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Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com, where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading is from Acts chapters 1 and 2. Today, I’d like to give attention to Acts 2:36-38:

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

I fear that I’ve read this passage so much that I might gloss over the amazing exchange that takes place here. Peter had just accused these Jews of murdering the Messiah, the hope that they had been waiting generations for. And some of them had believed him. They cried out, “Brothers, what shall we do?” But I’m just reading that off the page. I don’t get to hear their tone of voice; I don’t get to see their body language. And if I’m not careful, I can just read it as someone matter-of-factly saying, “Alright then, what do we do?” I don’t think that’s what’s happening at all.

This is going to be a cry of despair. These folks believed Peter when he said they had murdered their only hope. This is a rhetorical cry of despair. They’re not expecting an answer. They don’t think there is anything they can do. They killed the Messiah. And so, I don’t even think I can act it out here for this camera.

“Brothers, what shall we do?!”

I bet there were tears, moaning, groaning, weeping, gnashing of teeth, tearing of clothes, beating of breasts, wailing…and there was no expectation of an answer. But Peter had one.

Imagine their shock when they heard there was something they could do, and Peter said, “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Do you see what that means for you and me? That means whatever we’ve done, we can be forgiven. If even slaughtering the Messiah could be removed in the watery grave of baptism, then whatever sin you’ve committed can also be washed away. It doesn’t matter how bad you’ve been, how far you’ve gone, how low you’ve gotten. When you’re down at the bottom in despair looking up and crying, thinking there will be no answer, “What can I do?”, there is. Repent, be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. As the next verse says, the promise is for you.

Have you done what Peter said? If not, I encourage you to spend more time in these chapters. Surrender to Jesus. Let Him wash your sins away.

Thanks again for checking out giveattentiontoreading.com. I’d love to hear what you thought of today’s post. I’d love to know what else you got out of today’s reading. So drop down to the comments section. Feel free to join in the discussion. And don’t forget to check back in tomorrow for another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.

Colossians 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Colossians 1:1-2:23.

“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12).

In baptism we are circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands. In baptism, the body of the flesh is put off, the old man is crucified. According to Colossians 2:13-14, we are forgiven in baptism and made alive through baptism (not before). When we are baptized the record of debt that stood against us is canceled. Amazing.

Sadly, not many today recognize the very clear teaching of this passage. Why? Because too many people who do recognize it have put their faith in the wrong thing and taught this passage incorrectly. Too many people who recognize the wonderful things that happen in baptism have put their faith in the wrong place. They have put their faith in baptism.

Seeker: “Why are you saved?”

Christian: “Because I got baptized.”

Do you see the problem? When I put my faith in baptism, I’m actually putting my faith in my work. But notice what Paul said. He didn’t say we were “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of our obedience.” He said we were “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God.” Where is your faith? In your baptism? In your praying? In your experiences? Or in God? When our faith is in the powerful working of God, we’ll get baptized because we know that is when God does His powerful work of circumcising the old body of the flesh, forgiving us, canceling our debt, and making us a live with Christ. We didn’t do that by baptism; God did.

Where is your faith?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Acts 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Acts 7:1-8:40.

“And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ …And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:36, 38).

Obviously, preaching Christ to the eunuch included preaching baptism in the name of Christ. The eunuch himself saw water and wanted to know if anything prevented him from participating. Today, this seems like an odd question. What could possibly prevent a man from being baptized in the name of Jesus. But for the eunuch, this was an obvious question. As a proselyted Jew who had been made a eunuch in a foreign court, he had learned that he was a “second-class” Jew (for lack of a better term). He was prevented from full access to the congregation of the Jews (cf. Deuteronomy 23:1). Would it be the same for being part of the congregation of Christ? Was he prevented by what his queen had done to him?

Praise the Lord! The answer was nothing to prevent him. There are no second-class citizens in Christ’s kingdom. Everyone has full access to Christ and to the throne of God through Christ.

That was good news for the eunuch and great news for us. None of us are second-class citizens. We can all be baptized into Christ and into His congregation and kingdom. Nothing prevents us, except possibly us. If you want to be in Christ, you can get there today. Just do what the eunuch did; be baptized into Christ. (If you need help with this, just hit the “contact” link at the top left of the page and let me know.)

