Meditation for Monday
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:39
What promise? That’s easy; the previous verse tells us that the promise is remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Remission of sins is God’s salvation, eternal life, translation from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. The gift of the Holy Ghost is the ability to live as a child of God. That’s the greatest promise we could ever imagine. So who is this great promise extended to? Our text spells it out! Peter points to his audience and declares that it is to all of them. And he points to the future by declaring it is for their children. Then, he points to the entire world by declaring that it is for all that are afar off. So this promise is not only the greatest offer that could possibly be given but also to the greatest audience that could possibly be reached. What a Gospel!
Peter’s words were part of the first Gospel meeting of our age of grace. If we keep reading, we find it was an amazing meeting, with three thousand saved as a result. That may well be the greatest response of any Gospel meeting of all time, considering that many of the responses of such great crusades as those of Billy Graham involved people who were responding to Billy’s invitation, not to Christ’s offer. Despite the great start, the Gospel has not slackened in its ability to reach and save sinners. In Gospel meetings today, in personal witness, in Gospel tracts, Bibles, taped and printed Gospel messages, and in covert messages shared in communist and moslem lands, many thousands have heard the Gospel today and possibly thousands have trusted Christ. This glorious promise has lost none of its appeal and power.
We often get discouraged when we receive rejection after rejection when we attempt to pass out a Gospel tract or invite somebody to a Gospel meeting. It’s not easy to become excited about the Gospel promise when we see all the empty seats in the Gospel tents and at regular Gospel meetings. When we see a series end or a conference conclude without any apparent stir in the community or in the audience, we shake our heads in discouragement. What’s wrong? we wonder. Is the preaching not good enough? Are we not praying hard enough? Are we not working hard enough at inviting and at spreading the Gospel? That may be. But it may also be that God is offering His Gospel promise to people who want it instead of those around us who aren’t interested.
The Gospel promise still holds true. The commission for us to share it remains valid. Rejoice, God can save. Pray that He will call. -Jim MacIntosh