Ephesians
6:4b
"...but
bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
That is an instruction from God. We are to raise our children under
those set of circumstances. As we were preparing this, we could not
help but go back to Acts chapter 16. We want to remember that as
Paul and Silas came into the city of Philippi up there in Northern
Greece, there were many Hebrews who should have given that community a
semblance of a knowledge of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But
it remained primarily pagan. They knew nothing of the One True
God! Into that pagan city, Paul came with this Gospel of
Redemption leading to Salvation, and because he was proclaiming this
Gospel, he and Silas ended up in the jail at Philippi. Why? Because they offender the Hebrews in the city who had failed to be that influence for God. You remember in
that account the scourging and the beatings that they took and then
were locked in stocks in the dungeon. Let’s pick it up after they
had sung songs with their backs bleeding, and the earthquake had
opened all cells. We find the Philippian jailer was amazed that the
prisoners were all still there, and he comes and literally falls at
the feet of Paul and Silas.
Acts
16:30
"And
brought them out, and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’"
Whenever we read this verse, we cannot help but compare it with
another verse that says a lot of the same, but yet totally different.
We find that verse back in Acts chapter 2 verse 38. It is the same
way, when we share Acts 2:38, we have got to use Acts chapter 16. In
fact we will compare the two verses right now. Keep in mind the
reason we came to Acts chapter 16 is to look at the Philippian jailer
and his family.
In
Acts chapter 2 we find Peter preaching his heart out to the nation of
Israel, which is so obvious up in verse 36, where Peter winds up this
sermon with.
"Therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly,* that God
hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their
heart
(they were moved to compassion) ,
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and
brethren, what shall (what’s the pronoun?) we do?"
*see
Peter doesn’t mention any Gentiles because he is preaching (proclaiming primarily) to the
Jewish nation. Most preachers and teachers never mention that.
Who is asking the question? The nation of Israel? We make the point
here, that God deals with the Hebrews on two levels. Individually and
nationally, so always keep that in mind. Here in these verses He’s
dealing with them on the national level. So the nation has just
asked, "What must we, the nation, do?" Remember they had
just crucified their promised Messiah. Now look what Peter tells them.
Acts
2:38
"Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in (into) the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
This
is Peter preaching to Israel under Law, and it was exactly what God
wanted him to proclaim to Israel. But now look at the difference in
Paul’s answer to the Philippian jailer under Grace and the Church
Age several years later. This Gentile comes and asked almost the same
question, and yet it is not the same, because he does not say,
"What shall we do," but rather "what
shall I do to be saved?" It has becomes a personal individualized
thing, do you see that? Today, God is not dealing with the Gentiles
as He did with the nation of Israel on national grounds. Neither is He still dealing with the nation of Israel solely and because He is not means that He is dealing with a Hebrew as an individual, the same as with a Gentile. Every
Gentile is being dealt with personally as are the Hebrews today. And
this is why we always empathize that salvation is not just bringing
in people wholesale, but rather salvation today is that one at a
time, as the Holy Spirit convicts and opens the understanding, after
passing through the first estate, the required Redemption being received individually and then that person believes this
Gospel. That is also why a lot of people use that term, "A
personal Savior," because we have to be saved as an
individual before we can enter into His salvation program without
exception. For there is required the leaving behind the Satan-child
before we can become a God-child the two do not mix, wont happen.
This
is exactly the why the Philippian jailer, as a Gentile, a pagan, an
unbeliever, that is the way he had put it.
The
trouble that I have witnessed is this, our churches under the
leadership of false prophets (pastors, teacher and evangelists are
messengers of Satan, as unwitting puppets) because they have blended
the old with the new, voiding the New. Or they have gone off on what
can be called rabbit trails such as proclaiming a gospel of health,
wealth and prosperity, a love child kind of gospel, a name it and
claim it kind of thing....all these are but of the flesh. Paul did
not proclaim such a gospel and neither did the first Apostles, they
told us all to be on guard for such things, then told us that we will
suffer as Christ suffered and Paul also suffered. I can not hold them
guiltless because they should know the difference, if they have
passed through God's program and been approved of Him, as stewards of
this Gospel. But for the most part they have not and so remain in the
flesh and proclaim a flesh gospel which is contrary to all of Jesus'
and even John the Baptist's message of love and the kingdom now
available to all. Which is an internal kingdom, a spiritual kingdom.
Because beginning with John, God changed things from being the Law to
Grace, a supernatural unseen change, the something new change
promised. And witness to with Mary when she said, be it unto me
according to your word. These words were God's spoken to her through
the obsesses of an angel, the messenger. I must stress that this Love
is not a walk on me as a carpet kind of love but is a Love which
holds back and is in control of our emotions, opinions and will.
Jesus and then Paul are our examples and are to be our pattern of
behavior in this life. This Love does NOT tolerate sin nor does this
Love tolerate mans rebellion Religion because God is NOT found in it,
neither is His Love their.
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