The Signs Of Salvation
Notes
Transcript
This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to MCF, it would be good for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible, and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what the Bible means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the book of Acts. A NT book written by a disciple named Luke who wrote this book primarily for two reasons:
First, to give us a history of the church, how it started, and the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, to give us a template for how Jesus intends for us to accomplish the mission of taking the Gospel to the rest of the world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life, where you can listen to messages leading up to today.
Today however we are picking back up in as we come to the end of a story we’ve been focused on for the last few weeks. A story about a man named Cornelius.
You may recall Cornelius was a pagan soldier, living in a pagan city, who had a desire to seek, know, and be right with God.
And as we’ve learned, Cornelius represents really anybody that would desire to seek, know, and be right with God. And the good news is, when a person desires that, God responds.
We saw that as through a series of circumstances God as orchestrated a way for Cornelius to know and be right with Him.
Graph:
It all started as Cornelius was praying and had a vision where an angel told him to seek out a man named Peter in the nearby city of Joppa. A man who would have the answers he needed.
It then carried into the next day as Peter went up on a rooftop to pray, and while praying had a vision as well. A vision that challenged his thinking and belief system in two specific ways:
First, it challenged his ritualistic and religious thinking as God reminded Peter that salvation doesn’t result from rituals or observances.
Second, it challenged Peter’s prejudice and belief that Jesus had only come to save Jewish people. To remind Peter that God isn’t a God of favoritism, and that Jesus had come for all people, regardless of their race, skin color, social status, or past.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This was a lesson Peter needed to learn if he was going to become an obedient messenger of the gospel.
This was a lesson Peter needed to learn if he was going to become an obedient messenger of the gospel.
The story then continued as the men Cornelius had sent to find Peter knocked at the door where he was staying, and asked Peter to come with them back to a pagan city to meet with a pagan soldier named Cornelius, who desired to know and be right with God. Something Peter would have never done prior to his vision.
And so having overcome his ritualistic and prejudice thinking, Peter agreed to go with them.
We then learned, upon arriving at Cornelius’s house, that Peter did what any Christian should be able and willing to do. Peter opened his mouth and shared the gospel. And as we learned last week, what Peter said consisted of three primary gospel elements:
First, he told them that God isn’t a God who holds grudges. Meaning, if a person wants to know God, God doesn’t care who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done. God accepts you exactly where you are.
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Acts 10:34-
What Peter is saying here is, if a person desires to know and be right with God, that God meets that person where they are at. In other words, if a person wants to know God, God doesn’t care who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done. God accepts you exactly where you are.
And the same must be true for us. If we are going to lead people to faith in Jesus, we have to take them where they are at as well.
Second, Peter told them about who Jesus was, is, and what He did. And in doing so tells them the gospel story.
37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
Acts 10:
What Peter is basically doing here is telling them the story about Jesus from beginning to end. About why he came, what he did, and how he overcame death itself.
He then goes on to tell them about his personal encounter with Jesus and how he was a witness to all that Jesus did.
And as we learned last week, what was true for Peter, must be true for us as well. Because if we are going to lead people to faith in Jesus, we need to know what the Bible says about Jesus, and we need to be able to tell them the story of our experience with Jesus. The story of how Jesus came into your life, and how Jesus transformed and changed your life.
But not only that, we need to be able to tell them the story of our experience with Jesus. The story of how Jesus came into your life, and how Jesus transformed and changed your life.
Because at the end of the day, along with what the Bible says, the evidence of your transformed life becomes a living testimony that people can’t deny or dismiss.
Finally, Peter told them the truth.
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Acts 10:
As Peter closes out his message to Cornelius and his friends, Peter tells them the truth about salvation.
He told them that not only will God take them where they are at, not only does he have the the power to transform their life, but that Jesus is the only way for a person to be saved and be right with God. That the only way a person can have their sins forgiven, and have eternal life, is by putting their faith in Jesus.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
And as we learned last week, what was true for Peter must be true for us as well:
The fact is, if we want a person to be right with God, we have to be willing to tell them the truth. The truth that Jesus is the only way.
And that unless they are willing to do that, they will die in their sin.
And if they die in their sin, they will spend eternity separated from God in a place called Hell. A place where God’s presence does not exist.
Because at the end of the day, we have to be willing to tell people the truth. That Jesus is the only way to salvation and eternal life.
And so, that’s where we left off last week. The question now is, “What happened next? How did Cornelius and his friends respond to Peter’s gospel presentation?”
