Saturday, June 30, 2012

Bible Truth #390 - Acts 4:10-12

10  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Salvation is found only in, and through, Jesus Christ. There is no other name given among men. It wasn’t given TO men, it wasn’t given TO mankind, it wasn’t given TO every man and it wasn’t given FOR every man. His Name was given among men and God gives it TO whom He pleases (Romans 9:15, 9:21).

... whereby we must be saved. “Must” in this context does not apply to men. It does not mean that every man must be saved, nor does it imply that God wants every man to be saved. If God wanted every man to be saved, every man would be saved. God DOES want every one of His Elect to be saved, for Peter wrote He doesn’t want even one of us to perish (2 Peter 3:9), and none of us will because He works all things after the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11). He OBTAINED salvation for His Elect (Hebrews 9:12) and His Elect alone. He saved every one of those He intended to save - His Elect. That’s why He hath done ALL things well (Mark 7:37).

The writer of Hebrews told us that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). But man cannot shed his own blood because it is stained with sin, the sin of the first man, Adam (Romans 5:12). Nor can the blood of bulls and goats take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). Well if man can’t sacrifice for himself, if he can’t pay the price for his sin, and the blood of animals is insufficient for God, how can we be reconciled to God?

“Must” in verse 12 applies to Jesus: it must be Jesus Who saves and Jesus alone. We have the words of Peter above but he was simply stating the same thing Jesus told us in John 14:6 “...no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

It would take the blood of a perfect sacrifice, Someone whose father is not Adam. Jesus Christ is the answer, it MUST be Him and Him alone. This is why the virgin birth is imperative and significant (Isaiah 7:14). Jesus Christ was born not of the seed of man but of the seed of woman (Genesis 3:15). He is this perfect Lamb of God (John 1:36), Jesus Christ is the only one Who could die for us and thereby pay the eternal price for our sins. His shed blood alone is acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sins.

It MUST be Jesus whereby we are saved.

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