Class Lesson January 22, 2023

 2

Does It Bring Conviction?

Question 1:

When has it been difficult for you to admit you’ve made a mistake?

THE POINT

The voice of God seeks to convict us of the truth.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

I once spent four hours with a man urging him not to commit adultery with a married woman. He tried to assure me that he and the other woman had prayed about their relationship. They believed God had granted them a love for one another and was releasing them from their marriage vows. He reasoned that God would not give them this love unless He intended for them to be together.

The Holy Spirit assured me this was false and that they were in clear violation of God’s commands in Scripture. The Holy Spirit was obviously convicting the man, because he went to great lengths to justify his sinful behavior. Only later, after the two families and their church had suffered much carnage, did this man acknowledge God’s conviction. God had warned him of what he was doing, but he had refused to listen.

A primary way God speaks is by convicting us of our sin. He loves us too much to allow us to rush headlong into sin without calling us to repent and return to Him.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Acts 2:32-36

32 “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. 33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Some people get needlessly bogged down with seeking to hear God’s voice and discovering His will for every little mundane decision. God generally speaks to us about His concerns and priorities. He speaks so that we will know what is on His heart, inviting us to join Him in His work. God’s primary concern for people is that they be in a right relationship with Him. If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, then God’s primary focus is not on what company you work for or what neighborhood you live in; His focus is on seeing you acknowledge that you are a sinner, turn from your sin, and place your faith in Christ. (If you have not yet made this most important decision, turn to the inside front cover of this book and you will find help.)

Acts 2 begins with the Holy Spirit coming upon the 120 followers of Jesus in the upper room. This led to Peter’s sermon, one he preached to the multitude of Jewish people who filled the streets of Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. God often speaks through the preaching of His Word. In this case, Peter preached about the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus.

Question 2:

What amazes you the most about Jesus’s death and resurrection?

The gospel hinges on Jesus being raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:17). Peter proclaimed that he and his fellow disciples were witnesses to the resurrection. This authenticated Peter’s message, because he didn’t speak of what he didn’t know, but rather he preached out of his personal experience. Peter declared that after Jesus’s resurrection, God sent the Holy Spirit.

Peter cited Psalm 110:1 in which David prophesied of the Messiah. It indicated that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord and Savior of all who place their trust in Him. Peter reached the climax of his sermon in verse 36. Peter spoke these words with certainty. He emphasized that it was they who had crucified Jesus. The people were complicit by their sin and rebellion against God and their rejection of the Messiah.

A telling sign that a word comes from God is the centrality of Jesus, especially His death and resurrection. When God speaks, He uplifts Christ and His work. The Spirit also brings conviction of sin. Peter declared it was his listeners who were enemies of God. When God speaks to you, He will draw attention to the sin in your life and your disobedience to His Word. God will point out anything in your life that is disrupting your fellowship with Him. God knows what matters most in your life and He will speak to those issues.

Acts 2:37-38

37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

A distinguishing characteristic of God’s voice is that His words always call for a response. You can’t remain indifferent to it. When Peter preached to the crowd, the Holy Spirit affirmed his words to those who were listening. As a result, they were “pierced to the heart” (v. 37). This indicates a deep emotional pain as the Jewish people realized, to their horror, that after waiting for centuries for their Messiah, they had crucified Him.

Jesus promised that when the Spirit came, He would convict the world of “sin, righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8). We each have a sinful nature and are inherently rebellious against God. We don’t naturally do what’s right or good. Our consciences are so seared by sin, we would be without hope if it were not for God’s gracious work to convict us of our sin. In this passage in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit took Peter’s words and applied it compellingly to the people’s hearts. When God speaks, the Spirit will affirm the words to your spirit; you will know the message is from Him.

The people understood they must act immediately based on God’s words to them. This is often a major difference between Satan’s words and God’s words. Satan will try to make you feel guilty yet offer no solutions for you to find freedom. God, on the other hand, will convict you of sin, but will then offer a remedy. Words from Satan lead to guilt and shame; words from God lead to repentance and life.

Peter told the crowd to do two things. First, he instructed them to repent. Second, Peter told them to be baptized. Baptism is an outward sign of an inner transformation. The New Testament assumed that all who were born again would be baptized. Baptism symbolically identifies a person with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It symbolizes death to sin and being raised to a new life in Christ.

Those who repented received two things. First, they received forgiveness for their sin.1 This would have been wonderful news for those who listened to Peter. To their relief, Peter assured them that forgiveness was possible through Christ. Second, those who repented of their sin received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christians often talk about the gifts of the Spirit but neglect the fact that the Holy Spirit Himself is the ultimate gift. When the Spirit enters your life, you have every resource of God to enable you to do His will.

