Salvation Begins

Acts 2:16-21 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “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. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
 
THE Holy Spirit has anointed the Twelve at the Festival of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ crucifixion. Pentecost is the festival that remembered God giving the law at Sinai. The church remembers Pentecost as the day God delivered his covenant of grace to the world. And it began in Jerusalem, just as the prophets and the King had foretold. Zechariah 14:8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.
   Peter, the outspoken disciple, begins to speak out for the gospel. He does as all good preachers do. He relies on the Bible’s text to inform his congregation. It is as if Peter said, “Open your Scriptures to the prophet Joel 2:28-32, and let’s hear from the LORD God today.” The Preacher pointed to the prophet, so he could point the Jews to the Savior.
   Remember four essential substances of God’s kingdom are plan, power, process and time. God had planned the Kingdom process of salvation. Now it was time to enact it with Heaven’s power. Miracles and wonders will occur. People will be transformed to do God’s work. Some will have visions, some will have Spirit-empowered dreams and many will prophesy – teach – the gospel. Signs in the heavens will one day ultimately announce the Lord’s coming.
   Then comes the joyful promise: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is the new covenant spoken in one sentence. There is no complicated process or new ideas we need to develop, so people will go to Heaven. We have only to join with God in his miraculous work to teach, “Jesus saves!” Peter’s words point us to trust God’s sovereign power to do as he has said throughout time. We can complicate  the process and the plan with our own ideas. Let’s be sure we keep in mind our task is Jesus’ Spirit-empowered work until the Day of the Lord comes.