We’re going to get to that this morning. But before we do, and in order to set up where we are going this morning, I want to begin by asking you a question. A question that I think a lot of people would like to know the answer to when it comes to salvation. A question that maybe you’ve wondered about yourself or maybe someone else at some point. And the question is this:
Question - How do you know if a person is saved?
Or maybe a better way to say it would be:
Question - What are the signs or evidence that somebody has put their faith in Jesus?
That’s a great question, isn’t it? And a question we need to know the answer to for a couple of reasons:
#1 - If you’re a person that claims to be a Christian, then it would be good to know what the evidence of that should be in your life.
In other words, what signs or evidence would point to the fact that you are truly saved?
#2 - When you share your faith with other people, what are the signs or evidence that would point to their salvation? What do we need to see that would verify the message got through?
In other words, what are the signs or evidence that would point to their salvation?
So, the question then is, “How do you know?”
Well, that’s what I hope we can discover this morning as we finish out the story of Cornelius.
However, before we get to the remainder of the story and the answer to that question, I do want to clarify a couple of important facts about a person’s salvation:
#1 - When it comes to salvation, there is no clear cut template that determines if a person is saved or not saved.
In other words, our goal this morning isn’t to create some sort of spiritual measuring stick that we could use to determine if a person is saved or not.
I do want to say But we ask and answer this question, we need to be very careful. Because the fact is, there is no clear cut template that determines if a person is saved or not. In fact, I would go as far to say, that the only person that knows if somebody is truly saved or not is God. Because at the end of the say, only God knows if a person has truly given their life to Jesus or not.
The fact is, the only person that knows if somebody is truly saved or not is Jesus. Because as Peter said in verse 42, Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.
In fact Jesus describes the judgment like this. In Jesus says:
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
Matthew 25;
If we were to read on we would discover that the sheep are those that are saved and the goats are the ones who are not. Which means, when you stand before Jesus, you want Him to see you as a sheep.
So, at the end of the day, Jesus will be the one to determine who is saved and who isn’t.
#2 - When it comes to salvation, salvation isn’t something that we can base solely on association or external acts.
For example, a person isn’t necessarily saved just because they attend or are a member of a certain denomination or church.
Because, unfortunately, a lot of people think because they are associated with a certain church or denomination that they are automatically saved.
And nothing could be further from the truth. Because in heaven there will be no Methodist, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Baptists, Lutherans, or Catholics. There will only be sheep, Christ followers. People who put their faith in Jesus and made him Lord of their life.
Now, does that mean we shouldn’t join a denomination or a church? No. It just means that association with a certain church or denomination doesn’t save you and isn’t the evidence that your saved.
In addition to that, neither is a person necessarily saved just because they perform certain acts or good deeds.
Again, unfortunately, some people believe the more good deeds or rituals they perform, the more likely it will be they’ll go to heaven. But as we’ve learned over the last several weeks, nobody is good enough to get into heaven. That’s why Jesus had to come.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
All that to say, as we try to answer the question, “How do we know if somebody has put their faith in Jesus?” we need to be very careful that we don’t create measuring sticks and that we don’t become the judge and jury.
However, I will say this. If a person is truly saved, there should be signs that they have put their faith in Jesus. Evidences that would say they have put their faith in Jesus.
So, what are the signs and evidences? Well, that’s our goal this morning. To uncover a few of the indicators of a persons faith.
So, to get us started, here’s how we are going to approach the message today.
First, we’re going to read through the passage.
Second, we’re going to walk back through the passage in order to determine what is happening.
Finally, as we walk back through the passage, we’re going to determine what the signs and evidence of a person’s salvation should be.
And to do that, and in order to avoid creating a salvation measuring stick, we’re not going to focus on specific signs or evidences, but instead on a couple of general principles for salvation that should be evident in a person that has put their faith in Jesus.
So, with that as our basis, let’s jump back into our passage as Peter finishes his message and Cornelius and his friends respond to what Peter has said. Picking up in verse 44, Luke writes:
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
10:44-
As you can see, this is quite a response and raises a lot of questions concerning what happens when a person gets saved.
So, let’s walk back through the passage and see if we can figure out what is going on.
So, let’s start with verse 44. Notice again what Luke tells us:
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
Luke says as Peter is finishing out his gospel presentation, that the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And it’s this statement that leads us to our first principle for salvation, and I would state it like this:
Salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit, not man.