Question 3:

When has the conviction of the Holy Spirit pierced you to the heart?

Acts 2:39-41

39 “For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” 41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

As Peter concluded his sermon, he offered hope and encouragement to his listeners. This is a distinguishing mark of a word from God. Satan will seek to discourage you and lead you to a place of hopelessness. God’s word brings hope for better days ahead!

Peter referred to God’s promise. Later in his ministry, Peter again spoke encouraging words about God’s promises (2 Pet. 1:4). He knew that whatever God promised, He would most certainly fulfill. Peter emphasized the scope of God’s promise of salvation: It is for all who believe and trust when God calls. God promised that it would be available to all peoples, even those who were far from God.

Peter offered hope that the people could repent of their sin; they and their children could experience salvation. This was good news indeed! We must always be aware that the decisions we make with God have profound consequences upon our children and grandchildren.

Question 4:

Who are some people God has used in your life to bring conviction?

Peter urged the people to “be saved from this corrupt generation” (v. 40). “Being saved” is the fundamental need of every person. Peter understood the eternal peril that each of his listeners faced, so he preached with urgency.

The result of Peter’s sermon was that three thousand people accepted the message and were baptized. Jesus had foretold that His disciples would do greater things than He had done. In one sermon Peter saw more people find salvation and enter the kingdom of God than occurred during Jesus’s earthly ministry. This reflects the power in a word from God delivered in the power of the Spirit.

Our focus in this study is to discern the voice of God. When God speaks, He always speaks words of truth and grace, desiring to bring us ever closer to Him.

Question 5:

What role do we play in the Holy Spirit bringing conviction to people?

CONVICTED

It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins, but also to convict us of how we are doing spiritually. Use the space below to grade yourself from A (best) to F (worst) in each of these categories. If needed, what is something you could do to improve your grade?

Hearing God’s voice:

Acting on God’s voice:

Submitting to God’s will:

“When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment.”

JOHN 16:8

LIVE IT OUT

The voice of God seeks to convict us of the truth. How will you live out the truth in this passage? Choose one of the following applications:

Receive Christ. If you have never repented of your sin and placed your faith in Christ, do so now. Make an appointment with a pastor or Christian friend and settle this crucial matter. The inside front cover of this book provides help.

Confess sin. The convicting work of the Holy Spirit is not limited to your need for salvation. After salvation, we still sin. What has the Holy Spirit been convicting you of? Consider what sins the Holy Spirit is pinpointing in your life that He wants to cleanse and forgive. Respond to everything God points out to you.

Share Christ. Even as the Holy Spirit worked through Peter, He wants to work through you. Pray for opportunities to be used by Him to speak His truth into the lives of others. When that opportunity arises, trust God to work through you to reveal His salvation to others.

People can often become convinced in the moment that what they are doing is right. But the Holy Spirit convicts us and will never lead us to do wrong.

Teacher Notes:

Click Play to Watch

Men and women have difficulty with admitting they have made a mistake!

Real Time Issue

I once spent four hours with a man urging him not to commit adultery with a married woman. He tried to assure me that he and the other woman had prayed about their relationship. They believed God had granted them a love for one another and was releasing them from their marriage vows. He reasoned that God would not give them this love unless He intended for them to be together.

The Holy Spirit assured me this was false and that they were in clear violation of God’s commands in Scripture. The Holy Spirit was obviously convicting the man, because he went to great lengths to justify his sinful behavior. Only later, after the two families and their church had suffered much carnage, did this man acknowledge God’s conviction. God had warned him of what he was doing, but he had refused to listen.

What do you say to an issue of sin like this?

Our culture makes light of sin, either writing it off as “no big deal” or redefining it in such a way that culture no longer considers certain actions as sin. God’s standards for right and wrong have not changed. God will never call us into something sinful; on the contrary, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and calls us to obey the truth of Scripture.

 

Last Week:

The voice of God never contradicts the Bible.

This Week:

The voice of God seeks to convict us of the truth.

 

Our lesson this morning takes us to the most convicting message that Peter ever preached – Acts 2:32-41

 

Acts 2:32-36

“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear.  For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’ “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

 

How did Peter affirm Jesus as having been resurrected?

By what imagery is the exaltation of Jesus described?

What did Jesus receive from the Father?

What did He do with what the Father had given Him?

What was behind the phenomenal manifestations the people had witnessed?

What scriptural support did Peter offer for his contention that Jesus had been ascended and exalted as Lord and Christ?

What could the people know with assurance?

 

 

Christ was crucified and resurrected for our salvation.