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS: What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is Galatians 1:1-2:21.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

I think I get it now. I’ve not allowed this verse to have its full impact in my life. I was baptized, crucified with Christ (cf Romans 6:1-6). Since then I’ve been telling Christ, “Watch this, see how I can live my life for You.” I was certainly sincere in this. I have wanted to serve Christ. I’ve been doing my best. But wasn’t that the problem that led me to Christ in the first place? My best only put me right back into sin (cf Romans 7:14-24). Why would it do any different now?

Paul doesn’t say to tell Jesus, “I’ll do my best to live for You.” Rather, Jesus is saying, “Quit trying to live. I’ll live my best for you.” I need to quit trying to live my life and simply start letting Jesus live through me. What does He want? Do that. Of course, that is going to take faith. Jesus won’t treat me like a puppet. It’s my choice to let Him live through me by my faith. But I have to make a conscious decision to quit trying to live my life, even if I’m trying to live it for Him. Instead, I need to let Him live my life through me. I need to surrender myself to Him, His will, His goals, His life.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 1:1-2:47.

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37).

Too often for us, this is a boilerplate question. We’ve heard it over and over again. Sermons have been renderd, “What must I do to be saved?” But is that the basic question here? Can you hear the desparation. They had crucified the Messiah, the one they claimed to be awaiting. They thought He would be the solution to all their problems. When He came among them, they spat on Him, beat Him, mocked Him, and killed Him. They cried out, “Let his blood be on our heads and the heads of our children.”

This was a question they were expecting to go unanswered. What on earth could they do? They had killed their one hope. All was lost. And yet, it wasn’t. What a surprise it must have been when Peter actually had a response. He didn’t say, “Too bad for you. You blew it. You stupid morons.” Instead he said, “Repent and be baptized everyone one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Gasp! There is something we can do? It isn’t over? Our hope is not lost? Perhaps some of our problem today is the question “What shall we do” is a boilerplate question. It is sermon fodder. It is not a despairing cry. Today, I need to remember how amazing it is that when I ask that question, God has actually provided an answer. Because of what Jesus did, there is something I can do.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Galatians 3:1-4:31.

As if to correspond with Nathan’s comment from Friday’s post, Paul steps up in Galatians 3:25-29 to explain that while we are justified by faith and not works of the law, if we don’t have some works then we cannot claim we have saving faith.

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Did you see what that said about baptism and faith? It said we are sons of God through faith. We are not sons of God through works of the law, but through faith. However, how do we know we are sons of God through faith? “For” or because when we were baptized into Christ we put on Christ. I know this is not commonly accepted among most religious circles these days. But in the same way that I cannot help but see we are justified by faith and not by works of any law, I can’t help but see that I’m only a son of God through faith if I’ve put Christ on in baptism. I may believe in Jesus. I may think Jesus is great. I might even assent to all the facts about Jesus’ life. However, if my faith doesn’t carry me to surrender to Him in that first step of baptism, then my faith hasn’t saved me. I haven’t put on Christ, I’m still only an outside observer who thinks very highly of Him.

Please notice very carefully what Paul did not say. He did not say that we put on Christ through a prayer. He did not say we put on Christ through speaking in tongues. He did not say we put on Christ through an overwhelming spiritual experience. He did not say we put on Christ by being good enough. He did, however, say that we put on Christ in baptism and that we were baptized into Christ. 

That is only the beginning of a life surrendered to Jesus by faith (cf. Galatians 2:20). However, it is the beginning.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 21:1-22:30.

Sin is my problem. I was covered up with it. But I wanted to be holy. I wanted to be righteous. I wanted to be with God and like God. I have a couple of options. I could just say it is impossible and give up, living however I want. I could try to change on my own and try to live perfectly from this point on. I could try to live beyond perfectly striving to pay God back for my past sins while not committing anymore. The problem is that leads me back to option one, trying to live perfectly. I’ve learned that doesn’t work.

Then I read what God did for Paul. In Acts 22: 16, Ananias had told Paul, “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” Paul’s sins could be washed away in baptism. So could mine. So can yours.

What a great thought that we can avoid the wrath of God. We can avoid the eternal consequences of all those sins we committed. God has said, “Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins.” He’ll wash your sins away, but you must be baptized.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS: What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 1:1-2:47.

I love to read Peter’s words in Acts 2:39: “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

I don’t think Peter fully understood what the Spirit was saying through him here. It would be 10 to 15 years before Peter would actually get who the “far off” really were. Even on this first day, the Spirit was revealing that Christianity was not just for Jews. I’m sure that initial audience heard this statement as saying the promise was for the Jews who had traveled to Jerusalem for Pentecost and for those who had stayed in their far off homes.

