Micah Bemenderfer

August 19, 2023

Mark Mark

Passage Read: Acts 4-5
Meditation Verse: 5:42

Thought

Interesting that Luke records this in this way: the good news is that Jesus is the Christ. Not forgiveness of sins through Jesus' death and resurrection, but Jesus is the Messiah. Forgiveness of sins is preached in His name, but it's only possible because He is the Messiah, He is the Son of God, and He perfectly obeyed His Father. The good news is that the Messiah has come and He is Jesus. And in time He will set up His kingdom.

Application

The proper gospel must be centered on Jesus being the Christ, the king of Israel, not on the forgiveness He grants as King to those who will believe and obey Him. He must forgive our sins, or else none of us could be saved. But the gospel is that we have a righteous and holy king who will restore justice and righteousness on earth. But if we want to join that kingdom, we must repent of our sins and submit to Him as King, and He pardons us, forgives us based on His atoning sacrifice. The real question is, Do we want to live in a kingdom that requires righteous and holy living of us? That's why repentance is key. We don't get the benefit of eternity with Christ of we don't want to live holy and righteous lives. Indeed, if I don't want to live a righteous life, why would I come to Jesus?

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