sight of God between them. Both were alike sinners, and could only be blessed by the grace of God. The religious Jew thought himself very much better than [p. 42] the profane Gentile, but in truth it was not so. His position and privileges only added to his responsibility.
It is still true that God is no respecter of persons. God is not influenced by the distinctions and differences which prevail in society and in the religious world. An unconverted bishop is just the same before the eye of God as an unconverted sexton; one has a high place in the religious world, and the other a very humble place, but in the eye of God they are both lost sinners on their way to hell. On the other hand, a shoeblack exercised about his soul would be as great an object of interest to God as a monarch who was in the same anxiety. God has concluded ALL under sin, and it is on this common platform alone that He approaches sinners in His wondrous grace.
“But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (verse 35).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”, and whenever a soul bows in the fear of God, and acknowledges his own worthlessness and ruin before God, he is in a condition upon which God can look with pleasure. His working of righteousness is not the proud activity of a legal spirit, but the lowly bringing forth of “fruits meet for repentance”, and he is “accepted” with God. “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth”. The sinner is now in the state of one who will rejoice to hear of sovereign mercy and redeeming grace.
“The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all)” (verse 36).
This sentence introduces us at once to the presence of the Saviour; it attests His divine authority, proclaims His mission, and asserts the dignity of His Person. The Son of God came from heaven not to pour out the vengeance of an angry God upon a guilty race, but to preach peace to them. Well may angels wonder and adore! Well may the redeemed hosts proclaim His praises with eternal hallelujahs!
“[p. 43] That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree” (verses 37 - 39).
Think of that blessed One — the anointed One of God, the Missionary of Peace, the Doer of good, the One with whom God was, the Lord of all — being slain and hanged on a tree! Surely man’s enmity to God could go no further. Man has shown himself in his true colours. He became a sinner in Eden and a transgressor at Sinai, but at Calvary we see him as the open enemy of God — the red-handed murderer of God’s beloved Son. How marvellous that in this very scene of man’s blackest crime and most malignant enmity to God we see shining out in eternal splendour the rays of God’s transcendent grace and love to man!
“Inscribed upon the cross we see
In shining letters, GOD IS LOVE”. (141:2)
How truly may we apply Joseph’s words to the cross of Christ: “As for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50: 20). If men by wicked hands crucified and slew the Lord’s Anointed, it was nevertheless true that He laid down His life by the Father’s commandment, to glorify God in making atonement for sin, so that on the ground of His death repentance and remission of sins might be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5: 8).
“[p. 44] Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead” (verses 40, 41).
The death of Christ was no triumph for Satan; it was a mighty victory for God; and on the morning of the third day the risen Lord stepped forth Conqueror of death and the grave. Satan’s machinations were eternally frustrated; man’s impotent wickedness had raged only to accomplish the will of God. Well might all heaven break forth in a swelling shout of triumphant acclamation to greet the risen and victorious Saviour! “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in”.
After such a work accomplished — after such a victory won — after such a Person has been in such a place — we are not surprised to hear the words fall from Peter’s lips “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (verse 43).
Verily these are words whereby you may be saved. The Son of God came here, suffered, died, rose, that such words might be sounded in your ears, and that believing in Him, you might have remission of sins through His name. Then take God at His word at this moment. Your sins are great and many, your unworthiness beyond description, but, notwithstanding all, you may be saved. Your need and ruin could only be met by a divine Saviour: remission of sins could only come to you by the shedding of His blood. But everything that was needed has been provided by God; redemption’s mighty work has been accomplished by the Son of His love; and through faith in Him you may have the knowledge of salvation by the remission of your sins. What a glorious message! How worthy of the God of al] [p. 45] grace who sends it forth! How worthy of the universal and whole-hearted acceptation of the sinners to whom it comes!
There is one solemn verse of Peter’s address which I have passed over. Here it is — “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead” (verse 42).
Note this well! The One whose name is now proclaimed as Saviour will one day be the “Judge of quick and dead”. If you do not know Him as Saviour you will have to know Him as Judge. How will you meet Him whose name and work you have despised, and whose words of love you have disregarded? Ah! when that dread moment comes how much would you give to have again the golden opportunity of this hour of grace! But it will then be too late! Alas for the procrastinators and the almost persuaded ones in that day! Alas for the unbelievers in that day! Then do not throw your soul away in the folly of unbelief. “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart”. God is speaking today in words whereby you may be saved. Take good heed to those words, I beseech you. Discredit all human testimony if you will; be a sceptic in history, in biography, in science, but do not plunge your soul into the guilty darkness which must enshroud the one who makes God a liar. Do not quench the only light whose kindly ray, like Bethlehem’s star, can lead you to a Saviour.
“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son” (1 John 5: 9, 10).