 

What amazes you the most about Jesus’ death? His resurrection?

 

Peter’s sermon focused on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. That Jesus had been crucified was undeniable; some in the crowd may have even been present for it. The resurrection, too, was beyond question as far as Peter was concerned. “God has raised this Jesus” (CSB). This Jesus was Peter’s way of keeping the focus on Jesus of Nazareth. The Jesus who died was the same one whom God raised up from the dead. For Peter, to believe in God was to believe in the reality of the resurrection. Since God was the cause behind it, there was no reason to doubt it. God’s raising up of Jesus is a testimony of His power (Eph. 1:19-20). Furthermore, the resurrection was God’s affirmation and confirmation of who Jesus is, leading ultimately to His exaltation as Lord Christ.

However, to any who might have had doubts about the reality of Jesus’s resurrection, Peter offered one more proof to support his message. We all are witnesses. Witnesses is used in the historical sense meaning “those who are spectators or observers of something.” What Peter was saying was not second-hand information or hearsay. He and the others knew it for a fact because they had seen Jesus themselves — and more than once (Acts 1:2-3).

Going back to the beginning of his preaching on this day, Peter’s message had called attention to the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. However, even that was not the end. Being by the right hand of God is an anthropological allusion to Jesus’s ascension into heaven — another event Peter could have claimed to have witnessed firsthand (vv. 9-11). The right hand was the hand of strength. To be positioned “to” (CSB, NIV) or “at” (ESV, NASB), or by someone’s right hand was a place or position of honor and privilege. Jesus was thus so exalted. Exalted means “to raise up; to elevate.” Metaphorically, it is “to raise up to the very summit of dignity, honor, and prominence.” Such was the case with Jesus in that He was raised up from the grave to be raised up to the place of the highest honor; that being at the mighty, right hand of God the Father. No other being can claim that place.

In that exalted state Jesus received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit; “has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit” (CSB). Looking back, the Father had promised the Holy Spirit would come to empower the people for witness (1:4-8; also, John 16:7-15). Jesus, the resurrected Christ, received authority from the Father to send the Holy Spirit. And that is just what He did. He hath shed forth this — “He has poured out this” (ESV) — this being the present phenomena of the Holy Spirit; what ye now see and hear (Acts 2:1-11). The people may not have witnessed the resurrection of Jesus as the apostles had, but they had just witnessed an effect of the resurrection in the powerful manifestation of the Spirit. Notice that in these verses Peter spoke of God in three persons: God the Father; Jesus as God Incarnate; and the Holy Spirit.

To provide scriptural support for his assertion that the resurrected Jesus had been exalted as the Lord, Peter turned again to David (he had cited David earlier in his sermon, Acts 2:29-31; Ps. 16:8-11). The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool’, a quotation of Psalm 110:1. Clearly, this was not a reference David made about himself since David is not ascended into the heavens. David had died and his body was buried as any mortal man. No, he was speaking of one to come after him. The claim was fulfilled in Jesus as Messiah.

Polhill comments about David’s statement and Peter’s use of it. “Originally it may have been an enthronement psalm acknowledging the earthly king as God’s representative. For the early Christians it became the basis for the affirmation that Jesus has been exalted to God’s right hand. For Peter it served as a natural transition from the confession of Jesus as Messiah, the dominant concept to this point, to the ultimate confession that Jesus is Lord.” David’s Lord — which could only be a reference to the Messiah since David as king was the ultimate earthly authority — was seated in the position of honor awaiting the time when His opponents would finally be subjugated to Him in victory, a truth captured in the imagery of God making “your [the Messiah’s] enemies your footstool” (CSB).

Verse 36 begins the climax of Peter’s message. Therefore, points back to all that he had said about Jesus from the beginning of his sermon and to the Father’s affirmation about who He is. Let all the house of Israel know assuredly indicates that in Peter’s opinion, this message about Jesus ought to resonate clearly and with certainty, especially to a people who lived by a covenant heritage in which God is Father and who believed the promises of His covenant with His people were surely to be fulfilled.

Here is the conclusion he reached and declared: God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Look back at key points in Peter’s sermon, even to verses not included in this study session. God approved Jesus (Acts 2:22); gave Him up (v. 23), raised Him up (vv. 24,32), exalted Him (v. 33), and crowned Him (v. 36). God was behind it all. How could a people who claimed to be a covenant people refuse the One that God so affirmed? The reference to their role in the crucifixion is a reminder that they had refused and rejected Jesus during His earthly ministry. To them He was a carpenter by vocation, an itinerant teacher by avocation, and a constant source of provocation. Oh, how they had misunderstood Him!

