Daily Bread 2010 - Acts 4
Daily Bread 2010 – Acts 4
12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16"What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” At first this sounds like a very exclusive claim, and in fact it is a very bold claim. Let’s look at the facts about Jesus and what he preached and whether there is evidence for such a claim.
1. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and said he would prove it by rising from the dead. All four gospels report that Jesus did rise from the dead, which was corroborated by many witnesses; both men and women. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, it could have been easily shown by merely coming up with the dead body, which has never happened. This central historical fact is the linchpin of the Christian faith and proves Jesus was who He said He was.
2. There are no other religions that have a so called “Messiah” that have been raised from the dead showing them to be like God. Many religious gurus claim to be prophets or purport to speak for God, but none have claimed to be God. Or if they have; they certainly have not been raised from the dead proving themselves to be a true God.
3. Only someone who was sinless could die for the sins of those who are sinful. Someone who is sinful would have to die for their own sins. Therefore Jesus, the only person who has never sinned, is the only one who could die for our sins. Mohammed, Buddha, Joseph Smith, and all other religious leaders have all sinned and therefore need a Savior. They cannot be a Savior. Salvation cannot be found in their name.
4. Other religions that claim we can become one with God, or even be God don’t have any way to account for how we, as fallen people, can be reconciled or made right with a holy and just God. With no judgment of sin life doesn’t make sense. We are born with an innate sense of justice when we see wrongs perpetrated, we believe the person should be brought to justice. We all are born with this sense in our DNA. If all roads lead to God then there is no accountability for injustice.
5. Jesus and the Christian faith is the only set of beliefs that take into account justice and accountablity for the evil done in the world, while at the same time showing God is a God of mercy and offers us a chance to be made right with God and have our sins paid for by His Son’s death on the cross. The word salvation means “healing” and ultimate healing happens as we receive God’s mercy and grace and are healed. By God’s grace we are saved. No other religious belief or system accounts for the problem of evil and how it is dealt with from a justice standpoint, only Christianity does.
These are just a few of the reasons why there is no other name by which we may be saved. It may sound exclusive, but the bottom line is Jesus came to offer this Good News to every man, woman and child on this planet. There is no person that is not worthy of this grace God has offered as a way every person can come to him through His Son, Jesus. In fact whenever the Church has been ruthless in offering this to everyone it has grown. When the Church goes inward and becomes like a club the message gets thwarted and the Spirit is quenched.
In the New Testament the biggest movement was for the Jews to find out that they were not the only Chosen Ones, but this news that Jesus was the Messiah was for the whole world. Where they didn’t get this, the church effectively died. Where the church realized God’s grace and was for all people regardless of ethnicity, gender or background; the Church was alive and on the move.
It was this message of grace that propelled the early church and why thousands came to be saved in the power of the Holy Spirit which convicted men and women’s heart that this is the TRUTH.
Gracious God we thank you for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, the only name under heaven by which we may be saved. May we not only receive this gift and be made right with you but may we share this Good News to as many who will listen. Thank you Jesus for saving us from our sins and promising us eternal life. In Your name we pray, Amen.
12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16"What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” At first this sounds like a very exclusive claim, and in fact it is a very bold claim. Let’s look at the facts about Jesus and what he preached and whether there is evidence for such a claim.
1. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and said he would prove it by rising from the dead. All four gospels report that Jesus did rise from the dead, which was corroborated by many witnesses; both men and women. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, it could have been easily shown by merely coming up with the dead body, which has never happened. This central historical fact is the linchpin of the Christian faith and proves Jesus was who He said He was.
2. There are no other religions that have a so called “Messiah” that have been raised from the dead showing them to be like God. Many religious gurus claim to be prophets or purport to speak for God, but none have claimed to be God. Or if they have; they certainly have not been raised from the dead proving themselves to be a true God.
3. Only someone who was sinless could die for the sins of those who are sinful. Someone who is sinful would have to die for their own sins. Therefore Jesus, the only person who has never sinned, is the only one who could die for our sins. Mohammed, Buddha, Joseph Smith, and all other religious leaders have all sinned and therefore need a Savior. They cannot be a Savior. Salvation cannot be found in their name.
4. Other religions that claim we can become one with God, or even be God don’t have any way to account for how we, as fallen people, can be reconciled or made right with a holy and just God. With no judgment of sin life doesn’t make sense. We are born with an innate sense of justice when we see wrongs perpetrated, we believe the person should be brought to justice. We all are born with this sense in our DNA. If all roads lead to God then there is no accountability for injustice.
5. Jesus and the Christian faith is the only set of beliefs that take into account justice and accountablity for the evil done in the world, while at the same time showing God is a God of mercy and offers us a chance to be made right with God and have our sins paid for by His Son’s death on the cross. The word salvation means “healing” and ultimate healing happens as we receive God’s mercy and grace and are healed. By God’s grace we are saved. No other religious belief or system accounts for the problem of evil and how it is dealt with from a justice standpoint, only Christianity does.
These are just a few of the reasons why there is no other name by which we may be saved. It may sound exclusive, but the bottom line is Jesus came to offer this Good News to every man, woman and child on this planet. There is no person that is not worthy of this grace God has offered as a way every person can come to him through His Son, Jesus. In fact whenever the Church has been ruthless in offering this to everyone it has grown. When the Church goes inward and becomes like a club the message gets thwarted and the Spirit is quenched.
In the New Testament the biggest movement was for the Jews to find out that they were not the only Chosen Ones, but this news that Jesus was the Messiah was for the whole world. Where they didn’t get this, the church effectively died. Where the church realized God’s grace and was for all people regardless of ethnicity, gender or background; the Church was alive and on the move.
It was this message of grace that propelled the early church and why thousands came to be saved in the power of the Holy Spirit which convicted men and women’s heart that this is the TRUTH.
Gracious God we thank you for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, the only name under heaven by which we may be saved. May we not only receive this gift and be made right with you but may we share this Good News to as many who will listen. Thank you Jesus for saving us from our sins and promising us eternal life. In Your name we pray, Amen.
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