I'd like to ask you to look with
me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13. I've entitled this
message, Forgiveness and Justification by Christ. Forgiveness meaning
the debt being put away. And if the debt has been put
away, then the subsequent acquittal. That's what justification is.
It's a legal declaration to the account of those for whom Christ
died that their sins are paid for and God looks upon them as
just. All right. Now, here in Acts
chapter 13, and really the key verse is down here in verses
38 and 39. Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through
this man, speaking of Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins. Not the potential of forgiveness
of sins, but through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins. That in his death, sin was put
away. And by him all that believe doesn't
say shall be justified. That's how men read it. If you'll
believe, then you'll be justified. That's not what it says. And
by Him, all that believe are justified. They're already justified
because the sin has been put away. And the believing is just
the manifestation that that's so. The Spirit causes those that
Christ died for and that God justified, causes them to believe
and rest in that work fully accomplished at Calvary. Now that's vital
to understanding what Christ accomplished at the cross. And
yet you can see here verse 38, Be it known unto you therefore.
That's the conclusion. So what we have to do is go all
the way back up to verse 14 and see how this all started in this
message. Alright? So I want us to read
this beginning in verse 14. they departed from Perga. They
came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the
Sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the
Law and the Prophets," that's the Old Testament, the rulers
of the synagogue, sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren,
if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then
Paul stood up, and, beckoning with his hand, said, Man of Israel,
and ye that fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel
chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as
strangers in the land of Egypt. And with an high arm brought
he them out of it. We've been looking at this in
our Bible study, haven't we? leading up to the deliverance
of the children of Israel from Egypt by that Passover lamb.
And about the time of forty years, suffered he their manners in
the wilderness. That word suffered is in a sense
of he was forbearing. He didn't preserve them because
of any goodness in them. He preserved them because of
the goodness in himself and faithfulness to what he had promised. When
he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided
their land to them by lot, and after that he gave unto them
judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until
Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a
king, and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of
the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when
he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their
king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David
the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill
all my will. Of this man's seed hath God,
according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus. I've run into people that said,
you know, how do you preach the gospel in the Old Testament?
Well, it's all there in tight picture promise and prophecy. This is what these apostles had
to preach from the Old Testament. And you can see the sum over
here. Even speaking of David, of this man's seed, have God,
according to his promise, raised unto Israel a savior, Jesus. That's who it's all about. When
John had first preached before his coming, the baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course,
finished his ministry, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But behold, there
cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to
loose. Men and brethren, children of
the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you
is the word of this salvation sent. for they that dwelt at
Jerusalem and their rulers because they knew him not." Now you think
about who he's talking about. He's talking about preachers.
Religious men that were leading them in these synagogues because
they knew him not. Nor yet the voices of the prophets. These were men that could tell
you what was the exact middle word of all of the Old Testament
scriptures. They counted every jot and tittle.
They were the theologians of the day, just like we have self-proclaimed
preachers today. And yet, what was God's declaration
concerning these men? They were lost. That's hard for
people today to accept that. You get a man dressed up and
call himself a preacher and stand before a congregation and tell
somebody based upon his message, he's lost. They'll get upset
at you. They say, how can you say that?
