I WANT to bring under your notice, beloved reader, four portions of the Acts of the Apostles, in which occur the words, “Be it known unto you.” They bring out four things which are well worth knowing. Thank God I know them, and God wants you to know them too. They contain in themselves the true secret and spring of joy down here, and for all eternity by-and-bye.
1. JESUS MADE LORD AND CHRIST.
Will you take your Bible and read the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles?
There, “Peter standing up with the eleven lifted up his voice and said, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, BE THIS KNOWN UNTO YOU,... Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did, by him, in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain... This Jesus hath God raised up... being by the right hand of God exalted.
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (verses 14-36).
The consequences of the death and resurrection of Christ are stupendous. Here is a reversal of Babel. God had come down there and confused their tongues. Now Jesus has been obedient, Jesus has glorified God, Jesus has died, and the result of the blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus, and His being raised from the dead is that God can send down the Holy Ghost, to teach in every language the things concerning Himself. Know this, says Peter, there was once in this world a Man that honored God: everyone else has dishonored God, but there has lived in this scene, and died out of this scene, a Man whose every thought, and every word, and every action was suitable to God, and glorified God, and God has now glorified this One.
But how did man treat Him whom God thus honored? Man cast Him out! Have you ever thought of this fact, God’s Son has been murdered in this world? A false friend betrayed Him, a true one denied Him, and all forsook Him and fled. Pilate would have released Him, for even to the hard Roman governor it was plain there was no fault in Him, but what did the multitude cry? “If thou let this man go thou art not Caesar’s friend.” Caesar’s friends must side with Caesar, and Jesus’ friends must side with Jesus, and there was no one there that day to side with Jesus. “Away with him, away with him,” is the cry: chief priests and scribes, the religious men and the rabble all join to swell that cry, and now thought Pilate, “Caesar is my master, and I should not like to offend Cæsar, I might lose my place or my popularity.” Ah! many a man barters his soul for popularity in this world.
But Pilate does not want his death―he has another resource―he brings out the poor miserable guilty Barabbas, the robber and fierce murderer, and side by side they stand―the cruel robber and murderer, and the peerless Son of God, and Pilate asks which he should release unto them. You would have said there could be no doubt as to their answer. Jesus had healed their sick, raised their dead, done good to all, and the other was a wretched murderer―they must choose Jesus. Listen, then, listen to their awful cry, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” “Not this man, but Barabbas!” And then they mock Him, and scourge Him, and on His peerless head they place a crown of thorns, and then lead Him forth to die. The robber’s cross, the heavy murderer’s cross―prepared, I doubt not, for the robber, on which to expiate his crimes―was laid on Jesus, and He who had life in Himself was led forth to dark Golgotha’s scenes of agony and death.
But you will say, “Do you charge us with being the murderers of the Son of God!” No, but if still unconverted, I charge you with being partners with the world that slew Him. You may not have swelled that rabble cry, “Away with him!” but you are indifferent to Him. You take the side of the world that did it; are you not still in the world, and of the world? Does it not own you and claim you? And does not God know full well that you are not yet Christ’s, and have never bowed the knee to Him?
Do you say, The world is different now! Is it? Carry Christ into the street, and you will soon find if it is altered. A crowd, will gather to listen to a German band, or to see a puppet-show, and no opposition be excited, but you get up and speak of Christ at the corner of a street, and what will you find? Presently, Policeman B274, comes up, and touching you on the shoulder, says, “You must move on, the thoroughfare cannot be obstructed;” or, “There is no room for this kind of thing here.” Ah, no! there is no room for Christ; there is room for everything else; but I never knew the time yet when the world wanted Christ. The world does not care about God, does not want Christ. It did not want Christ in that day, and it does not care about Jesus in this day. If any one does want Jesus, I have blessed news for that one. Jesus wants you, dear friend: more, far more than you want Him, Jesus wants you!
God has exalted the One you have not cared about as yet. God reverses the action of the world. The world mocks and, scourges Him; God sets Him at His own right hand. The world murders Him; God raises Him from the dead. God steps into the scene where man has done his worst, ―murdered the Son of God, ―and God lifts Him from the grave, and puts Him on His throne till He makes His foes His footstool. Are you His foe? “I hope not,” you say. Are you His friend then? “I hope so.” Well, I will tell you one thing, if you truly are the friend of Christ you like His company, you bike to be near Him. That is how I gauge my friends. My friend likes to be near me, likes to be with me. Do you say you are not His foe? Well, be honest, are you His friend then? A friend must show himself friendly. If you are not His friend, not siding with Him, you must be His foe, and it is a terrible thing to be a foe of the Lord Jesus; you will be His footstool in the day of His coming glory.
But would you not like to be a friend of this blessed Lord Jesus? If you are not His friend you are guilty of the deepest, blackest sin outside of hell, ―indifference, aye, deep-rooted enmity to God’s blessed Son. Not merely are you a sinner, but you are a guilty sinner. Guilty of slighting the Lord Jesus. Peter says, Do you know that the first great fact God presses is this, you have slain the Son, of God, there is your guilt. And God has put Him in glory. Have you been going on wearing a garb of religiousness without having Christ? Then you are a hypocrite. Hypocrisy is pretending to be what you are not. And there is another side to it too, viz., covering up what is really there. It is hypocrisy too, if you love Him and do not own Him, ―are ashamed to take His side.