This is important for us to understand, because unfortunately there are a lot of Churches and Christians who tend to believe that all it takes for a person to be saved is cognitive acceptance, verbal affirmation, and ritualistic observances.
In other words, to be saved they just need to repeat certain prayers or perform certain acts.
And as a result, their goal in leading somebody to faith is to get them to accept certain beliefs, repeat certain prayers, and perform certain rituals. But that’s not what produces salvation.
Let me give you some examples of what I’m talking about.
In some churches and denominations, it’s taught that in order for a person to be saved, all they have to do is accept certain information and perform certain acts.
For example, in a lot of evangelical and protestant churches, churches like ours, it’s often taught in order for a person to be saved, all they need to do is accept Jesus as their savior, say a prayer of salvation, and then get baptized. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
And so after convincing them they need Jesus in their life, we ask them to repeat a prayer of salvation, sign up for baptism, and then we declare that they are saved.
And as a result,
The same is true of the Catholic church. For a person to be saved in the Catholic church, all they have to do is perform and complete the sacraments. It begins with infant baptism and goes all the way up to their confirmation where they are declared to be saved.
And please hear me, by saying that, I’m not trying to bash or degrade a specific church or set of beliefs.
And I’m not saying we shouldn’t encourage people to declare Jesus as Lord, pray a prayer, go through a class, or get baptized. Those are all good things.
And
Acts 10:
The point I’m making is that whether you’re a Protestant or a Catholic, we all have our formulas for salvation. We all have our ways of declaring that a person is saved.
But here’s the problem with that. Man made formulas, prayers, and sacraments don’t accomplish the work of salvation in us. Yes, they point us in the right direction. Yes, they give us spiritual focus. But they don’t produce the work of salvation.
So, what does? Look again at what Luke tells us:
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
Here’s what I want you to see.
First, notice what Peter’s part is in this process is. Luke says, “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on them?”
So, first question is, “What things? What things was Peter saying?” Well as we learned last week, Peter was telling them about Jesus and all He did. So, Peter is sharing the gospel.
And as we have been learning, that’s our job as well. That’s what Jesus has asked us to do. To declare the gospel and tell people about Jesus. So, Peter’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing.
However, notice what Peter doesn’t do in this process.
After sharing the word, and in order for them to be saved, he doesn’t lead them in a prayer of confession.
After sharing the word, and in order for them to be saved, he doesn’t sign them up for confirmation classes.
After sharing the word, and in order for them to be saved, he doesn’t sign them up for baptism class.
He doesn’t do any of what we typically do to declare that a person is saved. Why doesn’t he? Because Luke says as Peter finishes telling them about Jesus and their need for him, the Holy Spirit fell upon them.
1 Cornthians 12:3
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
And this is where the rubber meets the road. Because Peter’s job is now over, and now it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to produce the work of salvation in Cornelius. It’s the HS’s job to begin the salvation process.
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Why the Holy Spirit? Because Peter’s job is now over, and now it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to produce the work of salvation in Cornelius. It’s the HS’s job to begin the transformation process.
How do I know that? Because that’s not only what this passage indicates, but what rest of the Bible tells us. For example, listen to what Paul tells us about the work of the Spirit and salvation. In Paul writes:
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
That’s why Paul says:
Paul says our salvation has nothing to do with anything we’ve done or could. Instead it’s a gift of mercy that God pours out upon those who put their faith in Jesus, and He accomplishes it through the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
Think of it like this, when a person truly decides to make Jesus Lord,
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Here’s what I’m trying to get at, and I know it’s a little muddy, but what I want you to see is that Peter’s part in the salvation process ended after he told them about Jesus and what He did for them.
And it’s at that point the Holy Spirit took over and began the work of transformation and regeneration in Cornelius and his friends. Something that Peter was incapable of doing. Something that can only be accomplished from within. Something only the Holy Spirit can do.
Now, some might say, “Yeah, but pastor, isn’t there a place to lead somebody in a prayer or encourage them to confirm their faith?”
Yes, there’s a place for that. Paul writes:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Paul says confession needs to take place. A person needs to cognitively recognize and verbally declare their desire to know Jesus. But it doesn’t stop there. It has to go deeper than that. It has to be something that is confirmed in their heart. Something that only the Holy Spirit can see and do as cognitive acceptance and outward verbalization lead to an internal and supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in that person’s life.