That's exactly what Paul was stating right here in one fell
swoop concerning the religion of the day of Christ. They that
dwell at Jerusalem. What was that? That was the center
of their theology. And their rulers, speaking of
the preachers, because they knew him not. See, he was bold to
state it. Where is he preaching this? in
a synagogue of all places. You know, some people think you're
crazy, Paul. But that's what he was saying. Nor yet the voices
of the prophets. Why? You miss Christ, you have
missed the voice of the prophets. I don't care how much history
of Israel you know. I don't care how well you can
parse your verbs. You talk about men that knew
the Hebrew language. People like to use that as something
to hide behind. Well, I've got my doctorate in
Hebrew studies. These men knew the Hebrew language,
dot and tittle. And yet it says the voices of
the prophets, they knew not, which are read every Sabbath
day in this Bible being read today around the world. And yet they knew him not. But
it says here they have fulfilled them in condemning them and condemning
him. That didn't keep God from doing
his work. Those priests of old, when they wiped their hands of
having crucified Christ and thought that they were just getting rid
of somebody that they considered to be a blasphemer, what were
they doing? They were actually offering up
the Lamb of God, as they should have. That was the task of the
priests to do, to offer up the Lamb of God. They did it in rebellion,
but God caused it to be accomplished to His honor and His glory. And
that's what Paul's saying, and though they found no cause of
death in him, he was perfect, the perfect Lamb of God, yet
desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled
all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree
and laid him in a sepulcher. Now here's what I like in verse
30, but God raised him from the dead. And he was seen many days
of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who
are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad
tidings, that's what the gospel is, glad tidings, how that the
promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the
same unto us, their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus
again, as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art
my son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that
he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption,
he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of
David. He didn't say, I hope to give
them, or I want to give them, but alas, you've got to let me.
He said, I will give you. He's talking about giving the
sure mercies of David to everyone for whom Christ died. as a certainty,
because justice has been satisfied. Wherefore, he saith also in another
psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption.
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will
of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw
corruption. But he whom God raised again
saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins. You see how that all ties together? And by him all that believe,
again, not shall be justified, but are justified from all things
from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. And then
we have this conclusion. Beware therefore, lest that come
upon you which is spoken of in the prophets There's a message
of grace, there's also a message of warning. Behold, ye despisers
in wonder and what? Perish. To miss Christ is to
perish. You could die with a Bible in
your hand, you could lay it in a casket of a dead body, but
that person is going to perish with that Bible in their hand,
except Christ have redeemed them. Behold, ye despisers, and wander
and perish. For I work a work in your days,
a work which ye shall in no wise believe, no man declare it unto
you." What was that work? It was a work of passing by the
Jew who had all the oracles of God, had the types, had the pictures,
had the promises, and yet did not enter in, missed Christ.
And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles
besought that these words might be preached to them the next
Sabbath. Now, when the congregation was
broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed
Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue
in the grace of God. It didn't say all. I'd love to
have everybody believe this message, but thank God, many will. Everyone that God has purposed
to save and those that Christ has redeemed. He'll cause them
to hear, and the rest will perish. Well, I love to read the messages
of the apostles as recorded here in God's inspired word, particularly
in the book of Acts, for a couple of reasons. One, primarily for
me as a preacher, I find in it a pattern of the message that
I am to declare as a servant of the Lord. I want to stick
to the pattern. I don't want to get inventive
and try to work this out another way. clear direction in scripture
as to who it is we're to preach and set forth to our ears. But
I'll tell you this, secondly, I need this message just as much
as anybody in here. I need to be taught again of
my own simpleness before a holy God and give credit where credit
is due. If I know anything of God, it's
only by His grace. If I know anything of His sovereign
mercy, it's only because He has been pleased to reveal it to
this poor heart, this poor sinner. And if I know anything of the
blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, I'll guarantee
you I didn't learn it in a Bible school. And I'll guarantee you
I didn't learn it in a synagogue. I learned it as God has been
pleased to teach me through His Word. I'm thankful for this Word. We don't treat this Word lightly. It has everything to do with
the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ and our need of
him. So I pray the Lord will direct my words as I have read
this portion, make some comments. I don't know how far we'll get,
but we can always pick up on this next time. But verse 14
of chapter 13, the Antioch. that's described here is not
the Antioch from which Paul and Barnabas were sent out. That
was over in Syria. That's why it's made a point
here. They were sent out from there
by the Spirit, you can see in verse 4, so they've been sent
forth by the Holy Spirit, by the Holy Ghost departed. They
were set apart and sent forth. I just make this comment in passing
that I would that any kind of efforts that we are involved
in with regard to preaching the gospel in the world, that it
be only as the Spirit of God directs. We can get caught up
with missions and mission programs and missionaries, so-called.
