The Heaton File

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. (1 Thessalonians 4:1)

Excel Still More

On June 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City aboard the French ship Isere. Miss Liberty’s sculptor was the noted Frenchman, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. Together with his crew, Bartholdi created a masterpiece of excellence. The intricacies of this statute are incredible. One intriguing aspect of this commitment to excellence can be found atop her head. The detail given to this section of the statue makes you think the sculptor planned for the whole world to gaze down at Lady Liberty’s head frequently. The fact is, once she was raised to her full height of more than 151 feet, only the seagulls could appreciate the artist’s propensity for excellence. Bartholdi didn’t think anyone would notice his work up top, but he still wanted every inch to be finished with the best he had to offer. Good thing, because in 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright created a new avenue for the world to examine Bartholdi’s work. Excellence starts when we’re committed to doing our best, whether anyone else ever notices. Besides, somebody like Orville or Wilbur may come along and make sure the whole world takes notice of your work. (Charles Swindoll)

God always wants the best for His creation. Worship is centered around offering the best. When God established the Passover Feast, He wanted the best to be offered. The lamb was to be without blemish, a male of the first year. The law also stated that it was an abomination to the Lord to offer a bull or a sheep that had any blemish or defect. At the end of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi declared the people of God had polluted their offerings by presenting before the Lord defiled food, and blind animals that were lame and sick. They would never offer such things to their leaders, but they would offer profane worship to the Lord.

Worship is offering to the Lord the best a man has without the fanfare of the world taking notice. No one will notice the work of the quiet disciple of the Lord serving his Savior and King, but the Lord sees. God knows and sees the hearts of all men. What matters is not what men see standing on the ground, but what the Lord looks upon from above. The view from the eternal is what measures the worth of a man. His character is built upon the excellence that every part of his life is important to the Lord. What God sees is what matters. The view from above shows the true excellence of a heart sculptured by someone seeking to live pure and holy before God.

Building a 151-foot-tall statue required attention to detail throughout the project. Living a godly life requires attention to details that matter to the One who looks down from above. God knows everything in the lives of His children. The world may frown and disapprove, but they cannot see the beauty that encases the image from above. God wants His children to excel in their lives so the world can see His beauty. When a Christian seeks to live above the world, he shows the glory of God to a lost and dark world. Nothing is hidden from the view of God, but the Lord desires His people to reflect His image, no matter where the world views them. Attention to detail can bring a lost soul to Christ. The whole character of the Christian excels in all they do to please God.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.” (Amos 9:13)

The Book Of Amos

Amos was a sheep breeder from Tekoa and a tender of sycamore fruit, who was tasked to prophecy against Israel and Judah. He lived in the days of Uzziah, the king of Judah, and Joash, the king of Israel. Amos declares that he was no prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but he was the man God called to preach against the sins of God’s people. He was accused of sedition by Amaziah, the idolatrous priest of Bethel. It was a time of unprecedented prosperity in the Northern Kingdom. Social corruption, religious apostasy, and luxurious living characterized the world of Israel. Amos denounces the neighboring nations and condemns Israel for serving the mammon of the world and believing no nation could conquer them.

The message of Amos was harsh. They sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals. A man and his father go in with the same woman. Idolatry filled the land where God’s people drank to the wine of the Baals and Ashdod. Violence and robbery were common. God punished the people seeking to bring them back to His way, but they refused. His discipline began with blessings, then famine, drought, and pestilence. The people did not serve the Lord. God sent plagues like those of Egypt upon His people, and they did not return to Him. Some cities were overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah. They did not repent.

Amos is the Old Testament writer who declared from the mouth of God, “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” This was no idle threat. God’s longsuffering was coming to an end, and the full fury of His wrath would be poured out on the Northern Kingdom. The Lord pleads with Israel to repent, to seek Him, and live. If the people do not repent, there will be wailing in the streets, destruction, and calamity. It will be like a man running from a lion who meets a bear or like a man running into his house, leaning his hand on the wall, and bitten by a serpent. There is no hope. The judgment and wrath of God are coming in full fury and might.

