Creekside Church, Sunday, October 18, 2020

Acts 13:26-42

QUESTION #1
IS THE GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THE SAME GOD
AS THE GOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT?

Three responses:
1. Have you read the Bible?
2. God cannot change.

“For I the Lord do not change . . . “
Malachi 3:6

God our Father . . . He never changes . . .
James 1:17 NLT
3. God is consistent in how he acts in both the OT and the NT.
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
Exodus 34:6-7 NIV

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,
Hebrews 1:3 ESV

QUESTION #2
DOES A PERSON GET RIGHT WITH GOD THE SAME
WAY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AS THEY DO IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?

Acts 13:26-42

27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors, their children, by raising up Jesus.

Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
Acts 13:38

Believing in God, not in me, not in my good works, not in religion and so on, has always been the way. Think about Abraham, who is the father of the people of Israel, and an incredible OT character.

For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God,
and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
Romans 4:3 NLT

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

Everyone who lived before the cross is saved from sin by the death of Jesus.
Everyone who lived after the cross is saved by the death of Jesus.
There is no difference.

Salvation is always, only, ever about Jesus.