However, in Ephesians 2:11-13 explains that those who are “far off” actually refers to the Gentiles. They were “far off” not because they were geographically separated but because they were spiritually separated from God.

Peter was saying the promises were for the Jews who were listening to him then, for the descendants of the Jews listening to him then, and for the Gentiles. 

The reason I love this so much is because I am a Gentile. The promise of salvation through the Holy Spirit is for me. I can be saved even though I wasn’t raised under Moses’ law. I can be saved even though I don’t live by that law. I can be saved because Jesus died for me just as He did for everyone else.

Therefore, just like the Jews who heard the message Peter preached on that day, I can be baptized for the remission of my sins and be added to Christ’s body. So can you.

***Question: What provides comfort to you about your relationship with God through Jesus?

Keep the faith and keep reading?

ELC

Today’s reading is Matthew 3:1-4:25.

Jesus’ baptism is a great example to us all. John even tried to talk him out of it, apparently being aware of Jesus’ great moral fiber and righteousness. Yet, Jesus pushed the issue. He claimed He needed to be baptized “to fulfill all righteousness.” I understand that Jesus needed to be baptized not in order to be granted righteousness but in order to fulfill it. That is, in order to fulfill what the Father wanted for Him.

However, I can’t help but point out this has led to all kinds of incorrect argumentation. Sometimes we can come up with these great sounding statements that simply don’t hold water biblically. One such statement is that we need to be baptized because Jesus was baptized. That is simply not so. Just because Jesus did something doesn’t mean we have to. For instance, Jesus was circumcised (Luke 2:21). Jesus was presented at the temple for purification (Luke 2:22-24). I don’t have to do either of those things.

Don’t misunderstand. I certainly believe each and every one of us must be baptized. Mark 16:16 says only those who believe and are baptized will be saved. Acts 2:38 says we must repent and be baptized for the remission of our sins. I Peter 3:21 says baptism now saves us. For all these reasons, I must be baptized. However, I’m not baptized because Jesus was. In fact, Jesus did not undergo the same baptism we have to undergo. He went through the baptism of John. However, that baptism does me no good. In fact, in Acts 19:1-7, Paul found 12 men who had been baptized in John’s baptism. However, under this new covenant it had done them no good. They needed to be baptized in Jesus’ name. Interestingly, Jesus did not undergo that baptism. 

The point behind all this is the baptism in which Jesus’ participated is not the same baptism in which we must participate. We do not get baptized for the same reasons as Jesus. Jesus was baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness. We are baptized in order to receive righteousness. Jesus was baptized with John’s baptism. We are baptized in Jesus’ baptism. 

Therefore, please don’t tell me that our baptism is not for the remission of sins or in order to become a child of God just because Jesus was also baptized. His baptism was different. 

The example Jesus did set for us here, however, is that if God says do something, we need to do it. Jesus did this because it was what God wanted. Instead of arguing against God, we need to submit to Him like Jesus did.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Galatians 3:1-4:31.

The Set-up

As in Romans, Paul takes up the discourse of faith versus law. I’m beginning to pick up something as I’m reading the New Testament this time. For me, there has always been this kind of struggle in understanding. I know the New Testament continually says law won’t save. Yet, we’re clearly under a law (cf. I Corinthians 9:21; Hebrews 7:12). Certainly we are not under Moses’ law, but we are under a law. Yet, in tomorrow’s reading Paul will say, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Galatians 5:18). In today’s reading, he says we are not saved by law, but by faith.

This, of course, causes the great debate about the position of works and obedience in our salvation. On the one side, some suggest as long as we believe, we’ll be saved separate and apart from any works we perform. On the other side, some suggest we can believe all day long but if we don’t obey God’s law, we’ll be lost. Therefore, our obedience saves us. The two sides find passages that seem to support their position and lob them at each other.

What if the Bible answer is in the middle of those two extremes? What if the reason both sides seem to find support is because neither side is actually right and the truth is between them as we consider all those verses together?

Not Justified by Law

Here’s what I saw in today’s reading.

“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Galatians 3:10-11).

In the context, some of the Galatian Christians were bringing aspects of the Old Law into their Christianity. We’re not speaking here of Jews merely following their heritage and customs. No, they were following aspects of the Law as if doing those things were the requirements for salvation. 

Paul said they could not be justified by the Law. In fact, anyone who went back to the Law and pulled parts out, obligated themselves to everything in the law. If they missed even one, they would be cursed. Of course, that was the problem. They had already disobeyed and were, therefore, cursed. Going back to the Old Law brings nothing but curses for people who have already sinned.