The Lord showed Amos a vision of locusts, a plumb line, and a basket of summer fruit to tell Israel that the will of the Lord will be complete against Israel. Judgment comes from the Lord of hosts, who touches the earth and it melts, who builds His layers in the sky, and establishes the strata in the earth. There is no God like the Lord God. Amos shows the power and might of God’s wrath, who will destroy the sinful nation of Israel but save the house of Jacob. By the Lord’s command, He will sift the house of Israel among the nations, and all sinners will die by the sword. None will escape.

Amos paints a dark picture, and the words of the man from Tekoa come true. At the end of his message, Amos offers the glimpse of hope that can only be found in the Lord God. The wrath of God is against all unrighteousness, but God is not willing that any should perish. He desires for all men to come to repentance, and He opens a way for salvation. Amos concludes his message with a promise of hope and redemption. On that day, God will restore the tabernacle of David. The prosperity of God’s grace will once again be given to His people. God’s wrath does not remain against those who seek Him. Israel will be destroyed, and Judah will be taken captive. Seventy years will pass before the remnant of God’s people return, but the nation will never be the same. What is left as the remnant of God’s people will always be in bondage to another nation. Seventy years after the coming of Christ, the Jewish nation will come to an end.

Amos has a message for the people of his day, and it resonates with the people of God today. It remains the same message. God hates sin and will punish wickedness, even among His people. The wrath of God is terrible, consuming, and complete. No one will escape the judgment of the Lord. In the midst of the severity of God is His goodness. The nation of Israel will disappear, but the kingdom of Christ will rule over the world. Grace is found in the blood of Jesus, who brings hope to the lost and eternal life to the damned. Prosperity will be found in the kingdom of Christ. Hope is given anew with the promise of Heaven. Joy comes to the heart when faith guides the soul to live in hope. That is the message of Amos. God hates sin, but He offers hope. Christ died to take away sin and bring the promise of eternal life to those who repent.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Search Me

The omniscience of God is difficult to grasp because the limitations of man make it hard to understand how a Being can have all knowledge of all things at all times. God existed before the world, so His power is unlimited. He created the world and framed everything according to time, and limited man’s habitation to know only what God allows. No one can read another’s mind. The wisdom of man attempts to probe the mysteries of the mind, but at best fails miserably. One of the challenges of the mind is the erroneous idea that what a man thinks, says, and does can go unnoticed. What a man thinks is contained within the walls of his mind that no man can probe. A man can say and do things in secret from the prying eyes of others, but he is not alone. In fact, he is never alone. There is never a time when the soul of man is hidden from the visage of the Almighty God.

Jesus told Nicodemus that men love darkness. The reason they love darkness is that they think they can get away with anything in the absence of light. What is done in secret is hidden from the eyes of men. The eyes of the Lord peer through the darkness because He created light and darkness. What is hidden in the eyes of man is clearly revealed before the eyes of God. Compounding the reality of God’s omniscience is the omnipotence of God to retain everything a man says, thinks, or does in a span of life – even if you live to be 969 years. God knows all. He sees all, and He remembers all. If God can hold the universe in His hand, He can know everything about a man’s character.

The psalmist David positively declared God’s omniscience. He challenges the soul with four words: “Search me, O God.” David knew God saw all things. When David and Bathsheba committed adultery, God knew it. The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to remind David that what he did was not done in secret. Scripture establishes that God knows all things, but David takes the thought to a higher level. The psalmist invites God to search him in every part of his life. David does not suggest that God does not do that already, but that David’s spirit was willing to open his life before God to seek His blessings. When a man invites God to search his heart, he invites complete disclosure. David wants God to know his heart. He is asking God to try him, as metal is tried in fire to make it stronger. David invites the Lord to conduct a divine inspection of the heart.

It takes a courageous and bold heart to invite the Lord to do what He can do anyway. The lesson is not so much denying that God can do so, but the individual’s faith to willingly open his life to the microscope of the Lord, who peers deep into the fullest measure of the soul. David’s prayer is more a resolution to keep wickedness from his heart, knowing that God stands at the door. Knowing that God sees all things is designed to help the soul refrain from evil. David also wanted the Lord to lead him in the way everlasting. He knew that God could not do that unless David were righteous before the Lord. David wanted the Lord to be the examiner of his heart, giving him hope of eternal life.

All men sin and fall short of God’s glory. Anytime God looks on the heart of a man, He will see the failures of sin. The child of God seeks God’s grace to look into the heart with mercy, looking for the everlasting path to glory. David’s prayer is a challenge that will change the hearts of those who seek the examination of God in their lives. Faith grows stronger when we ask God to examine our hearts. Can you say like David, “Search me, O God”?

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

God Cares For Me

The world can be a cold place of insensitive slights, abandonment, persecution, neglect, prejudice, and hatred. It can feel as if no one cares. The world rushes on with a single mind of seeking the welfare of self above all else. It’s a “dog-eat-dog” world of cruelty guided by the selfish pursuits of personal gain, no matter the cost. Friendships are destroyed. Relationships are broken. People feel abandoned by the world, leaving them in a state of despair. The worries of life overwhelm the soul to the point of depression, gloom, and hopelessness. Hearts cry out for compassion and understanding. No one calls out to answer.

God is the Creator of the universe. He formed the world by His word. On the sixth day, He formed man from the dust of the ground and then, taking a rib from the man, created woman. God placed the man and woman into a garden of paradise where all their needs were met. He provided a place of security, comfort, and His presence for them to share. There was no hopelessness because man was dwelling in the presence of God. What changed was sin. Satan deceived the woman to eat of the forbidden fruit, and she gave some to Adam. As a consequence of sin, Adam and Eve were driven from the paradise home into a world of cruelty and despair. The sufferings of life came because of sin. God’s answer for sin would come many generations later in the form of Jesus of Nazareth, His only begotten Son.

Jesus came to save mankind from the wrath of God. Through the death of Jesus, the world was offered grace to come to the throne of God for the remission of sins. In the waters of baptism, God cleansed the soul of sin and made man anew as a new creation. Hope springs eternal in the soul washed in the blood of Jesus. What Jesus Christ accomplished was to testify to how much God loves His creation. He willingly gave His Son to die for the sins of the world, who had no sin. It was God’s will that Jesus died to show how much He cared for sinful men. The sacrifice of Jesus was the eternal gift of a loving and caring Father, offering salvation to a world He created for His glory.

Throughout the story of God’s plan to save mankind, the Creator has repeatedly shown His mercy and grace. When men humble themselves to submit to the will of God, they find the peace that passes all understanding and the compassion of a loving Father. The reason there is misery in the world is because of sin and rebellion. When the world refuses to submit to the will of God, it can and will only find misery, death, pain, and suffering. It is only when a man humbles himself under the mighty hand of God that he will find peace and happiness. The heavenly Father wants to exalt His children. He wants His children to cast all their cares upon Him because He cares for them. God cares for His children.

The tragedy of life is found in the hearts of those who do not know God and refuse to accept His will in their lives. God’s greatest treasures are found by those who seek His will, follow His word, and bask in the glory of His grace. True happiness in life can only be found in one place – in Christ Jesus. The resounding joy of living is to know that while the world may ignore and despise the downtrodden, God cares and longs to bless the troubled souls. No one is unimportant in the eyes of God. No matter the burden that is taken upon the heart, God cares, and He loves. He desires for men to cast their burdens upon Him, because He really, really cares. It matters to the Lord God the trials and afflictions endured by His children.

Faith can be hard to accept because it is the invisible attributes of God that are clearly seen through the eye of faith. God has revealed Himself in nature and explained Himself in scripture. Humbling the heart under the mighty hand of God is where peace begins. Life can be lifted in due time through the mercies of God. The Lord is not asleep, nor does He become weary. There is never a time when God will not listen. His will is ready to be performed in the lives of those who will give themselves to Him. Understand and know: God cares for you.

Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them. (Luke 9:16-17)

Leftovers From Nothing

The miracles of Jesus were done to show that He was the divine Son of God and that believing in the miracles would lead men to eternal life. No one could do the miracles Jesus could do. He healed all diseases, commanded the elements to His desire, changed the course of nature, cast out demons, and raised the dead. His critics never denied that Jesus performed miracles but attacked his teaching. Multitudes followed Jesus in the thousands. On one occasion, more than five thousand people followed Jesus to hear His teaching. The five thousand was just the men, not including the women and children. As the day was wearing on, the twelve came to Jesus, telling Him He needed to send the crowd away so they could find food. It was obvious that Jesus and the twelve were ill-equipped to care for such a large crowd.

Jesus shocked His apostles when He told them to feed the multitude. Looking at the plus five thousand people, the apostles were astonished and dismayed. They could only find five loaves of bread and two small fish. Telling the apostles to make the people sit down in groups of fifty, the Lord took the five loaves and two fish, blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to give to the five thousand plus people. As the disciples passed out the bread and fish, they multiplied until everyone was filled, leaving twelve baskets full of the leftover fragments. Jesus began with five loaves and two small fish, and left the crowd with twelve baskets full.

The miracle of feeding the five thousand showed the world the incredible power of God. It should not surprise anyone that Jesus could multiply the bread and fish. It was by Jesus that all things were created, both in heaven and on earth. All things were created through Him and for Him. Replicating bread and fish is Jesus showing His power as Creator. The lesson of the feeding is also a reminder of what God can and will do in the lives of His people.

Jesus started with almost nothing, and when the people were filled, there was an abundance left over. That is the promise God makes for how He cares for His people. Man is an empty shell. Sin has decimated the nature of man to face the wrath of God. There is no redeeming quality in the character of man. Nothing man can do can find a way to save himself from the fury of God. Only when God sent His only begotten Son did man find hope. Through the blood of Jesus, grace was given to sinful man. By the mercy of God, humanity found relief. Obedience to the will of the Father will bring one into an eternal relationship with the Father. Man began with nothing and was given abundance.

The leftovers from the feeding of the five thousand is God telling the human heart what is in store for him if he will trust in the Son of God. Jesus is able to make grace abound in the heart that is washed, cleaned, forgiven, renewed, and abounding in the love of God. Man sees the impossible. God shows the possible. Man is empty. God fills him. Man is hopeless. God brings hope. Man stands condemned. God brings salvation. It is often said that the best part of a great feast is the leftovers. The grace of God is an abundant feast that is greater than anything man can understand. Having twelve baskets after feeding thousands of people is the message of God that in His Son, blessings abound – and they get better every day. Only Jesus could have fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish. Jesus is the only way, truth, and life. He is the abundance of God’s love.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Influence Is Salt And Light

According to Rick Warren, there are two basic reasons people don’t know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior: (1) they have never met a Christian; and (2) they have met a Christian. Christian influence is no small matter. The influence of someone who lives at the heart of the gospel’s central theme will impact the world around them. Living by the words of Jesus Christ will change the heart to be an example of righteousness and truth. The difference in the lives of too many people is that they say they know Jesus, but never live as they do. When the world sees the hypocrisy of their belief, they are left unimpressed.

Jesus taught that the influence of a disciple is like salt and light. Salt is a powerful element, but it only serves its purpose when it is applied to another source. The Christian can never change the world he lives in if he never attaches himself to those who need the good news of Jesus Christ. Salt-shaker Christianity looks good but is of no value. A light hidden under a bushel serves no purpose. The light shines with all its power, but when hidden from others’ view, it becomes useless. Removing the bushel, allowing the light to stream to every corner in the room, is what light was created for.

Many people will never know Jesus Christ because they see how those who profess His name live in the lusts of the world. Saying one knows Jesus Christ does not influence another. Living every day with Christ as the guide will show the glory of God in the lives of His people. The influence of a godly man and woman can change the lives of those around them. Seeking to influence others with the gospel of Jesus Christ is bringing every part of life under the subjection of Jesus’ will.

Everyone has an influence. No one can actually lose their influence. They may have a bad influence, but they have influence, nonetheless. God wants His children to be examples to the world. He wants His children to show the world what godliness and purity are. The best example one can give is the best example. Learning about the will of the Father through study of the word, spending time in prayer seeking the favor of God, and sharing the good news will help to influence others to Christ. Everyone leaves an impression. The question will always be what kind of impression will be left.

If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict? Would there be plenty of people who would testify that you were a Christian, or would the witness box be few? Choose to follow Jesus so that others can see the way. Your influence can make a difference in someone’s life.