The word missionary is never found in Scripture. That comes
from Catholicism, where they would send out monks to establish
little stations and build mission stations, is what they were called,
to go out and try to win proselytes. We don't find that pattern in
Scripture. And it says the Lord opens doors, as the Lord directs,
as the Spirit causes His Word to go forth, that we should be,
by His grace, sensitive to that direction and leading. And I
pray we are. But that's how Paul arrived here at this Antioch
in Pisidia. I had to look this up to see
if it was even around today, but if any of you are looking
for a vacation spot, the pictures I've seen of it look like a pretty
good spot. It's over in Antilia, Turkey, and I mean everything
about it is beautiful sky, beautiful sea, blue. Granted, it's all
in pictures that I was able to look at, but that gives you a
little perspective about an area of the world that today is closed
to the gospel. I knew a man from Turkey at one
point that I ran into, and I asked him some questions. There are
traces of religion there, but as far as a true gospel work
in this part of the world today, I don't know anybody. Now, that's
not saying there isn't, but the Lord caused the gospel to be
preached there at that time. And the Lord blessed at that
time. But again, that's how he moves.
The Spirit has moved on from there. But at this time, it was
the Lord bringing him here. And you can see who this audience
is, to whom Paul preached. There were a lot of Jews that
lived there at this time. And I can see why. For an actual
Jew, this was good business. It was a business center. we
find a synagogue raised up there. But you say, well, why was Paul
going to the Jews? Wasn't he an apostle to the Gentiles? Well, didn't the Lord say that
the gospel must first be preached to the Jews? And this is why
this is such a classic message that we're reading here and remembering
because it was a turning point for the gospel being sent to
the Jews. If you look over as a result
of this message, we didn't read all the way down there, but verse
44 of Acts 13, the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city
together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews, natural
Jews, saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spake
against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting
and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed
bold and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you, and
judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn
to the Gentiles. So you can see this was a great
turning point historically. But what Paul was doing by this
message serves us today as a great pattern not only for a preacher
preaching from the Scriptures, but for you reading the Scriptures. It shows the unity of the Scriptures,
doesn't it? I've had people tell me, I just
really don't understand the Old Testament. Well, what are you
looking for? If you make the focus Christ, if you see it all
as a history of redemption, and all of those things as types
and pictures and promises. You see, as the Lord first opened
my heart to the truth and to Christ and the gospel, I was
like a little kid. I went back and started reading
the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. I read through them
five times. Not that that's of any honor,
but there was a hunger. There was a desire to see what
I had missed in spite of all my years of training. I spent
seven years getting a master's degree that is worth junk. You
might as well just throw it in the trash. It's not worth hanging
on the wall. I don't even know where that
thing is. It's trash. Why? No one taught me of Christ. They taught me the languages.
They taught me the subjects. They taught me all these things,
but didn't teach me of Christ. But when the Lord opened my eyes,
I went back. And I'll tell you, there's no
better school than the Spirit of God. The simple reading of
Scripture. Go back and don't try to get
a certain number of passages read in a day. All these Bible
reading programs, they'll frustrate you. They'll make a liar out
of you. Because you're going to start skim reading thinking,
OK, I'm going to catch up. And it's a bondage. Don't get
caught in that trap. But I'll tell you what you can
do. Go back and sit down at Genesis 1. And start reading with this
prayer. Show me Christ. And I'll guarantee
you, you won't get far. But all of a sudden, your mind's
going to stop on a verse. And you're going to be looking
at your cross reference. And you're going to be going
over here to the New Testament and you're going to be coming back and you're
going to be thinking, it was there all the time. I just didn't
see it. Well, rejoice! Don't worry about
what's left. Come back to it the next time
the Lord gives you the opportunity to sit down and read some more.
That's all Paul is doing here. He's going back to the beginning
and showing these Jews how all of their history had one purpose. The revelation of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that's exactly how we need to be reading the scriptures. So you see here in verse 15,
it says that after the reading of the Law and the Prophets,
I believe we have in this an important pattern, even for ourselves,
as far as our times of worship. You know that we do a lot of
scripture reading. I had a person that that was
the one thing they visited once. But afterward, when I talked
to them, that was the one comment they made. You sure do read the
Scriptures a lot. Well, that's good. That's good.
