Gospel Confident
- Acts 4:12 If you want to make the claim that all religions are the same. No other religion makes this claim.
- No other religion as a certain claim of salvation.
- Now how can this verse Acts 4:12 make such a claim. Well let’s look at the context.
- Acts 4:8–12 Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit as he makes this statement. So he is speaking from the heart of God.
- Then in the name of Jesus they healed a lame man.
- The miracle done in the name of Jesus proved the power and presence of Jesus.
- Then in verse 10 Peter reminds them that even though Jesus was crucified by the leaders he rose from the dead.
- No other religion claims a resurrection from the dead, not just for the founder but also for the members and adherents.
- Peter is stating all off these facts to set the table for the claim of Acts 4:12.
Mark 8:38 Jesus warns us that this is an adulterous and sinful generation.
- And by adulterous he does not mean unfaithful in sexual relations.
- By adulterous he means following after more than one god.
- The Greek word used here can mean “ashamed” or “embarrassed.”
- Have we allowed what the Politically correct world says about Jesus, to taint out view of Him and now our doubts lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment?
- If we are shamed or embarrassed of Jesus, Jesus will be ashamed of us when he comes.
- The devil through the work of causing us to doubt Jesus, and being ashamed or embarrassed will cause some people to fall outside of the Kingdom.
Luke 9:26 You have heard me say many times, we don’t want to develop theology or a belief system based on one passage or proof text of Scripture. So here we see another text, that says the same thing.
Matt 10:32-33 Matt says something very similar but uses slightly different words.
- Matt included a promise of blessing. If we acknowledge Jesus before other people, then Jesus will Talk to God the Father about us.
- But if we disown Jesus, then he will disown us.
- This word disown might hit a little different than ashamed or embarrassed.
- The Greek word used here means to deny. Just like Peter denied Jesus.
John 15:18-25 This passage reminds us that the world hated Jesus.
- Verse 21 Jesus tells us that the world will treat us this way because of Jesus.
- But the best part here is that the reason they Hate Jesus and us, is because Jesus convicts them of their sin.
- So as the word rejects Jesus and Christians, remember this is because they feel convicted of their sin.
So how do we overcome all of this?
- As I said last week, we must fully believe that Jesus is all that He claims to be. If are afraid or ashamed to share our faith, do we really believe in the fullness of Jesus?