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after Supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Three Declarations Of The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is one of the fundamental elements of the New Testament church. After the three thousand were baptized for the remission of sins at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit directed the hearts of the saints to follow a pattern of worship that would include the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayers. The first Christians established the pattern of the New Testament worship. As the church grew, the struggles began with understanding the significance of worship in truth and spirit. During Paul’s third missionary journey, he writes several letters to the church in Corinth to reestablish what he had taught them during his eighteen months with them on his second missionary journey. Among the doctrines that needed to be reaffirmed was the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. The saints at Corinth had turned the remembrance of Christ into a common meal.

Paul wanted to impress three things upon the church at Corinth to show how important the Lord’s Supper was. First, the Lord’s Supper is a divine institution ordained by the Holy Spirit. Paul was not at the Passover meal where Jesus broke bread with the twelve. The apostle was known as Saul of Tarsus and a member of the Jewish leadership. Less than ten years after the death of Jesus, Paul stood watching as his fellow Jews stoned Stephen to death. Then Paul took it upon himself to personally orchestrate a severe persecution against all who were of the Way.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that he received from the Lord the institution of the Lord’s Supper. The brethren had turned something divine into something carnal. By divine revelation, Paul had learned what happened that night in the upper room and what Jesus said. The apostle did not appeal to the words of men. His authority came from the word of God. The Lord’s Supper is not a human creation but a decree by the Father that every Christian remember the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. Jesus suffered greatly to save man from the wrath of God. God demands and charges the church to remember each week (every seven days) that Jesus suffered and died and by God’s power, was raised from the dead.

The second thing Paul wanted the Corinthians saints to remember is the sacredness of the memorial. Jesus instituted the Supper the night He was betrayed. During Supper, Jesus washed Judas’s feet before sending the betrayer out to do his bidding. Jesus knew what Judas was going to do, and He knew what Peter would do. He told them both He knew what they were going to do. The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant when He said His body would be broken for them. They could not have imagined how much their lives would change in the next few hours. The new covenant, the blood of Jesus, required a sacrifice. Jesus knew He was about to deliver His body over for beatings and scourging. The Son of God knew He was going to suffer an incredible death as His blood flowed from His stricken body.

Taking the Lord’s Supper is the remembrance of the inhumanity of man against man. To the world, Jesus of Nazareth was nothing more than a criminal like the two men He was crucified with. Those crucified with Jesus deserved their sentence of death because they were sinners. The man in the middle had lived nearly thirty-three years and never sinned. Jesus was perfect before God, and yet the world was killing Him. They murdered the Prince of life. The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of what Jesus did to take the place of sinful man. He suffered so that men would not suffer. His death brought life into the world.

A third and final message of the Lord’s Supper is that God demands it be done. Jesus did not institute the Supper as a suggestion for men to trifle with, deciding when and how to take of it. The Lord’s Supper is observed in the New Testament church every first day of the week. Luke shows how the early church followed a pattern of weekly remembrance of the memorial feast. Eating the bread and drinking the cup proclaims that Jesus is risen and that He is coming back, and when Jesus returns, He expects to find His disciples practicing and keeping His memorial. Jesus went to prepare a place of eternal life for all those who believe, and He is coming back to receive those saints to Himself. The Lord’s Supper is the divine memorial of the love of God to send His Son to die for the sins of the world. It requires a memorial of remembrance. For as often as you …

The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!'” (1 Kings 1:33-34)

David’s Treatment Of Nathan The Prophet

It was in the spring, when kings went out to war, that David remained in Jerusalem while his army battled the Ammonites and besieged the city of Rabbah. While David was walking on the roof of the king’s house, he spotted a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. The woman was Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of the mighty warriors of David. Caving into his lust, David had her brought to him, where he lay with her, while her husband was off at war. When David learned that Bathsheba was pregnant with his child, the king had Uriah brought back from the war, hoping to cover his infidelity. His efforts were in vain, and finally, he had Uriah killed when Joab, commander of the army, placed Uriah into the heat of battle and then, withdrawing, allowed the Ammonites to kill him.

God knew all that David had done and sent Nathan, the prophet, to confront the king with his sin. Nathan was a great man of faith who trusted in the word of the Lord. As king, David had the power of life and death over his subjects. To have a man come into his court and accuse him of grievous sin could be matched with the king’s revenge. Nathan boldly told David that God knew what he had done, accusing the shepherd king of despising the commandments of the Lord and of doing such evil in His sight. David’s reaction defined his character as a man after God’s own heart.