However, Paul did not merely say “the Old Law” doesn’t justify. The Greek does not contain the article (that is, the word “the”). He said, no one is justified by law, not just the Old Law, any law. That means, under the New Covenant, we can establish some kind of law-keeping code, but it will not justify us. We will not be justified by keeping it for the very reason the Jews were not.  We won’t be able to keep it. The fact is, if any law could have justified people, that Old Law would have done it. But it couldn’t, not because of God or weakness with His law, but because of our weakness. Why would we want to replace one law that doesn’t work with another code of law that won’t work? Will our law justify us where God’s law could not?

Thus, if we approach the New Testament as a set of laws and rules we must follow in order to be good enough to go to heaven, we’re going to be in trouble. Law has never been able to justify and it won’t be able to now either. 

Justified by Faith

We can, however, be justified by faith. When we truly believe in Jesus and truly believe Jesus, we can be justified. That is, we can be declared innocent. 

Jesus Christ became a curse for us who are cursed so our curse might be lifted and we might have life through the Spirit of God. The Scripture (in this context the writings of the Old Covenant) didn’t justify, they simply imprisoned everyone under sin. Any system of law we develop will only do the same. Any system of trying to gain God’s favor by keeping a law will only ever remind us we are sinners because we won’t keep it anymore than the Jews kept the Old Law. Law doesn’t justify. Law condemns.

Faith in Jesus justifies. 

Why Does Faith Justify?

Sadly, some folks stopped reading above. They either said, “See, I’ve always said faith justifies and we don’t need obedience” or they said, “That Edwin has gone off the deep end. He’s starting to teach justification by faith alone.” I’m glad you kept reading.

The question we need to ask is why and how does this faith justify? Is it simply having a mental assent to some facts about Jesus and now we are justified no matter what we do? Absolutely not. Faith justifies because as I grow in faith, I grow in submission to Jesus. Let’s face it, if I’m not doing what Jesus says, I don’t really believe Him, do I? As I grow in submission, I follow Jesus’ way. I’m not justified because I’ve obeyed a series of rules. I’m justified because Jesus’ way works. Do you see the difference? That first statement focused on me and my obedience. The second focused on Jesus and His way that works. 

Notice Galatians 3:25-27. This faith didn’t end with mental assent. It went on to do what Jesus said. Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). If I have faith in Jesus and His word, I’ll be baptized for the remission of my sins in order to be saved. Did I get baptized because it was the law by which I could justify myself through obedience? No. I was baptized because I believed Jesus and I believed His way works. If I make baptism nothing more than the first law I obey in a series of laws I must follow in order to be good enough to go to heaven, I’ll never make it. However, if I submit to baptism because I believe Jesus and it is merely my first step of surrender to Him, I’ll be justified because by faith I’m surrendering my life to His. Baptism brings us into Christ, but not because we’ve done some great work to bring us into Christ by our power. We just couldn’t do that. Baptism brings us into Christ because we are beginning to live in Christ. We are beginning to live in submission to Him when we are baptized based on our faith. Until we surrender at that point, we are not in Christ, no matter how religious we are. Remember, no code of religious law can get us into Christ. Only surrendering to Him by faith will do that.

I Know It Seems Counterintuitive

This whole thing is a bit counterintuitive. If we really want to obey God’s law, we have to quit striving to obey God’s law. I can hear the screams of frustration right now. “WHAT?!” If we keep trying to make ourselves and everyone else good enough by developing a system of law, we will only succeed in doing what the Old Law accomplished. We will only succeed in condemning ourselves because we haven’t kept this law. However, if instead we build our faith in Jesus and His Word, guess what will start happening? As we believe Jesus more and more, we’ll submit to Him more and more. As we submit to Him more and more, we’ll be justified. 

Of course, if we don’t submit to Him more and more, we won’t be justified? Why? Because we didn’t obey enough? No. None of us can obey enough. Rather, because Jesus’ way works and no other way does. If we don’t have faith enough to surrender our lives to Jesus, anything else we do, no matter how religious it seems, will not justify or deliver us.

So, are we saved by faith? Absolutely. Do we have to submit? Well, if we have faith, it’s not a have to situation is it? If we have faith, we will increasingly submit. Are we justified because we did enough good stuff? No. We can’t ever do enough good stuff. Instead, God justifies us when we have faith enough to surrender to Him.

Are you surrendering to Him? Or are you holding out, thinking you can do enough religious stuff to be good enough to go to heaven?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC