Transforming Power;
The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Weekly Devotional 02-10-20 Adding to the Church Daily
In Acts chapter two, Peter gave the first of two sermons he preached to an assemblage of Jews who had remained in Jerusalem shortly after the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. At the conclusion of this first sermon many believed
From these three
The Lord adds to the church those who have come to an acceptance of the truth. One must first accept the truth that he is a sinner and separated from Holy God (Romans 3:10-18; 23). He must also accept the truth that there is nothing that he can do to rectify the situation; that his salvation rests entirely on the mercy of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Then, he must trust in and commit to the saving grace of God found in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. No one, of course, whom the Lord adds to the church understands these things in their depth but will understand that which is necessary to conversion. An understanding arrived at not only in the intellect (the mind) but in the inward man; in his spirit.
The question then is, are you one of those whom the Lord has added to His church? There are many who are under a great delusion; that by some act of their own, or the act of others, they have been added to the Lord’s church. However, Scripture testifies that we are added to the church “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). We are saved by a cleansing of our inward man and by the power of the Holy Spirit as he regenerates us to new spiritual life. The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration, and the Word is the instrument.
It is the new birth that qualifies one to be added to the church. One cannot be added to the church apart from that new birth, for
The apostle
What all persons must do is believe God and trust in His propitiation. Baptism, observing communion, joining a church, being kind to those around him, and so on, will not make a person a member of Christ’s church. Only the new birth can do that. The Philippian jailer, for instance, asked, what must I do to be saved? And Paul and Silas answered, “
Peter in testimony before Annas, the high priest, and the religious leaders said, “10let it be known to you all, and all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by
Thus, the church is being added to daily and it is Jesus who is accomplishing it through His word and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
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Monthly Archives: February 2020
Weekly Devotional 2-10-20 Adding to the Church Daily
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