But what I think happens sometimes, is instead of
Let me explain it like this, and I hope this clears up some of the mud.
Let’s say your goal was to convert me from being a Broncos fan to a Chiefs fan.
And so in order to do it, you sat down with me and explained to me why the Chiefs were a better team.
So to do that, you show me their record versus the Broncos record. 4-0 versus 0-4.
You show me their stats versus the Bronco stats.
You tell me about how great your savior quarterback is and why I need to put my hope in him. You even point out that he’s a Christian.
And then after sharing all of that information, you say, “Come on Brad, the facts are staring you in the face. Isn’t it about time you forsake your life as a Bronco fan and become a Chiefs fan?”
And then being a logical person, and after looking at the facts, and feeling the pressure from you to convert, I say, “You know what, I guess you’re right. Based on the record, the stats, and the performance of your quarterback, it makes sense to be a Chiefs fan versus a Broncos fan.”
And it’s at that point that you get all excited as tears fill your eyes, and joy fills your heart, as you hand me a Chiefs jersey to wear, give me some tickets to the next game, and begin to call friends and family to share the news that Pastor Brad is now a Chiefs fan.
It’s a day of celebration as you declare that the old Bronco fan is dead and the new Chief fan is alive.
So, let me ask you this. Is that what really makes me an official Chiefs fan?
In other words, does simply accepting that the record and sats of the Chiefs is better than the Broncos make me a Chiefs fan?
Does putting on a chiefs Jersey make me a Chiefs fan?
Does going to a game and sitting in the Chiefs section make me a Chiefs fan?
The answer is, no. Because as we all know, being a Chiefs fan goes much deeper than a record, stats, and a Jersey. Because being a Chiefs fan is a matter of the heart.
The same is true for the person who puts their faith in Jesus. It has to go beyond cognitive acceptance. It has to go beyond verbal affirmation. It has to go beyond attending a certain church. It has to go beyond a baptism. It has to go deeper than that. It has to be a work within the heart. Something that transforms us form the inside out. Something only the Holy Spirit can do.
And again, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t lead people in a prayer, encourage them to get baptized, or go through a class. There’s a place for all of those things. But those things don’t accomplish the work of salvation in us.
For a person to truly be saved it takes a work of the Holy Spirit that starts on the inside.
Meaning, if your goal is to get them to say a prayer or sign up for a class, then your missing what they really need. What they need to understand is it ha
And that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray, get baptized, or go through a class. Those are great things. But those things don’t save us.
Everybody with me? Clear as mud? Bottom line, for a person to be saved, it takes a work of the Holy Spirit that begins as a person accepts the word not just externally, but internally as well.
So, a great question would then be, “How do you know if the Holy Spirit is truly at work in a person? How do you know the message made it from the head to the heart?”
This leads us to the second principle for salvation. And I would state it like this:
2. True Salvation should always produce recognizable signs.
Notice what happens next. Luke writes:
45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.
Acts 10:
Luke says as the Holy Spirit was poured out on Cornelius and his friends, something visible and recognizable took place that caused them to be amazed and recognize that something supernatural had and was taking place.
So, what happened? What did they see? Luke continues:
46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,
Luke says as the Holy Spirit was poured out, and the work of salvation began in Cornelius and his friends, that they began to speak in tongues.
Now, at this point, I’m
Hmmm..., well that’s interesting. Wonder that means?
Now, at this point, I’m imaging some of you are probably starting to get a little nervous. And some of you might even be thinking, “Pastor, I hope you’re not about to tell us that one of the signs that a person is saved is that they have to speak in tongues. Pastor please say it isn’t so. Please don’t confirm what I’ve been afraid you would one day say.”
Well, before you get too worked up, let me just say, it isn’t so. Speaking in tongues is not an evidence of salvation. And that’s not what this passaging is indicating?
So, if that’s not what it’s indicating, then “Why the tongues and why is it being associated with the conversion of Cornelius and his friends?”
So
Luke gives us this answer in the next verse. Listen to what he says:
46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
Acts 10:46-
Here’s what we need to understand. Even though Peter just had a vision about not focusing on not being prejudice, God wants to drive the point home.
And so in order to help Peter see that Gentile can be saved just like Jews can be saved, God orchestrates the same sign that took place for them back in .
Because if you remember, back in , when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the first disciples, they began to speak in other tongues. A miraculous outpouring of the Spirit that resulted in 3000 people coming to faith in Jesus as they heard the gospel declared in their own language. Back in Luke writes:
“Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem, devout mean from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?…we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” ;
And what we learned is in this instance of tongues, is that it served two purposes in this passage.
