“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that all honour and glory goes only to You. Every man must surrender his/her life to You, for there is no other name given among men, whereby we can be saved. Lord, we as Your church, must fulfil our task to reconcile man and all of creation to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Peter is making this audience know, with all lucidity, that they must surrender and submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
We are here to tell the world, with all certainty, that Jesus is Lord to whom the world must submit.
I keep going back to this passage in Acts 4, where Peter and John addressed the high-powered audience of the Sanhedrin.
Acts 4:10-12 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. (11) This is the ‘STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED BY YOU BUILDERS, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.’ (12) *Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
They did not, in any way, water down their message of the exclusivity of Christ as the Saviour of the world.
Peter and John repeat their stand to the same audience in Acts 5. This time they have been threatened with dire consequences if they do not stop speaking of Jesus. They have already been imprisoned and after this incident, the disciples were also beaten. Yet,… their position on the exclusivity of Jesus did not change.
Acts 5:30-32 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. (31) Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. (32) And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
The world does not want us to emphasise the singularity of Christ. They want us to be inclusive. They call us narrow-minded bigots and they are right. Let us be prepared to be identified as such, for there is no other name, other than the name of Jesus, whereby a man can be saved.
Peter is addressing a Gentile audience in Acts 10. Here again, the individuality of Jesus, being the only way for man’s salvation, is shared.
Acts 10:38-40 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (39) And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. (40) Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,
This is what the Lord Jesus taught His disciples.
John 5:24-27″Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (25) Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. (26) For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, (27) and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
Mankind is in a state of death. If a man must move from death to life, it is only in surrendering to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Now that we have come to Jesus by surrendering to Him as our Lord, we come into the habitat of God.
Romans 14:8-9 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (9) For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
We are the Lord’s. This is the place of our identity, security, and authority. We are co-rulers with Christ and we reign with Him.
Here is a breathtaking representation of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:15-22 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (16) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (18) And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (19) For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, (20) and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (21) And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled (22) in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
This is the Lord Jesus, whom we represent and share with the world.