Opinions abound about what makes a real Christian. What all do you have to know? What sort of church do you have to go to, if any? What must you do and experience?
In my ministry I wrestled for a time with what truths are enough to make a Christian. How much do I have to convince a lost person of in order for them to become a real saved Christian? Do I need get into, for instance, the divinity of Christ or try to explain Godhead to them? How much of the theology of the cross must they understand? Must they comprehend the reasons the cross was necessary? How much do they need to know about the afterlife and judgment day? Must I mention something about the Lord’s Supper or what Jesus says about divorce and remarriage or other subjects? Do I need to talk about whether we’re supposed to gather for worship on Saturday or Sunday or if it matters? Should I get into Calvinism, Arminianism, predestination, election kind of stuff? Do I need, as some think, to have a weekly Bible study with them for several months before they know enough to be a real Christian?
A year or two ago I did a several week investigation in the book of Acts, which really clarified and reassured me of what made a 1st century, apostle-approved, Spirit-filled Christian. And I’d like to share with you in this lesson the conclusions I reached through that investigation.
You probably know the book of Acts picks up the story of Jesus where the gospel accounts leave off. It picks up the story of the next 30 years following Jesus’ ascension to heaven. It tells of how the gospel spread and how the church grew beginning in Jerusalem throughout the Roman Empire with a focus on the ministries of Peter and Paul. Throughout Acts we are given several descriptions and examples of what Peter and Paul and a few others were preaching that was producing bonafide, saved, Christians. So I carefully analyzed all the preaching in the book of Acts to identify what truths they thought were most important to teach the lost and enough to bring them to salvation, and how they proclaimed those truths so effectively. I’m going to share with you what I discovered.
Understand that the following words are not just words. An angel of God came to a Roman centurion named Cornelius and said send for Peter and “he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.” (Acts 11:14). I really believe I am about to share with you words that save human souls for all of eternity.
You can divide the content of the preaching in Acts into two categories: Gospel truths and substantiating evidence. About everything in the Acts sermons you can put into one of those two categories. They didn’t just tell people the truths and expect them to take their word for it. They told them the truths and showed them why they could be confident that what they were hearing was for real.
Now, here’s
The Christian producing Gospel truths according to the book of Acts
There is an almighty creator and sustainer of all.
Acts 14:15-17; 17:24-29; 19:26
This was not something they preached to Jews, because the Jews already knew this. But this is something you find Paul preaching to the Gentiles who did not know this. For instance in Athens, Acts 17, Paul told them, “Let me tell you about the God you don’t know. He is the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’…”
Do you believe that? That there is an almighty creator and sustainer and He’s in control of things?
Jesus of Nazareth was completely righteous, unlike us.
Acts 2:25-28; 3:14; 7:52; 10:38; 17:31; 22:14
You find Peter, Paul and Stephen calling Him the Holy One and the Righteous one and God’s Servant. Peter preaching to Cornelius said “He went about doing good.”
Do you believe that, about that man 2000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth? Do you believe He lived the righteous life we haven’t lived?
Jesus was put to death according to God’s plan.
Acts 2:23; 3:13-15,18; 4:10; 5:30; 10:39; 13:27-29; 17:3; 26:23
It’s interesting in the book of Acts when you find the apostles preaching about the death of Jesus; they don’t get into the theological purposes of the cross. Now, there might be an exception in Acts 8 where we’re told of Philip sharing the gospel with the Ethiopian Eunuch, because the passage of Scripture the Eunuch happened to be reading when Philip came by was Isaiah 53, which talks about how He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all, He’s given as a guilt offering. So we may speculate that Philip explained to the eunuch that that’s about Jesus and how He was the atoning sacrifice for our sins. But what we see throughout Acts that the first evangelists preached to unbelievers in regard to the death of Jesus is simply that His death was the work of wicked men, it was undeserved by Jesus, but it was no unfortunate tragedy; it was part of God’s predetermined plan and the fulfillment of prophecy.
Acts 2:23, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men“.
Do you believe the most righteous of us all, Jesus, was crucified in accordance with God’s plan?
God raised Jesus from the dead.
Acts 2:24,32; 3:15; 4:10; 10:40; 13:30; 17:3,18,31; 22:8; 25:19; 26:23
Peter in 4:10, “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel… Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified… God raised from the dead“.
Do you believe that?
God has given to Jesus all authority.
Acts 2:33,36; 3:20,23; 4:10-11; 5:31,42; 7:37; 9:20,22; 10:36,42; 13:33,38; 16:31; 17:3,7,31; 18:5,28; 19:4; 22:14; 26:23
They used different terms to express it. They said He’s Lord, He is the Christ, or in Hebrew “Mashiyach” (Messiah); it means He’s the Anointed One, the King. He is the Savior. He’s the one who’s been put in charge of everything and everyone. He’s God’s Son to whom God gives the world and He rules the nations with a rod of iron and can dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel if He wants to (Psalm 2). He is the Judge of all.
