Can you think of a time when you saw… heard… felt… something so profound, it forever changed the course of your life? Parents will tell you the birth of a child is so profound, it leaves them forever changed. Survivors testify how the sheer power of nature (perhaps a storm, an earthquake, a hurricane or tsunami, a volcano… a near death experience) … rattled them to the core of their being. When did a moment in life maybe leave you forever changed?
In Acts 2 the people of Jerusalem are rattled. They were astounded and perplexed by a “sign”—as tongues of fire come from heaven. They ask, “What does this mean?” In other words, “What should we make of this?” Throughout OT Scripture God would raise up prophets to speak on his behalf. This occasion is no exception. A familiar refrain from Scripture is, “Hear O Israel.” Pay attention! Know this. Open eyes. Unplug ears. Rend heart. Look! Understand! “The implications of XYZ is this!”
Notice Peter’s Prophetic Tone in Acts 2:14-17, “Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people…”
Again, in Acts 2:22-24, “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.”
Yet Again, in Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” How dreadful it must have been to stand there, in the presence of God’s Holy Spirit… in the wake of Christ death, burial, resurrection… with nowhere to run or hide… realizing God just made this Jesus whom you just nailed to the cross, Lord and King. Acts 2:37, “When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Clearly, it’s necessary that one hear the gospel to be saved. In Romans 10:14 Apostle Paul asks, “How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” In Romans 10:17 Paul says, “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” Nice little chain of affect there.
But is salvation only a matter of hearing and believing? The crowd’s response, “Brothers, what should we do?” indicates God’s Word has finally sliced through. Their question is a kind of confession of faith. From all appearances they were in a place of gospel clarity, gospel certainty, indeed conviction. Again, in Romans 10:9-13 Paul says, “9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
In Romans 10:15-16 Paul tells us that not everyone who “hears” the gospel “obeys” the gospel. “As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. But not all obeyed the gospel.” [Preachers Sneakers Blog] I’ve listened to a wide variety of perspectives on Acts 2:37. Isn’t salvation a matter of faith alone? Isn’t it misguided, that we’d entertain any other requirement for salvation, beyond mere belief? Should saving faith consist of something more than mere intellectual assent—and if so, what? What does Paul mean “obey the gospel?” Is that “works salvation” incognito?
In James 1:22-25 it says, “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was…” In James 2:14 James asks, “14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?” James 2:18-20, “But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder. 20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?” James 2:24, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” James 2:26, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
What honors God isn’t that we shudder. It isn’t our emotions, our sense of astonishment, amazement, or bewilderment. It’s not just confessing right doctrine “God is One.” What honors God isn’t that we merely hear, understand, or believe. What honors God, the very proof of your faith, is a readiness to obey. What shall we do?
In Acts 2:38 Peter says, “Repent and be baptized, each of you.” Nobody would doubt the necessity of “repentance” in salvation. To repent is to think and act differently in light some new gospel reality. In Acts 26:20 Paul explains how he “. . .preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.” Again, don’t just believe it or confess it, show it… You have faith, show it. You have repentance, show it. The NIV says, “demonstrate it.” Nobody sees any incompatibility between faith and repentance.
But in Acts 2:38 Peter goes still further. He says, “repent and be baptized, each of you.” In the Greek, these are twin imperatives, commandments! Jesus similarly says the same to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When Nicodemus seeks clarification Jesus doesn’t help much! In John 3:5 Jesus says, “… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” In Matthew 28:20 Jesus likewise interjects baptism. He says, “Go and make disciples of all the nations and cultures, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit teaching them to obey everything I command.”
I wasn’t in ministry long before I realized what a tripping hazard baptism has become for people today. Whoa Peter, I’m good with repentance but baptism? “Each one” of us must be baptized? Whatever for? Whoa Jesus, I’m cool with our late night theology talk, but just what do you mean a man “must be born again of water and spirit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?”
It should be noted that the command to “be baptized” occurs in the passive voice. It’s the same in John 3. Jesus tells Nicodemus one must “be born of water and the Spirit” to enter the Kingdom of God. Technically, a work is something you do. I wasn’t there when you were born, but I am pretty sure you didn’t birth yourself. Your momma did all the work! To “be born” or to “be baptized” is an act of surrender, a yielding of one’s spirit to one greater.