But you say, “He is Lord.” Yes. But is He your Lord? You will have to own Him Lord someday, but will you own it only when you are His footstool? Is it not better to be a friend of Christ’s now, and a friend of Christ’s in that day, than a foe now, and His footstool when He comes to reign. My friend, look to it, have you only the name of a Christian, or have you Christ? Are you a real or a counterfeit Christian? If you are a counterfeit one, I will carry you on a little further; perhaps you have gray hairs, and a long life of religiousness behind you, but death is before you, and when you die a long funeral procession follows you to the grave in which you are buried, and friends mourn you, and your name is recorded on your tombstone, and a list of your virtues perhaps, but what then? There is another day coming, the day of the first resurrection, but you do not rise, and the Lord’s people, all the dead and living, go up to meet Him, but you do not go up; they are forever with Him, but you are not there. And long after there comes another day, and another resurrection, and the great white throne is set, and the Lord whom you never knew sits on that throne, and there you stand before Him, and before the whole universe of God, in your true character―an unveiled liar. All your robe of religiousness torn from you, and in your sins before your judge. Do you say, “That is terrible language”? The more the pity that it should apply to you then. It is true language, as true as terrible.
Turn now for a moment to the next thing Peter wants us to know, viz., that, —
2. SALVATION IS IN His NAME.
“BE IT KNOWN UNTO YOU all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you, builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12).
Man slew Him, but God raised Him and put Him in glory. His name is down here on earth to be trusted in. And now this moment, as you, read these lines, you may know the power of that name. God grant you may. Can you say, He is my Saviour? ―can you say it honestly? Perhaps you say, “He is a Saviour.” That will not do; it is no use to you His being a Saviour, if He be not your Saviour. The moment a soul trusts in Jesus, it is saved. If you have come to Jesus, if you are looking to Jesus, if your soul is reposing in Jesus, salvation is your birthright, as a sinner now. You may know now that He is your Saviour. The reason I know I am saved is, not that I knew I was among the elect, but that I knew I was among the lost, and He came to seek and to save the lost. He will never shake a sinner off that clings to Him, He will not shake off the feeblest soul that trusts in Him.
Yes, His throne must come down ere He shakes a sinner off that trusts Him. Will you not trust Him? Will you not have salvation?
Perhaps you say, “I see that He is exalted up there, and I see that His name is proclaimed down here, and there is no salvation in any other, but is it for me?”
Let Paul answer that question, as he gives us the third thing God wants us to know.
3. FORGIVENESS PREACHED, AND JUSTIFICATION OBTAINED THROUGH HIM.
“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, 39).
“But,” you answer, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” “Whose sins?” “Whose, why everybody’s, of course.” That is not true, you do not believe everybody is forgiven. Do you believe in the forgiveness of Paul’s sins? He believed that himself, Do you believe in the forgiveness of mine? I believe that myself, thank God. But do you believe your own sins are forgiven? ―it is all nothing to you if yours are not forgiven. Because Christ’s blood has been shed, and He has glorified God about sin, therefore forgiveness can be preached to you. “And by him all that believe are justified from all things.” By Him, not by your tears or your prayers, or anything you can do.
God comes out and forgives, as we get in the case of the two debtors in Luke 7. “When they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.” The one owed five hundred pence, the other fifty, but neither could pay, and He forgives in His own style, “He frankly forgave them both.” There is the action, and the style of the action―without a grudge―that is the way God forgives a sinner. Oh, taste His love just now, come to Him now, believe Him now, taste His forgiveness, and believe His word. Here is the third thing I am to know―that I am forgiven―I am justified. Praise the Lord. Do you believe on Him? Then you are to know you are forgiven and justified. All that believe are justified. Satan cannot raise, a single charge. God justifies, who will condemn? Christ died for me, and was condemned for me, that He might never condemn me. He will not condemn the one He has died for. Does Satan say, “Look at your sins”? Ah, I reply, “Look at my Saviour.” Does He bring up my unworthiness? “Look at my Saviour,” again I say, “He has met every charge for me, and He is worthy.”
Many tell me they do not feel saved, or feel forgiven; but you must know you are forgiven before you can feel forgiven; and know you are justified before you can feel justified.
The last wondrous fact I bring under your notice is that, ―
4. THE SALVATION OF GOD IS SENT TO THE GENTILES.
“And when they had appointed him (Paul) a day, there came many to him into his lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.” His last words to them were: ―
“BE IT KNOWN, THEREFORE, UNTO YOU, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:23, 24, 28). It is sweet to see how, in two or three words, God sometimes heaps up the whole of the blessing He proposes to bestow on the soul. “The salvation of God!” The moment I hear the word salvation, it brings this to my mind; if God sends me salvation, it is clear I have not got it, that needs no proving; and if God sends it, it proves, too, that I need it. Salvation comes from God, that is the source. You are the recipient, and the thing sent is exactly what you need!
