Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
Notice the "and" in "Repent, and be baptized." That is works to receive the Holy Ghost. Compare with Romans 5:5. Notice also it is "for the remission of sins." My cancer is in remission right now and the same cancer could come back at any time. It is dormant, in remission -- glory to God! Please follow this thing out, it says to "Repent and be baptized" before they received the Holy Ghost. Let's continue to Acts 3:19-21:
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21)
The "times of restitution" will not happen until the Lord of glory splits Mt. Olives and sits down on his rightful throne in Jerusalem here on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords! Then will he blot out their sins like promised in Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Hebrews 10: 16-17 to name just a few. Obviously, "the times of restitution of all things" has not happened yet!
When were your sins forgiven forevermore?
It is a covenant that the Lord made with the House of Israel to "remember their sins no more... at the time of restitution of all things." This will take place at the earliest at the Second Coming, but most likely not till the end of the Millennium when the Lord will reign here on earth from Jerusalem as is promised to the nation of Israel. See Isaiah 16:5, 66:23-24; Ezekiel 37:25-27; Zechariah 14:16-18 for the Lord's millennial reign and 2 Peter 3: 11-12; Revelation 21:1-6 for the end of the Millennium. They have to keep the commandments then in order to eat from the "tree of life" to keep their salvation which is another dispensation and study altogether.
So, as you can see, Peter is preaching another gospel which, in my opinion, is half way between John the Baptist's and Paul's.
Notice in Acts seven the Lord Jesus is standing. God deals with Israel as a nation. If, Israel had of accepted the Lord at this point, he could have returned then because all prophesy up to that point had been fulfilled. See Acts 7:56.
They didn't and stoned Stephen instead. (You will see the Lord sat back down over there in Hebrews 10:12.) So, in chapter eight we see the Ethiopian eunuch get saved under a gospel of grace for the first time. (Isn't that something? The black converted Moslems in America say that Christianity is a white man's religion.)
In chapter nine Saul/Paul is called out to preach to the Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel. In ten we see foul mouthed, salty dog, Peter get his visions about the "cleanliness" of the Gentiles. He doesn't quite catch onto it yet though and is still preaching works and faith at the time, even though the holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles in verses 42-48, which read. Notice, Peter says, "Can any man forbid water?" He doesn't say something like, now that the Lord saved them let's baptize them according to the Great Commission, but does realize that the Lord saved them without water.
Look at Paul's gospel:
Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38)
Notice it is for forgiveness of sins now!
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:8-9)
Paul says, "...the word of faith, which we preach..." He emphasizes often that he is preaching something different and is even bold enough to call it, "my gospel" in Romans 2:16, 16:25; 2 Timothy 2:8.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Galatians 2:8-9)
Amazing, what a difference! Not a different way of presenting the same gospel, but "another gospel" than that of Acts 2:38, 3:19-21. "Things that aren't the same are different," as a very wise man says quite often!
Look what happened! Paul had to rebuke Peter to his face for still preaching a gospel that was done away with when Paul was called out:
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (Galatians 2:11-14)
WHAT, what's this, the chiefest of sinners and the least of the apostles rebuking Peter? That's right! Peter was not teaching the gospel of grace of God given to Paul for this dispensation, or the Church Age if you will. Was Peter confused? Nay, he just didn't fully understand that the gospel had changed back there in Acts 8:37; 9:17-18, even though the Lord gave him revelation of that in Acts 10. Peter caught on to the part about the Gentiles could have salvation too, but he didn't quite fully understand that no works were involved to get saved! Remember, God deals with the Jews as a nation, not as individuals only. Peter does catch on though, read on:
(Note that God dealt with the nation of Israel as a nation and also the Individual Jew, unlike this dispensation where he deals with us solely as individuals. The nation of Israel has always been under works and faith, that is the law given to them, dispensed to them by the Householder. Peter was preaching the correct gospel until the nation of Israel rejected the Lord.)
Here is the kicker! It is after Paul corrected Peter and it is where it shows that Peter did in fact finally catch on:
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (Acts 15:8-11)
Friends, I don't now how much of an impact that has on you, but wow, the first time it clicked with me it about floored me. Peter is speaking in those verses. He realizes that the law is no longer in effect for salvation.
Look at verse 11. "We shall be saved, even as they." What? You mean a Jew, God's chosen people, his special ones that were called out for his name and for his purpose, that have the promise of inheritance of the holy land still today, that are clean people to God, not defiled. You mean those dirty filthy ungodly, DEFILED Gentiles that were not allowed in the Temple, that the Jews would go as far as to walk around Summaria and not help out a Sumaritan on side of the road had a better plan of salvation. You mean to tell me that Peter would lower himself to such standards of those defiled filthy Gentiles. You mean God gave them a better promise than the Jews as a nation.
Yesserrie buddy!!! That just really nails it down if you ask me, for Peter to say that a Jew could be saved the same way as the Gentiles! That is, to be saved by grace through faith without nothing else. !!! NO WORKS !!! Peter finally caught on!
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!
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