“BEFORE and AFTER”

AFTER JESUS’ RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION: When Peter and John taught, the Jews “…were astonished at the confidence with which they taught and recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

BEFORE JESUS’ RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION: Following Jesus’ arrest, Peter followed ‘afar off’. One of the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” — (Matthew 26:73).

In both instances, Peter’s speech associated him as having been with Jesus. In both instances, we see ‘boldness’ in Peter’s speech. Yet, there is a glaring difference…FEAR OF DEATH. Note a change in Peter’s fear of dying…what prompted it?

Notice the change in Peter’s own reaction to his speech. In the “BEFORE” instance, Peter “…went out and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75) Why?

In the “AFTER” instance, when threatened, Peter rejoiced that he “… had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name…and…kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:41-42)

What about those whose speech associate them as ‘having been with Jesus’? Does your FEAR OF DEATH, dictate your speech

How can a change in your fear of dying take place? It will be the same as with Peter. He said, “…we must OBEY God…God of our fathers raised up Jesus…He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given TO THOSE WHO OBEY HIM.” (Acts 5:29-32).

"GOD'S OMNISCIENCE of the WHAT IF'S..."

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes…For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” (Matthew 11:21, 23).

This passage contains a tremendously important concept. This text is not merely another in a long string of woes pronounced in Scripture against those who reject God's word, although it IS that to be sure. It also addresses what we might call “contingent knowledge”; i.e., God knows what would be done in various circumstances that did not, in fact, occur – just as He knows what will happen even though it has not yet happened. It gives new meaning to the word “omniscient”. God knows not only what has been and what is and what will be, but He also knows what would have been under different circumstances; He has knowledge of the contingent. He knows what Sodom would have done if Sodom had seen the miracles: Sodom would have repented.

 

Many people have speculated about the fate of those who have not had opportunity to hear the gospel, or pose some hypothetical question like “what if…someone is hit by a falling tree before they can be baptized?” My answer: “I don’t know. But God does!” More important, God knows what I would do if given opportunity. It is very likely based, at least in part, on the best predictor of future behavior: past behavior. How have I responded to opportunities presented by God’s grace and His revelation in the past?

 

How about you? God’s ultimate judgment takes into account God’s perfect knowledge of events and God’s perfect knowledge of the contingent. He knows what would have been under different circumstances, which guarantees that God’s judgment on the last day will be perfect. There is no factor He hasn’t taken into account.

“LYDIA’S CONVERSION”

We find the conversion of Lydia in Acts 16:13-15. As we examine her conversion, we find the same pattern as in all previous cases. Her conversion involved her “calling upon the name of the Lord.” This was necessary as the prophecy made by Joel, (and quoted by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:21), is now in effect. All who come the Lord must call upon His name. "Calling” has never been by a prayer to God, asking Him for pardon. Previously, in the book of Acts we have found people who were religious, devout, and praying individuals prior to hearing of salvation through Jesus, but upon hearing this good news, they responded in the following manner: They believed what was proclaimed about Jesus, (i.e., that He had been made both Lord and Christ – Acts 2:36). They repented of their past sins, because Jesus commanded it (Luke 24:47). They confessed their faith in Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:9-10). They were also immersed in water, for Jesus had commanded everyone to be buried in the likeness of His death (Romans 6:4-5). This constituted the “form of doctrine” to be obeyed (Romans 6:17-18). This constituted the pattern of "calling upon His name” as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; and Luke 24:44-49.

Notice the facts provided of Lydia’s conversion: First, the description given of her prior to her hearing of Jesus. It is said that she “worshiped God”. She was a religious person. Yet even though she was religious, she lived AFTER Christ’s resurrection from the dead. This is significant. Remember the Hebrew writer in Hebrews 9:15-17 explained that the old covenant (i.e., the Law of Moses) was no longer in effect, being replaced by a new covenant. What the Law could not provide by animal blood, Jesus did by the shedding of His blood (Acts 4:12).

To ‘call upon’ is to make an appeal for help. Paul appealed to Caesar to rule on the charges made against him (Acts 25:11). Paul himself called upon Jesus’ name (Acts 22:16). He taught that calling was impossible apart from belief and that belief required hearing God’s will. (Romans 10:14, 17). Jesus preached His Father’s will (John 12:49; 17:8). Jesus commanded that “repentance and remission of sins” were to be proclaimed IN HIS NAME, (i.e., by His authority – Luke 24:47). This command took effect in Jerusalem on Pentecost (ibid).

THOUGHT QUESTIONS: 

About what did Paul speak to her? We can know by what is recorded of Lydia after hearing Paul speak. It says, “And when she was baptized, and her household...”. We can accurately conclude that when Paul spoke to her, he commanded her to be baptized. We can also accurately conclude that this, in part, was how she attended to the things spoken by Paul. The text demands these conclusions. Her heart was opened by the word of the Lord, for faith cometh by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Through her repentance and immersion in water, she “...attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”

We might ask also regarding her baptism, for what PURPOSE was she and her household baptized? The New Testament is consistent as to baptism’s PURPOSE.

·    Romans 6:3-5 – baptism is for the PURPOSE of an unsaved person undergoing a burial in the likeness of Christ’s death; one cannot be raised up to walk in newness of life without this planting in the likeness of Christ’s death.

· Galatians 3:27 – in baptism, one “puts on” Christ. Christ is not “put on” before and without baptism.

·   Acts 22:16 – sins are said to be “washed away” by baptism in water.

·   1 Peter 3:21 – water baptism is said to be a “like figure” of salvation. Water, in some way ‘saved’ Noah’s family. In whatever way it ‘saved’ them, it ‘saves’ all today in a ‘like-figure’.

Having shown these passages, let us now notice what the Bible does NOT say about the PURPOSE of baptism. The Bible does NOT say that baptism is to be performed on one who is “already saved”. Baptism is never said to be a church “ordinance” to be performed upon some who was saved at the point of their faith, for faith alone does not justify (James 2:17-26).

The Bible is clear that remission follows baptism, rather than precedes it. Lydia was immersed in water, because Paul commanded it of her. That is the only conclusion any honest inquirer can come to. She was not baptized to “outwardly show” what had already taken place “inwardly”. She was not baptized to be added to a denominational body, for none existed. She was not “in Christ” before her immersion, even though she was a worshiper of God. Paul preached the same message to her that Peter preached to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost. The Lord ‘opened her heart’ in the same way that everyone’s heart is ‘opened’.