Even though repentance occurs in the active voice, there is a sense in which repentance is also an act of surrender. In Acts 11:18 we find this peculiar statement: “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.” Like baptism, repentance is act of yielding one’s will to one greater. Acts 2 isn’t the only place where we see preaching-faith-confession-repentance-baptism together.
In Ezekiel 36 God promised six amazing things that Peter sees fulfilled in Acts 2.
• First, God vindicates Christ’s identity on Pentecost. Ezekiel 36:23, “Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight.
• Second, God gathers the Jews from the Nations. Ezekiel 36:24, “For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land.
• Third, God fulfills his promises to wash, cleanse (baptize) away sin. Baptize=wash. Ezekiel 36:25, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
• Fourth, God promises to grant his people authentic repentance. Ezekiel 36:26, “ Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
• Fifth, God promises to pour out his Holy Spirit on all his people. Ezekiel 36:27a, “And I will put My Spirit within you.
• Sixth, God promises to enable Spirit-Led obedience. Ezekiel 35:27b, “And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances.
Brother’s what shall we do? Hear. Confess. Repent. Be washed. Receive the Holy Spirit. Grow in obedience. These aren’t an Acts 2, Apostolic, Petrine innovation. These are the Old Testament signs God promised long ago that would accompany salvation!
Some other thoughts on baptism. In Acts 2:38 baptism is into the name of Jesus Christ. “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ.” This is consistent with Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18. “Baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” By itself, baptism is nothing. But as an act of identification with the saving name of Christ, it’s quite momentous. Baptism is like an adoption ceremony. In baptism, you’re taking on a new name, and with that name comes new identity, and with that identity you gain every spiritual blessing in heavenly realms the name of Christ wields. Less we minimize the power of Jesus name….In Acts 4:12 Peter says, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.” Baptism is an identification with the NAME of Jesus.
In Acts 2:38 we also see the purpose of the baptism is two-fold. Again, Echoing the Ezekiel 36 promises… “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness (cleansing) of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” 41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.”
Much later in life, in 1 Peter 3, Peter elaborates on the meaning of baptism. In 1 Peter 3:18 Peter says, “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” This is the gospel we’re to hear, believe and confess.
And so, he continues… 1 Peter 3:19-20, “in [the spirit] He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark” Still again. Jesus, as the Spirit enabled, preached (proclaimed victory) to spirits in prison… so in Acts the Church is filled with power to preach and witness to ends of the earth.
In 1 Peter 3:21-22 (NIV) Peter explains baptism. In reference to the days of Noah, when there was such marked corruptions and evil… “in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. The water here separates the righteous from the unrighteous. “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It [baptism] saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
A symbol is not a reality in itself. A symbol can only point to something greater. The symbol of baptism looks like someone taking a bath, removing dirt from their body. But baptism points to a greater great reality. In baptism, a person is making a pledge of clear conscience toward God. Boy that sure sounds a lot like repentance, doesn’t it? Baptism doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It must be coupled with repentance. This is why we only practice adult, believer’s baptism. Though our body is passive in baptism our conscience is fully engaged. In baptism there is a recognition that God is washing, cleansing, removing guilt! In baptism were not doing that work, God is doing that work, Christ alone has authority to forgive sin.. In 1 Peter 3:21 Peter clarifies. He says the “Baptism now saves you” … (not in or of itself)… no, it saves you “by resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Baptism saves you not by virtue of some work you are doing, but by virtue of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection!
In Romans 6 Paul see’s baptism not just as an identification with the name of Christ, but as a pictorial-visual-spiritual identification…experiential…full-bodied-reenactment with the very work of Christ. Romans 6:3-9, “Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
Baptism is my moment of death, my burial. Baptism is my moment of cleansing, forgiveness, deliverance, freedom from sin. Baptism is my inauguration into a whole new family name, indeed a whole new life, indeed life and life eternal. Baptism is my resurrection, of being made alive, of being born again, to life for Christ. And all of this is from God.
When did a moment in life maybe leave you forever changed? Acts 2:42-47 Look at what happens when a spiritual dead people are made alive in Christ! “42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”