This was Paul’s last sermon, and it was a very grand one, twelve hours long; his whole object was to make Jesus precious to their souls; and he kept them from morning till evening, speaking of Jesus to them, and it is the very sweetest work possible. I would rather be pleading with you for Jesus, seeking to make Him precious to you, than be ambassador from the British nation to the greatest foreign court. I will not detain you for twelve hours now, I promise you; but this I also promise you, that if you believe the word concerning Jesus, you will be a saved person ere you lay down this paper. Were you steeped in sins when you took it up, you may become whiter than snow ere you lay it down, through the precious blood of Jesus, God’s beloved Son. Do you say, “I do not believe in sudden conversions”? Well, I will show you your company; you are like those in the 24th verse of this chapter, “And some believed the things that were spoken, and some believed not.”
Why did they not believe? Because they listened to the devil’s insinuation, just as you are listening to it now. There is one who believes in sudden conversions more firmly than any in the universe of God. Shall I tell you who that is? The most firm and thorough believer in sudden conversions is the devil! Perhaps you never thought of that before. I will prove it to you. Look at Luke 8:12. “Those by the wayside are they that hear, then cometh the devil and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” The moment you hear the word of God, you are on this platform―those by the wayside! Then, ― then what? mark this. Then cometh the devil, the moment they hear, lest they should believe and be saved. Was I right? Did I tell the truth just now? Ah, the devil knows full well that if you believe the message God is sending you through this paper, you will be saved on the spot. Satan knows well what the effect of the Gospel is, — hear, believe, and be saved. How quickly? Quicker than the time it takes you to read the words. The devil knows the truth of this full well; he knows the Gospel, he knows the effect, knows the power, knows the force of the Gospel far better than most, even of those who preach it, and because he knows the power of the Gospel so well, he comes and takes away the word out of sinners’ hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. He does not care what he brings in to draw the eye off Christ, or distract the soul from believing the word of God.
I know you have never thought of this before, never thought you could be saved where you sit, you have thought salvation was a long process, ―something you had to do. Satan likes you to believe that; if he can possibly help it he will not let you believe God has provided all, and that you may have salvation just now through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. “Some believed, and some believed not,” and so it will always be, but the man who does not believe is an infatuated man, has not the wariness of a bird even. “How can you say that?” do you ask. Well, the Psalmist says, “In vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird,” and Satan sets his net for you now, and whispers to you, “Do not you believe in sudden conversions, do not you take in this sort of thing, you have a good deal to do before you can be saved.” But, I say, if Satan did not believe so firmly in sudden conversion himself, he would not be so anxious to keep you from believing in the possibility of it. Oh believe the word that God has sent to you just now. He sends to you a message of salvation, and you must accept it or refuse it, and remember my friend, if you will not take God’s salvation you must take God’s damnation, for there is no middle ground. So do not trifle with God’s offer of salvation. Remember, there is no door out of hell though there is an awfully wide door into it, take care that you do not go in by that wide doorway―procrastination!
Are you a rich man trusting in your riches? If you have not Christ, what is it all worth? You are a poor man if you have not Jesus, you have more sins than sovereigns, more guilt than wealth; and when you lie in the grave and the worm feeds upon you, who will have your gold then? “My posterity,” you say. Yes, but who has your soul? Satan has your soul, ―your soul is in hell. Whatever you have, got, if you have not Jesus it is all nothing. And, oh! tell me, would not you like to know Jesus, to possess Jesus today? “Yes,” you say, “I would willingly barter all I possess to win this salvation:” that will not do. God is too rich to sell salvation, and you are too poor to buy it. It must be His own free gift, salvation is free for everybody who cares to have it.
Having glanced at the four things that God would have us know―1St that Christ has gone to glory, God has put Him there, though man cast Him out; 2nd that His name is down here on earth to be trusted in; 3rdly that by Him I am forgiven and justified; and now, 4thly, that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it,―I would ask you, my friend, one solemn question ere I close, Where are you? Do you believe these things, or do you not? And I warn you, if God sends you salvation, do not you refuse it. You get salvation by accepting the Saviour. “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation,” Simeon said, for he held the Saviour in his arms.
What a salvation to refuse! Will you not take it? You have nothing to do but to take what God offers. Receive Christ, and salvation is yours both now and forever. Receive Him and you have everything in Him. Christ is like a golden casket, and in that golden casket a magnificent specimen of every precious stone that is known. The casket is gold, and I have everything in that casket. Everything is in Christ, I have life in Him, acceptance too, He is made unto me wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Possessing Christ, I all possess, I have everything in Him, and I have only to fall down and thank God. And can I lose it? Never! I shall lose eternal Life the day Christ loses it, not before; for I have been accepted in Christ. He took all my sins, and He is my righteousness. May you, dear friend, lay down this paper knowing who, and what Christ is.
W. T. P. W.