We're not filling our time with special music and with all these
other things, announcements and things that you see going on,
trying to entertain people. What we need is the Word. So
that's why we start the service with the reading of the Psalms.
Brother David's reading through chapter by chapter in the afternoon,
Brother Jim reading through the Old Testament. There's a reason
for this, because you know as well as I do, even when a man
doesn't make a comment, the Lord brings to your mind and heart
from particular portions of Scripture what you need for that particular
moment. And that's exactly what needs
to be done. But here, in verse 15, after
the reading of the Old Testament Scriptures, that's what the Law
and the Prophets are, these leaders of the synagogue ask Paul and
Barnabas to give a word of exhortation for the people. Now, I've thought
about this a little bit. I thought, was this a pattern,
that they just let anybody stand up and say anything? I certainly
wouldn't. I know that there's some congregations that think
that's the leading of the spirit. Does anybody have a word? And
what it is, it's just a pool of ignorance. Different ones
popping off and saying what they think it says. But I believe
it's probable here that the rulers of the synagogue, Paul had already
met with them. I think of instances in Africa
where I had opportunity to go in and preach in congregations
where the gospel wasn't preached. I met with the pastors. I met
with the leaders. I made contact with them first
and made sure they understood what my goal was in coming in.
It's just the other way with wolves in sheep's clothing. They
don't have the interest of the people in mind. They have their
own interests, so they're going to try to win people over to
themselves. But that's not what a preacher of the gospel does.
I believe that there was an understanding already that Paul had something
to say. And the reason I say that is
because of the way it's stated in verse 15. The rulers of the
synagogue sent unto them, it's as if to say, now is the time
for you to stand up and explain these scriptures. He said, ye
men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the
people, say on. So even if they didn't have an
affection for the gospel, yet something in Paul's visit there,
the Lord had prepared this opportunity. They had at least a curiosity
to hear him preach. And the Lord can use those circumstances. I've seen him do it in different
situations. I've had some preachers tell
me I'd never go into that church. Why not? It's an opportunity
to preach the gospel. Wherever the Lord opens the door,
whether the people know and understand or not, how are they going to
hear unless someone preached to them, you see? So I believe
that's the sense here. Again, the reading of the scriptures
is vital to true worship. I do believe that. However, the
Lord has purposed that the explanation and understanding of the scriptures
be revealed through the proper interpretation and exhortation
of them. And that's why a preacher stands
there. You know, if it were any other way, we could just read
the scriptures and sit down and just have another person stand
up, read scriptures and sit down. But what does what does the reading
of the scriptures do? Provokes thought, provokes questions. provokes desire to understand. And that's where the Lord has
raised up faithful servants to send them in different places
to clarify and to preach the gospel. In instances back here
in Acts chapter 8, let me just show you this. Acts chapter 8.
You remember Philip was the Ethiopian eunuch? He was already reading
the scriptures. That's what the Lord uses for
the conversion of the soul. It's not the preacher's commentary.
It's the Word. All right? And so, I believe
this Ethiopian eunuch was already regenerated. Find me a natural
man without the Spirit of God that's going to ask the kinds
of questions that he's asking, where there's a desire to know
His Word. The Spirit was already at work in him. And that's why
I believe the Lord sent Philip his way. And you can see here
in verse 27, And he arose and went, and behold, a man of Ethiopia,
and eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians,
who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem
for to worship. Why would a man travel all that
distance to go to a particular place in Jerusalem for worship? If it weren't that the Lord were
directing him to a place where he had for a time set his honor,
a place where there was a temple, a place where the sacrifice,
there was an interest. There was something there. But
it says when he was returning and sitting in his chariot, he
read Isaiah the prophet. This is an astounding thing to
me because you read Isaiah. The Lord told him in Isaiah's
day, he would blind their eyes. I'm not sure that Isaiah ever
saw a conversion in his day. He foretold things concerning
Christ, but it was total blindness as far as the people in his day.