While some kings may have had Nathan killed, David confessed to the prophet that he had sinned against the Lord. David knew the penalty under the Law of Moses was death for both himself and Bathsheba. By God’s merciful grace, the Lord put away his sin so that he would not die. Nathan told David the child conceived in the adultery would die. David pleaded with God for the child, but seven days later the little boy died. David arose and washed himself, went into the house of the Lord, and worshiped. Because of his sin, David would experience great tragedy in his family as Nathan told him the sword would never depart from his house. This suffering would come from David’s own sons.

When David was old and advanced in years, a struggle began over who would rule in his place. David’s son Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself and tried to make himself king. The scriptures show that Nathan the prophet remains an advisor to the king, along with Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the mighty men. Nathan was the man who confronted the king with his great sin, and David had not retaliated. He kept the prophet close to advise him and guide him. David sinned when he took Bathsheba from Uriah. He did not blame Nathan or treat the prophet with disrespect because he came and told him the truth. David knew he had sinned, and there was no recourse for him to blame anyone but himself. It is notable in the character of David not to blame the messenger who bore the words of truth.

Preaching the gospel can often comfort the afflicted, and sometimes it will afflict the comfortable. Sin has not changed in its nature. The relationship between David and Nathan is a model of the grace of God working in the lives of a powerful man and a humble servant of the Lord. David was king, exercising dominion over the nation, but he did not treat Nathan differently because he pointed out his sin. He knew he was guilty, and he stood condemned before the Lord. The apostle Paul withstood the apostle Peter to his face because he was to be blamed for being a hypocrite regarding the treatment of the Gentile Christians. Paul did this in a public manner. Did Peter seek revenge for Paul’s action? Like David, Peter knew he was guilty and glorified the Lord for the boldness of his brother, who challenged his actions. 

David’s treatment of Nathan is a lesson in how the hearts of those who must correct those in sin should be toward those who seek the eternal welfare of those in sin. There are times when sin is pointed out, and the accuser becomes the intended target of gossip, division, and malice. Nathan had the godly courage to stand before David, as did Paul to withstand Peter. David and Peter received rebuke from their brothers in the spirit of divine righteousness because they accepted their guilt. That is the heart of a servant of the Lord. Sometimes it requires rebuking another, and sometimes it is accepting the correction of those who love the soul, seeking repentance and restoration to God.

So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? (Acts 3:12)

Peter’s Second Sermon

The establishment of the church occurred on the Day of Pentecost, following the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Peter and the other apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and began preaching the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Luke records Peter’s sermon as the doors to the kingdom of God were opened to the house of Israel. Three thousand souls obeyed the gospel, and the Lord added to the church those who were saved. Shortly after Pentecost, Peter and John were going to the Temple to pray when they encountered a well-known beggar who was laid daily at the gate of the Temple, which is called Beautiful. The lame man begged for alms from those passing by.

When Peter and John passed by the lame man, he asked them for alms. Peter told the beggar he had no gold or silver to give him, but he would give him a greater gift than those things. Taking the lame man by the right hand, Peter lifted him up and, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, healed the man of his affliction. Immediately, the feet and ankle bones strengthened, and the man began walking, leaping, and praising God. Seeing the great miracle, the people ran together, wonderstricken at what had happened. Seizing the opportunity, Peter preached the message of Jesus Christ.

Peter and John did not take credit for the miracle by their own power or godliness. The lame man was healed through the power of Jesus of Nazareth, the servant of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Peter then turns the people’s hearts to the notable event that occurred the previous month at Golgotha. Jesus of Nazareth was the one the Jews delivered up to Pilate and sentenced to death. Pilate could have released Jesus, but the will of the people pressured him to turn Jesus over for crucifixion. Peter lays the guilt of the Jews for denying the Holy One and the Just when they cried out, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Instead of releasing Jesus, an innocent and sinless man, the crowds demanded a hardened murderer to be released.

Without hesitation, Peter declared to the people that they had killed the Prince of life, the long-awaited Messiah. The people had their way with Jesus, condemning Him to death and watching Him die on the cross. But God raised Jesus from the dead, and Peter and John testified they had seen Jesus and spent time with Him. The reason Peter healed the lame man was to show the glory of Jesus Christ, who had risen from the dead. Anyone could go to Joseph’s tomb and see that it was empty. It had been sealed by a large stone and guarded by elite Roman soldiers, but Jesus was not there.