#1 - Too quickly spread the gospel to several people groups all at once as Jewish men and women heard the gospel in their native tongue.
#2 - To symbolically declare that the gospel was for all people groups of all languages, and that not even the barrier of language would keep people from hearing the truth.
And now in , it’s happening again, this time to the gentiles, for two purposes:
#1 - To remind the Jewish Christians that the gospel is for all people groups of all languages.
#2 - To symbolically demonstrate to the Jewish Christians standing there, that God is not a God of partiality and the same work He did in them is going to be done in Gentiles as well.
In other words, the message to the Jewish Christians would have been, “Just so I’m clear, you aren’t better than the Gentiles. Jesus came for them just as much as He came for you.”
All that to say, the Jewish Christians needed a recognizable sign to convince them that the Gentiles could be saved, and for them it was the sign of tongues. The same sign that had accompanied the radical conversion of many Jews in . That’s why Peter says:
47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
In other words, “Well boys, it looks like we’re all on the same team, go fill the baptism tank, it’s time to do some baptisms.”
Bottom line, the Jewish Christians needed a sign like this to convince them that the Gentiles could be saved as well.
So, a great question would be, “How does this apply to us?”
In a nutshell, what this is saying to us, is when we share the gospel with someone, and it’s a true Holy Spirit conversion of the heart, there should be some recognizable signs that would point to a supernatural work of salvation. Something we would recognize.
So, what are those signs?
Well, there are probably several we could point to, but based on our passage, I would suggest there are at least two initial recognizable signs:
Sign #1 - There’s just something different about them.
I know, that doesn’t sound very specific. But when the Gentiles started speaking in tongues, there was something different going on.
And the same should be true for anybody that puts their faith in Jesus. Because the Bible says in that moment, they literally become a different person.
The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
He goes on to say:
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
What Jesus is indicating here is, is that when the work of salvation begins in a person, the Holy Spirit literally turns us into a different person. In that moment, we are spiritually born again.
The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
So, that being the case, when a person is saved, there should be a noticeable change in them.
What kind of change? Honestly, it’s something that’s hard to quantify or put your finger on, and may be different depending on the person and the situation. But here are a few examples of what you might expect to see:
For some, it could be a change in their demeanor. The way they act, they way they treat people, or even the way they carry themselves. There’s just something different.
Maybe they used to be an extremely angry person, but all of a sudden the anger is gone.
For others, it could even affect how they look. Before their faith, they looked hard. But now their’s a softness about them. There’s a glow about them. A peace and joy that seems to be exuding from them.
Let me illustrate it like this:
How many of you have ever seen those mug shots of people before and after meth?
To be honest, they’re shocking, hard to look at, and are really sad.
For example, here’s one I found that will break your heart.
Picture of Woman Before and After
What this picture shows us is the physical destruction that meth brings upon a person.
And from the picture it’s easy to see the difference between life before and life after meth.
Well, guess what. The same is true of us spiritually, but it works in the opposite direction. Because spiritually speaking, before you put your faith in Jesus, sin had taken its toll on you. But now that you’ve put your faith in Jesus, now that you’ve been born again, you are a totally different person.
Because you are no longer carrying the burden of sin.
You are no longer carrying the hopelessness.
You are no longer carrying the fear.
And as a result, there’s something different about you as the Holy Spirit begins to spiritually transform you into a different person. As your behavior, attitude, and even the way you look begins to change.
And it’s something you recognize, because the fact is, the same thing happened to you.
Because when you put your faith in Jesus, you became a different person. And people started to notice that something was different about you.
They couldn’t quantify it, they couldn't’ put their finger on it. All they knew is there was just something different about you and it just seemed like you were a different person.
And it’s because you are. Because the old you is dead and the new has been born.
And the truth is, what that looks like is going to be different for all of us. But those who know us best will automatically recognize that something is different.
So, that’s one of the first recognizable signs that a person has experienced salvation. There’s just something different about them now. It’s like they are a different person.
However, it should lead to another sign, one that is more quantifiable. And I would state it like this, along with something being different, there should be:
Acts 10:
Sign #2 -An intial commitment to Christian Obedience.
Notice what Peter goes on to say as he recognizes the work of the Spirit in their life. Luke writes:
3. Salvation should produce ongoing acts of obedience.
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
What I want you to see, is immediately following their salvation, Peter commands them to be water baptized.