And yet, 500 some years later, the Lord was pleased to use that
very word again to teach one of his lost sheep. As preachers,
we should never despair. of how the Lord's going to use
His Word. I try to think of that every time I stand up to preach.
It may not be anything I see in my lifetime. But if the Lord's
pleased to bless it in His time, He will. He will. We hold this
same Word as the Ethiopian eunuch held in his hand. Here we are
right today. Several thousand years later, it's still the Word.
And I know that's how the Lord used it in my heart. Opened my
heart to Isaiah chapter 6. same portion. I was an Ethiopian
eunuch out there in Africa until the Lord purposed to cross my
path with someone that appointed me to Christ. And you can see,
it says there that as he was returning, verse 29, Then the
Spirit, see again, the leading of the Spirit. This isn't just
a programmed thing. Then the Spirit said unto Philip,
Go near and join thyself with this chariot. And Philip ran
thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and
said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How
can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip. I like that word. Desired Philip.
You run into somebody that can point you to Christ, you desire
that one to open the Scriptures all the more for you. I long
for those types of situations. And I'll tell you, I've been
up half the night sometimes when the Lord has crossed my path
with a needy sinner. We don't see it much today. We
don't see it. People haven't got the time.
Just give me the quick solution. There are no quick solutions.
I'll tell you what, if the Lord ever begins to deal in your heart
as a needy sinner, you're going to hunger, you're going to thirst,
there's going to be an appetite to know Christ. You will not
be able to let it go. Not be able to. He desired Philip. Who's
Philip to this man? I mean, he's the minister of
the treasury of the Queen of Ethiopia. And yet the Lord crossed
his path there. He desired, Philip, that he would
come up and sit with him. And the place of the scripture
which he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter, and like a lamb done before his shearer, so opened
he not his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment
was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? For his
life is taken from the earth. And Enoch answered Philip and
said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? At least he
had it right. Of whom? of himself or of some
other man. Then Philip opened his mouth
and began at the same scripture to tell him about that some other
man. The man Christ Jesus, the mediator. And preached unto him Jesus.
Preached unto him Jesus. The Lord did a work in his heart.
You see, that's how the Lord directs. Here, it was a direction
of blessing this day in this synagogue. Not something organized
or planned, and yet the Lord was pleased to use it. You say,
how do you know? Well, as we read it there at the end of Acts
13, verse 42, when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the
Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them
the next Sabbath. You know, I find that interesting
because all of Paul's message was directed toward the Jew,
wasn't it? And yet, who did the Lord cause to hear that day?
Some Jews, but for the most part, Gentiles. Gentiles, the scum
of the earth, as far as the Jews were concerned. You say, why
did Gentiles believe and the Jews didn't? Well, look at Acts
13, verse 48. When the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. Didn't
glorify Paul's words. See, when the Spirit works, you're
going to remember what? The word of the Lord. I get people
two weeks from now who say, tell me again how you stated that?
I can't even remember. What portion was I preaching
from? Acts 13, 40. Okay, let's go back
there and look. Because if the Lord impressed
you with it, it'll be His Word. Not my words, His Word. You see,
it says here, they glorified the Word of the Lord. And here,
as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. See, the religious
world has it backwards. They read it, as many as believed
were then ordained to eternal life. That's not what it says.
As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. They believed. That's what makes the difference.
But here in verse 16 of Acts 13, it says, Paul stood up and
beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear
God, give audience. It's the Lord who sovereignly
opens certain doors and at other times closes them. But there's
no situation that ever the Lord uses but what? He's going to
get the glory in it one way or another. I thought about that
when I said, then Paul stood up beckoning with his hand. You
know, it's like stains. There must have been some sort
of murmuring, some sort of noise going on already among the people
when they were called to come forward. I can just imagine it. You know, some were opposed.
Maybe they'd already heard what he was going to say, didn't want
to hear it. And yet the Lord enabled Paul to use this opportunity
to preach even to some that were opposed. We know there were.
You know, because it says, as we read there in verses 44 to
47, when they came back, there were Jews that saw the multitudes
and filled with envy. There are many reasons why people
gather in a place of worship. Just because they're there doesn't
mean they're there to know of Christ. Places are filled with
envy. They're proud of their organization.