Do you believe the crucified Jesus is now King of the Universe? Do you believe that He determines what happens to every one of us?
You are guilty.
Acts 2:23,26; 3:13-15,17,26; 4:10; 5:28-30; 7:51-53; 14:16-17; 17:29-30
To the Jews in Jerusalem, they did not hesitate to say “you betrayed and killed the Righteous One.” To the Gentile pagans, Paul, tactfully, kindly, but clearly, would say, “When you look around at the creation it’s evident the Creator is far greater than these gods of gold, silver and stone you’ve been worshiping. You have not been worshiping or serving the Most High God who gives you life.” So they would open peoples’ eyes to their sin.
Jesus offers forgiveness and eternal life to you.
Acts 2:21,38,40; 3:19; 5:31; 10:34-35,43; 11:18; 13:23,38,46-47; 22:16; 26:18; 28:28
Paul in 13:38, “Let it be known to you therefore brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you” Jesus extends the offer of forgiveness to all of us.
Do you believe Jesus is willing, on some condition, to forgive you and save you from the wages of your sin, save you from death?
Jesus requires that you believe in Him.
Acts 2:21; 2:36; 10:43; 13:39; 16:31; 19:4; 20:21; 22:18; 24:24; 26:18; 28:23
To believe in someone, meant not just to believe they exist, but to trust them. It meant to accept what they say as true and that what they promise will happen.
Have you decided to trust Jesus? Will you accept what Jesus says about God, about you, about what’s right and what’s wrong, how we should live, and what’s going to happen?… Even if it’s different from popular opinion and what you thought before? Do you trust Jesus?
Jesus requires that you repent and obey Him.
Acts 2:38; 3:19,22-23,26; 5:29,31-32; 8:22; 10:18; 14:15; 17:30; 20:21; 24:25; 26:18,20; 28:27
This is really just trust in action. Trusting Jesus makes you listen and learn from Him and try to keep His commands.
Peter for instance in 3:19, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out…” Then referencing a prophecy from Deuteronomy 18 about Jesus, “Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.” The apostles preached that you must trust Jesus enough to let Jesus tell you what reality is and guide your daily life.
Jesus commands you to be baptized in His name.
Acts 2:38; 8:12; 8:36-38: 10:48; 16:14-15; 16:32-33; 18:8; 19:3-5; 22:16
That is be immersed, plunged, dipped, washed in water in obedience to Jesus. In every example of conversion in the book of Acts, baptism is the commanded initiation act of obedience that brings one into a relationship with Christ. Acts 2:38 when Peter’s audience asked, “What shall we do?”, he said, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…”
Jesus Promises…
- The gift of the Holy Spirit (2:38-39; 8:14-16; 19:2). God’s empowering helping presence will come upon you and remain in you as a Christian.
- Freedom the Law could not provide (13:39). The Law of Moses told the Jews what living righteously was, how they were supposed to treat other people and conduct themselves, but the Law did not give them the power to live that way. It could not free them from their addictions and habits. But Paul would say “Submit to Jesus and He will free you from what the Law could not free you from.”
- You too will be raised from the dead (4:2; 17:18; 23:6; 24:15,21)
- The Lord Jesus will return one day to judge the world (2:20; 3:20; 17:31; 24:25).
- … to restore all things (3:21). This world has been so messed up, corrupted and polluted by sin. But Jesus is going to come again to bring things back to being very good once again.
- … to give you an inheritance (26:18); the transformed world Jesus will give to His people.
You have no hope if you reject Jesus.
Acts 3:23; 4:12; 13:46; 26:18; 28:25-27
Peter in 4:12, “there is salvation is no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
So let me ask you in all seriousness. Do you believe those truths? Do you believe “there is a God, He is alive, in Him we live and we survive”? Do you believe that Jesus of Nazareth lived the righteous life we haven’t and died the death we should have died, but God raised Him from the dead and made Him Lord and Judge of all, and He’s able to save from sin and death whoever He wills? Have you responded the way the apostles commanded? Have you decided, “I’m going to trust Jesus”? “I’m going to listen to Him and let Him tell me what reality is and how I should live, and I’m going to try and follow Him in my life”? Did you show that commitment by being baptized in His name? And have you kept that commitment of repentance? Are you trying to live righteously in the steps of Jesus, loving people, especially fellow believers? Then you know what? You are, what the book of Acts and the apostles would call, a Christian, and of whom they would say, “your sins are forgiven, you are a child of God, His Spirit is in you and you are a fellow heir of the world to come.”
Now, in case anyone is still undecided, I thought I’d briefly share with you the evidence the apostles used to substantiate those truths.