The question then is, “Why baptism? Why is this Peter’s first set of instructions for Cornelius and his friends?”
I’d like to suggest two reasons:
#1- Peter starts with baptism because that’s the first thing Jesus commands us to do following our salvation. We see it in as Jesus gives the disciples what is known as the Great Commission. In Jesus says this:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
In this commission, Jesus gives the disciples two commands. The first is to make disciples. Which basically means they are to tell people about Jesus and lead them to saving faith.
The second command is to baptize them in water. And there’s no mistake here, because in the Greek, the word here is baptizo. And guess what baptizo means? To fully immerse in water.
So, why does Jesus command that? Why does he want people to get water baptized following their conversion?
He commands it because it’s mean to represent the physical sign of a spiritual reality.
In other words, when a person is water baptized, they are physically declaring and proclaiming that the old them is dead and that the new has been born. It’s a testimony and proclamation of faith.
And while it has nothing to do with saving you, it’s meant to
as a way for you to publically proclaim that you have been saved. That you have given your life to Jesus.
So, that’s why Peter starts there. It’s what Jesus commanded them to do as an outward sign.
#2- He starts there because for the Christian, it’s the first act of Christian obedience.
In other words, it’s the starting point for a Christian’s commitment to obedience. That from this point forward, they are committed to living a life in obedience to Jesus and God’s Word.
And in a way, it sets a precedent for how the Christian moves forward. How they will now begin to live their life. A life committed to following Jesus. A life committed to ridding their life of the impurity of their past life. A life committed to doing anything and everything that Jesus has asked them to do.
And please hear me, when I say that, if you haven’t been water baptized since putting your faith in Jesus, in no way am I suggesting that you’re not saved or that you’re not living a life in obedience to God.
What I’m saying is, and maybe you didn’t know this, that baptism is an act of obedience meant to represent your new life in Jesus.
In fact, listen to how the Apostle John puts it. Concerning salvation he writes:
He commands it because it’s mean to represent the physical sign of a spiritual reality.
In other words, when a person is water baptized, they are physically declaring and proclaiming that the old them is dead and that the new has been born. It’s a testimony and proclamation of faith.
And while it has nothing to do with saving you, it’s a way for you to publically proclaim that you have been saved. That you have given your life to Jesus.
So, that’s why Peter starts there. It’s what Jesus commanded them to do as an outward sign. That the old you is dead and you are now committed to living a new life in obedience to Jesus.
And the reason it’s so important for a Christian to understand this and follow through with baptism, is because if you’re not willing to be obedient to the first thing Jesus asks you to do when you put your faith in Him, then there’s a good chance you won’t be obedient in other areas of your life. Areas of your life that eventually could affect your salvation.
It’s like a child. When a child is young, we teach them to be obedient in the small things. Clean your room. Pick up your toys.
Why? Because obedience to small things leads to obedience in bigger things.
Same with baptism. Obedience in baptism leads to obedience in bigger areas of obedience.
All that to say, Baptism is the place where you commit to a life of obedience to Jesus, and the ongoing process of purging your life of anything that is contrary to the life Jesus wants you to live.
Which leads to one final sign I want to share with you, and I would state it like this, along with something being different and an initial act of obedience, there should also be:
Sign #3 - Ongoing acts of obedience that lead to the purging of sin in your life.
The fact is, even if somebody seems to be different, and even goes through the act of baptism, what will ultimately determine the work of the Spirit in their life, is the ongoing changes that should begin to take place in their life.
The Bible refers to this as the “Fruit of the Spirit”. Paul puts it like this
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Paul says if a person is truly saved, there should be some fruit evidence as your behavior, attitude, and desires begin to change.
In addition to that, he says there should be some purging of sinful passions and desires.
In other words, the more the Spirit it works in you, the less you should look like the old you. Meaning, there should be less and less sin in your life.
Listen to how the Apostle John puts it in 1 John 3. Concerning salvation he writes:
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Notice what John says. He says, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”
Those are pointed words from the Apostle John. And what John is saying here is, when a person puts their faith in Jesus, and the Spirit begins the work of transformation, it should lead to a life where the old you is in the process of completely dying.
In other words, if you say your a Christian, but you continue to live as you’ve always lived, or you refuse to turn from obvious sin in their life, then Houston we have a problem.