The death of Jesus was according to the will of the Father. God permitted the people and the Roman rulers to carry out the death of Jesus because all of those things fulfilled the words of the prophets hundreds of years before. The death of Jesus was foretold by God. Jesus knew He must die for the sins of the world. Peter impressed the message on the hearts of the people when he told them to repent and be converted, to have their sins washed away. This appeal was the same appeal he had made at Pentecost when he told the people to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms declared the story of Jesus to the people.

Lessons learned from Peter’s second sermon is that the message of the gospel does not change. Peter’s sermon on Pentecost and at the Temple had the same message. The power of the gospel is in the word, not the man. Jesus is the central figure of salvation. The Jews may have orchestrated the death of Jesus, and the Romans carried out the sentence; all men bear the guilt of killing Jesus. Jesus arose from the dead on the third day, and He sits at the right hand of God, ruling with all power and authority. Healing comes not for the physical body but the soul in need of grace. Salvation is granted to all who will repent and be converted to have their sins blotted (washed) out (baptism), so the gift of the Holy Spirit is given. The Bible is the testimony of the gospel that must be preached to a lost and dying world. Peter did not change the message of the gospel to appeal to the crowds. The gospel remains the same.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

The Right Hand Of God

From the earliest days of the world, when kings ruled over a domain, a person of high authority stood to the king’s right. The one sitting on the throne had all power and authority, but that authority could be invested in another as the one seated at the right hand of the king. This principle was known by Jacob when he was blessing the children of Joseph. Jacob put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the younger son of Joseph. It displeased Joseph to see what his father did, but Jacob assured him Ephraim would become greater than his brother Manasseh.

Jesus is often referred to as sitting at the right hand of the throne of God. The expression shows Jesus’ proximity to the Father and that, by being next to God (on His right hand), Jesus has been given all power and authority. Before ascending back to the Father, Jesus told the eleven that He had been granted all authority from the Father. Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost that Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God as Lord and Christ. David had prophesied that the Messiah would be at the right hand of God, which Peter referred to in his sermon. When the apostles were imprisoned for preaching Christ, Peter once again defended the gospel by proclaiming that God exalted Jesus to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Before Stephen died, he gazed into Heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

It is significant to understand the meaning of Jesus at the right hand of God. Jesus makes intercession for the children of God by His authority as one who sits at the right hand of God. The place at the right hand of God was given through the power of the Father to His beloved Son, who accomplished all things in His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of Lords who has all authority and power. Nothing is lacking from Him who sits at the right hand of God. He is the High Priest of the redeemed. Jesus is the author and finisher of the faith of the saints because He endured the cross, despised the shame, and was glorified by the Father to be placed at His right hand. God did not offer this place to the angels. Jesus is Lord with all authority.

The grace of God is found in Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. Jesus purged away the sins of the world through His death, after which He sat down at the right hand of God. He offers the redeeming grace of God to come to Him, accept Him as Lord and King, and live within the rule of His authority, sitting at the right hand of God. Confessing that Jesus is Lord requires accepting that, as He sits at the right hand of God, He has authority over every part of His disciples’ lives. No one can come to Jesus and accept Him as a Savior without complete surrender to His authority. Every soul who seeks the redeeming blood of Jesus accepts the full and unreserved will of Him who sits at the right hand of God. It is either all or nothing. To deny the words of Jesus is to deny the words of Him who sits on the throne – the Almighty God.

When Jesus returned to the Father, He sat down at the right hand of God. Angels are subject to Him. All authority is given to King Jesus. Full power has been ascribed to the Son of God. While the Father sits on the throne, Jesus has been given dominion, power, and all authority to exercise the will of His Father. He can claim this authority through the things that He suffered. Submission to the will of God requires submission to the will of Jesus Christ. Jesus makes intercession for the children of God through His authority of ruling at the right hand of God. God exalted Jesus far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and above every name that is named. No man has greater authority. Jesus, sitting at the right hand of God, is the only one who is the head of the church. Salvation comes by the grace of God, realized when one submits themselves to the One who sits at the right hand of God.