Sunday's Coming (Part 3)

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Acts 2:14-21 NIV).

Yesterday we saw that the power of the resurrection will transform us from unbelief to belief. Today, from the experience of Peter on the Day of Pentecost, we see the second transformation that may take place. The power of the resurrection will transform death to life.

The Scripture plainly declares that all men are sinners. Further, the penalty for our sins is eternal death, which is separation from God forever. It is impossible for a person to do enough good, or be good enough to earn eternal life. Therefore Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth in human flesh, and made the sacrifice necessary to atone for all sin. Salvation was and is only through Him. He paid a debt we could not pay, and by His resurrection He broke the power of death and made it possible to have life. This is the subject of Peter’s sermon in Acts, chapter two. Peter boldly declares, “And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Mankind had a heavy burden of sin around his neck; all he had to look forward to was the agony of eternal death. But, thanks to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that burden has been lifted and the debt has been paid. We can be set free by God’s grace. All we need to do is accept that work in faith.

A boy had been disobedient to his parents from his childhood. When he became a young man, he left home, scoffing at his godly mother who faithfully prayed that he would turn to Christ. He went off to sea without even saying goodbye to her. On his first voyage the ship encountered a wild storm. As he stood on deck, he cursed God. At that moment the ship lurched and he was thrown overboard. Quickly a lifeboat was lowered, and it reached him just as he was disappearing beneath the surface. The crewmen rescued him and returned him to the vessel. Everyone thought he was dead, but the ship's doctor kept on trying to revive him. Finally he opened his eyes, and his first words were, "Jesus has saved my soul!" After he was completely recovered, he told how in that horrible "leap" to the sea his sins had crowded
about him, dragging him down. But in that awful moment he remembered a text his mother had taught him years before: "This is a faithful saying, and worth of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:15). He said, "As I was sinking, I cast myself into the outstretched arms of the Savior." You, too, may be transformed today! Cast yourself into His waiting arms. The power of the resurrection will transform death to life!