In Acts 28:23 we find the Apostle Paul on trial in Rome because the Jews rejected his message and had petitioned the Roman government to kill him for preaching it. Upon arriving in the city he called the local Jewish leaders together and told them about the Kingdom of God and the Messiah through Whom one must enter that kingdom. To these Jews he “expounded and testified the Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses and out of the prophets.” His purpose in speaking to the Jews in Rome was the same as Peter’s purpose when speaking to the Jews in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 3:19,26. Here we find him on the Day of Pentecost speaking to those who would become followers of Jesus Christ. Note that salvation was not presented as a simple decision to “take Jesus as your personal Savior.” As Peter told them, it was a life-long process:”REPENT you therefore, and BE CONVERTED, that your sins may be blotted out …. To you (Jews) first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you in TURNING AWAY every one of you from your iniquities”–sins, Law-breaking (1 Jn. 3:4).

Note here a fact that the whole of professing Christendom has failed to accept: that one must be converted and walk in righteousness first, THEN FORGIVENESS OF SINS TAKES PLACE. Notice the wording in Acts 3:26:”…be converted, (so) that your sins may (then) be blotted out.” The chronology is this: repentance, then conversion/turning away from sin, then forgiveness once God sees that one’s conversion is real. Those who practice the sin-repent, sin-repent cycle have never been forgiven. They “treasure (store) up to your(them)selves wrath against the day of wrath and the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds (works–Law-keeping)” (Rom. 2:5,6). The deeds/works God commands is obedience to His Ten Commandment Law.

First John 3:4 tells us: “To transgress the Law is sin, for sin is the transgression of the (Ten Commandment) Law.” Peter told those “devout men” (Acts 2:5) who wanted to be saved that they must truly repent of breaking the Ten Commandments, then turn 180 degrees from the spiritual direction they had been traveling (to “go and sin no more”-Jn. 5:14;8:11). Jesus came to “fulfill” the Law (Mat. 5:17), not destroy it. “Fulfill” is “pleroo” in Greek, meaning to fill up to the fullest, to bring to fruition, to accomplish, complete. To fulfill the Law means to obey it as did Jesus, thereby walking in righteousness–the absence of sin (Law-breaking)–as He did, thereby earning the right to join Him in His Father’s earthly kingdom. One must do as He did: “I do always those things that please Him” (Jn. 8:28). To please God we must obey His Law in letter and spirit. Doing so keeps the God-seeker from sinning, just as it kept Jesus from sinning. See Jesus Christ: God, Man or God-man.

Note that CONVERSION entails true repentance for one’s (past) sins (Rom. 3:25), followed by a “turning away” from sin which must take place in order to overcome Satan as Jesus overcame him (Rev. 3:21), not to live in a sin–repent, sin–repent mode. Only by following this commanded spiritual path will one be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God and sit with Jesus on His throne. “He who has an ear (that seeks the Truth), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (vs 22). Note that God’s Word was to the churches, but only those in the churches with ears to hear His Truth would do so and benefit from it. To qualify for eternal life, hearing the Word of God must be followed by faith in that Word (Rom. 10:17), followed by obedience to that Word, which God calls “works” in James 2:14,17. This spiritual “walk” must continue until the end of earthly life in order to be saved upon the return of Jesus Christ to earth to set up the Kingdom of God. See the posting by that name.

We will be saved upon the arrival of Jesus if we are spiritual “enders”–if we endure persecution for righteousness sake until the END (Mat. 10:22); hold firm to the hope of salvation to the END (Heb. 3:6); hold the beginning of our faith steadfast unto the END (Heb. 3:14); are diligent in hope until the END (Heb. 6:11); overcome Satan and keep Christ’s works until the END (Rev. 2:26).” To be continued. L.J.