Substantiating Evidence
Reasoning About the Nature of God from What He has Made
Acts 14:15-17; 17:24-29
Paul would say to the Gentiles, “Look around. Whoever made all this is certainly greater than the gods you’ve been worshiping.”
Capability of Our Creator
Acts 26:8
I love what Paul says in 26:8, “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” He is God. He’s already given us life once. Why is it so hard to believe He could do it again?
Prophecy
Acts 2:16-21(Joel 2), 25-31(Psalms 16), 30(II Samuel 7), 34-35(Psalms 110); 3:13-14(Isaiah 52-53), 22(Deuteronomy 18), 25 (Genesis 22:18); 4:11(Psalms 118), 24-28(Psalms 2); 7:2-53 (Foreshadowing in Joseph, Moses and the prophets); 8:30-35 (Isaiah 53); 10:43; 13:23(Jeremiah 23:5-6), 27, 29, 33(Psalms 2), 34(Isaiah 55), 35-37(Psalms 16), 40-41(Habakkuk 1:5), 47(Isaiah 49:6); 17:2,11; 18:28; 24:14; 26:22,27; 28:23,25-27(Isaiah 6:9-10)
This evidence is given the most emphasis in their preaching to Jews. The apostles would show their fellow Jews that the Scriptures, which they believe are the word of God, foretold and foreshadowed a King and Savior exactly like Jesus, one who would be rejected and would suffer and die and then rise again.
Jesus’ Miracles
Acts 2:22; 10:38
Peter in 2:22, “Jesus of Nazareth was attested you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know” It was common knowledge in the land of Israel that Jesus performed many supernatural deeds. They all knew He could heal the sick and leprous and blind and so forth. And Peter says that was God indicating to you that you need to pay attention to Jesus. It’s fascinating that we even have Jewish writings outside of the Bible that reference the extraordinary supernatural works of Jesus (Josephus and the Jewish Talmud).
Miracles Done in Jesus’ Name
Acts 3:6,12,16; 4:9-10; 5:12-16: 6:8; 7:36; 8:6-13; 9:33-42; 13:8-12; 19:11-20; 22:12-13
The apostles and others were doing the kind of supernatural healing and signs Jesus had been doing, and they were doing it in Jesus’ name.
In Acts 3, after Peter gave strength to the legs of the man who had been lame from birth and who begged by a gate of the temple, Peter proclaimed, “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? We did this in the name of Jesus whom you crucified but God raised from the dead. It’s His power that healed this man.” (Acts 3:12-16).
Who Evidently has the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:33; 4:13-14; 5:32; 7:51; 11:15-17
“Who is it that God is apparently working in and through?” Well, it was obviously the Christians that the power of God was working in.
Eyewitnesses of Jesus Risen
Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:20; 5:32; 7:55-56; 10:40-41; 13:31; 22:6-10; 26:14
Indestructibility of Christianity Despite Man’s Efforts to Destroy It
Acts 4:25-28; 5:17-21; 5:33-39; 12:1-24; 26:21-22
Even though there were lots of powerful people trying to end Christianity, they could not stop it, because it is not a movement of men, it is a movement of God.
Testimony of the Prophet John (John the Baptist)
Acts 13:25
The Jewish people believed John was a true prophet. Paul reminded them what John said, that after him was coming the one whose sandals he was not worthy to untie.
Transformation of Saul of Tarsus (Paul)
Acts 22:3-21; 26:4-20
This is evidence Paul used in his preaching. He would explain how he was the most unlikely candidate for conversion to Christianity. He was absolutely convinced Jesus was a fraud and Christianity was heresy and so he devoted himself to destroying Christianity and sought to do so by severely persecuting Christians. He had heard the Christian preachers. He had heard their arguments. He knew some of them could even do miracles in Jesus’ name. None of it convinced him. And his hostility toward Christianity was commonly known in Judea. There was only one thing that could change Paul’s mind and that’s what happened. The risen Lord Jesus appeared to him. So then to his own great humiliation and cost, he became not just a Christian, but the hardest working servant of Jesus in the world, willing to suffer immensely for the cause of Christ. How else could his radical transformation and willingness to suffer so much for Christ be explained?
Public Nature of the Events
Acts 2:22; 4:16; 10:37; 13:24; 26:26
They’d say “These things we’re telling you weren’t done in a corner. There are plenty of witnesses and they’re still alive. Go interview them if you don’t believe what we’re telling you.”
These evidences are still for us, to confirm the truth that our God so loved us that He sent His Son and He lived the righteous life that we haven’t, and He was crucified and buried and raised, and He’s Lord, and He will save us if we will trust Him and follow Him. We begin that walk through baptism and we grow from there. According to the book of Acts, that’s the message that saved souls all over the world, and it continues to do so today.
-James Williams