The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
Now, some might say, “Yeah, but Pastor, isn’t it true that nobody is perfect, and that there is always going to be a degree of sin in our life?”
Yes, that’s true. And the good news of the gospel is, when there is sin in our life that we accidently fall into or are not aware of, God’s grace covers that. But what John is saying is, “If you have sin in your life that you know about, and you know shouldn’t be there, but you continue to live in it, then there’s a problem.”
This is what Paul was talking about in . He writes:
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
In other words, because of what Jesus did for us, can we keep on living how we want? Paul answers:
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Paul says, “Are you kidding me? Of course not!”.
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
But unfortunately, that’s what some Christians do. Using the grace of God as a license to sin, they continue to live in knowable sin, refusing to let go of what Jesus died for.
And here’s the problem with that. According to the writer of Hebrews, that kind of sin isn’t covered. Listen to what he says:
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Hebrews 1
In other words, Jesus’s death doesn’t pay for that sin. He then goes on to tell us what that person can expect. He writes:
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
The writer says, for the person who has put their faith in Jesus, but continues to sin, judgment awaits them.
It’s serious business church, and it’s a sign of whether a person has fully embraced the gospel or not. A sign of whether they are continuing to live by the Spirit, or if they’ve once again taking control of the wheel in their life.
And please hear me, if you’re practicing known sin in your life, I’m not saying you’re not saved or not a Christian. But what I am saying is you probably better give some thought to what God’s Word says. That according to John:
“...that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning...” (ESV)
And please know as well, when I talk about sin, I’m not just talking about the obvious sin we always tend to point to, like sexual immorality, homosexuality, murder, and the like.
I’m talking about all sin. Like gossiping. Like lying. Like stealing. Like being a jerk and not treating people with respect. I’m talking about anything that doesn’t characterize who Jesus is.
And the truth is, we all have that kind of junk in our life. And when it surfaces, it serves as a sign that something isn’t right in our life. And it’s at that point we need to be willing to deal with it, ask the Lord for forgiveness, and expel it from our life.
Now, at this point, you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, I’m not sure I like what your saying. You’re making me question my salvation. I came to church thinking all is well, but now you have me wondering.”
Honestly, that’s good. Because what the enemy wants is for you to grow lackadaisical in your faith. What he wants is for you to buy into the idea that a little sin in your life is ok. But it’s not.
Think of it like this. If you went to the doctor, and he told you you had cancer, would the goal be to get rid of all of the cancer or just some of the cancer?
All, right? Because even a little bit of cancer can kill you.
Same with sin. Jesus came to cure us of the sin problem. But if we hold onto it, if we are unwilling to let go of it, then guess what’s going to happen? It’s going to eventually kill you, not just physically, but spiritually.
I think that’s why Paul encourages us to continually make sure there isn’t something in our life that has blinded us to the truth. Listen to how he puts it:
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
So, as we close this morning, that’s what I’m going to challenge you to do. To answer the question we started with, but for you to direct it towards yourself. And the question is:
In fact, I think that’s one of his greatest weapons he uses against many Christians. To lead them to the idea that God
Question - Is there evidence in my life that I have put my faith in Jesus?
And to answer that, here are three closing thoughts I would ask you to prayerfully consider:
Have you giving your heart fully to Jesus? Have you fully surrendered your life to Him? And if so, is there something different about you? Have you become a different person? Have others noticed it? Does your faith in Jesus now characterize you as a completely different person?
Since putting your faith in Jesus, have you been baptized? Have you followed through on the first act of obedience that Jesus calls us to? If not, why not? What’s stopping you? Is it pride? Is it fear? What is keeping you from being obedient? Now, you might be thinking, “But pastor, didn’t you say I don’t have to be baptized to be saved?” Yes, that’s true. But let me ask you this, “Why would you not want to obey Jesus on this? And doesn’t that concern you that your lack of obedience in baptism could lead to disobedience in other areas of your faith?”
Since putting your faith in Jesus, have you committed to purging all known sin from your life? Are you committed as John says, “to practicing righteousness?” Are you daily asking the Lord to reveal sin in your life that needs to go?”
My prayer this morning is that you would be willing to ask these questions. And please know, my goal this morning was not to cause you to question whether you were saved or not. My goal is to help you confirm that you are. That your life represents the life of a person that like Cornelius, has fully committed their life to Jesus.
Let’s Pray
However, an interior transformation should lead to a changed life that plays out in the way we act in the life we live.