They're proud of their church building. They're proud of their
position as a deacon or an elder. And many times they see a true
preacher of the gospel coming in as a troublemaker. They don't
want to hear him because they know they've built up their own
little fostums. But he beckoned with his hand
to encourage them to listen. This wasn't just a mere pulpit
theatrics. It wasn't what it was designed
to be at all. But it was designed to silence
them and bring them to attention. And dear friends, that's what
we need. We need silence before the Lord. We need to hear His
word. And so the Lord gave him this
opportunity. Now, as I said, we'll not get
through all of this today, but what was the subject of Paul's
message? What was it? Let me just give
this to you as a summary and then we can come back to this
the next time we meet around the Lord's table. But I believe
the whole of this message, as I read it to you, is designed
to show that all of the Old Testament all of the Old Testament points
to the coming, the doing, and the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that by His exclusive solitary
work accomplished at Calvary, because that's really what it
all crescendos to, that work at Calvary, God would once for
all put away the sin of His people. The animal sacrifices couldn't
put it away. It all looked forward to His coming, doing, and dying.
But putting away the sin of His people would also accomplish
another thing. And that is to fully and freely
justify them before God. Not when they believe it, but
when Christ died. That's why I read to you the
end first. And by Him, all that believe
are justified. Are justified. Not shall be,
but are. That's why they believe. The Spirit of God draws those
that Christ has redeemed, those that He's put away their sin,
Forgiveness has already been granted. I thought I knew something
of free grace. You know, as I embrace the doctrine
of sovereignty and how God had chosen a people, in my mind,
boy, that's free grace. But I'll tell you what free grace
is if the Lord ever teaches you. And that is to know and understand
that apart from yourself, even while you were wallowing in your
ignorance and in your unbelief, Born in this world in that state
of ignorance and spiritually dead, your sins were already
put away. And you were already justified
before God. I've found many a sovereign grace
preacher gasp when that's stated. They say, we believe in free
grace. And yet, they recoil from the notion that this was actually
accomplished at Calvary. Why would you recoil? No part
of our salvation is in our hands anyway. How did God accomplish
it? Where was sin put away if it
wasn't put away in the land that was slain? How else would God
look upon his people other than justified before a holy God based
upon that blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ alone? You know, the fear is that somehow
we say grace, but yet we still believe it still has something
to do with what we do. That's our evil. And I'm as much
to blame as anybody, even in my own thoughts, until the Lord
has made this plain in my own heart. It could not be any other
way. It could not be in any other
place than in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what
I see here in Acts 13, 38 and 39. Be it known unto you, therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man... It's not through
your believing that forgiveness of sin is preached unto you,
but through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins.
And if I believe, it's because he already put my sin away. They're
all taken away. Away. They're all taken away.
My sins are all taken away. Where? In the Lamb. In the blood
of the Lamb. Oh, that's that's really what
we have to look forward to. We're really times up. But, you
know, the message, I'll just give you some of the main points
and then we'll come back to it, Lord, well, next time. But we
see those to whom the message of forgiveness and justification
is addressed there in verse 16. Men of Israel, ye that fear God,
give audience. Those that profess to know him
are the ones who need to hear the truth. You see, the Lord
has to take away all profession and bring us to bow at Christ.
But then we see the role of the nation of Israel in the history
of redemption. Verse 17, how God chose them,
but their choosing wasn't anything in them. It was for the purpose
of bringing His Son through them. We're going to see that. And
then thirdly, verses 18 to 22, how the history of Israel actually
served as a type of God's eternal purpose to save and justify sinners
by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a message there. The
Lord Jesus in verses 23 to 37 is the fulfillment. That's what I want us to see.
How He is the fulfillment of all of those types, pictures
and promises in the law of the Old Testament. And then to see
how that forgiveness of sins and justification are the immediate
result. The immediate result of Christ's
finished work at Calvary. Verses 38 to 39. So a lot to
see there. But Lord willing, we'll take
a look at that next time.