However, they were being given another opportunity to declare Him as both Lord and Christ. Lord can be understood at different levels. It is a title of respect — Jesus is worthy of that. It is a title given to someone who is supreme in authority. That too is true about Jesus. It refers to one to whom another person belongs and submits himself. As Lord, Jesus meets that definition as well. But ultimately, in the highest sense of the word, Lord is a declaration that He is the fullest manifestation of God ever given to humankind. Jesus is God Incarnate! He is the Christ (“Messiah,” CSB, NIV), the Anointed One of God, who was sent to accomplish the Father’s purpose and plan to create a people who would bring glory to His holy name.

 

Truths from Acts 2:32-36:

·      By faith, we bear witness of the truth that Jesus lives!

·    The Father exalted the Son, Jesus, to a place of honor and glory at His right hand.

·      In Christ, the Holy Spirit is poured out on all who believe.

·    We can know with certainty that the crucified Jesus has been raised as Lord and Christ.

 

Lesson: Some people get needlessly bogged down with seeking to hear God’s voice and discovering His will for every little mundane decision. God generally speaks to us about His concerns and priorities. He speaks so that we will know what is on His heart, inviting us to join Him in His work. God’s primary concern for people is that they be in a right relationship with Him. If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, then God’s primary focus is not on what company you work for or what neighborhood you live in; His focus is on seeing you acknowledge that you are a sinner, turn from your sin, and place your faith in Christ.

A telling sign that a word comes from God is the centrality of Jesus, especially His death and resurrection. When God speaks, He uplifts Christ and His work. The Spirit also brings conviction of sin. Peter declared it was his listeners who were enemies of God. When God speaks to you, He will draw attention to the sin in your life and your disobedience to His Word. God will point out anything in your life that is disrupting your fellowship with Him. God knows what matters most in your life and He will speak to those issues.

 

 

 

Acts 2:37-38

When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

 

What effect did Peter’s preaching have on the people?

What did they want to know?

What actions did Peter tell them to take?

What does it mean to repent?

What is the place of baptism in the life of the believer?

What would come upon them as part of the action of repentance and confession?

 

 

The work of Christ calls for a response from us.

 

How would you describe conviction?

Why is repentance important to the hearing of God’s Word?

 

How would the people respond to this new opportunity presented to them? Apparently, they were not able to ignore the message. When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They heard the words, but even more, they were touched deeply by the Spirit behind them. Pierced to the heart means “to pain the mind sharply.” It especially speaks of the emotion of sorrow. Of course, heart, when used figuratively as here, denotes the center and seat of all spiritual life. Peter’s appeal stirred them emotionally and spiritually to the point of wanting — yes, even needing — to act on it. They came under deep conviction upon hearing the truth of God.

Convicted as they were, they desired additional guidance on how to respond appropriately to the message. Thus, they asked Peter and to the rest of the apostles. As we often see in the Gospel narratives, Peter stepped forward as the spokesman for the other apostles, but that does not mean he was better than they were, that he was the “boss,” or that the others were disinterested or uninvolved. This was not just Peter’s gospel; it was an apostolic witness.

Men and brethren, what shall we do? Perhaps they called them “brothers” (CSB) because of their common nationalism — fellow Jews — but maybe under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit they had already sensed a spiritual kinship with these followers of Christ. What shall we do? In defense of our belief in salvation by grace apart from works, we may tend to respond, “Nothing!” While true that we cannot save ourselves, there is an action we must take. Peter was quick to point it out. Also see Paul and Silas’s response to a similar question by a Philippian jailer in Acts 16:30-31.

Peter appears to have responded immediately. Repent! That is what anyone and everyone must do in response to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit within. The call to repent is not a new element of the divine message but is rooted deeply in the proclamations of the Old Testament prophets who frequently issued a call to “return” or “repent” (for example, Isa. 44:22; Jer. 8:6; Ezek. 24:14). Repent means “to change one’s mind for the better.” It is the spiritual equivalent of doing an about face. In repenting one acknowledges the presence of sin, turns away from sin, and turns to Christ for the blessing of salvation.

Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ. Baptism is an act whereby an individual personally and publicly declares his or her repentance and faith in Christ. As a symbol, the believer identifies with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, thus affirming that in Christ he or she has died to sin and been raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-5). The name of Jesus Christ is a way of speaking about the complete Personhood, claims, teachings, and authority of Christ. To say the name of Jesus Christ is a confession not an incantation.

For the remission of sins can be rendered “for the forgiveness of your sins” (CSB, ESV, NASB, NIV). The word rendered for has been variously understood; perhaps I should say misunderstood. Is baptism for the purpose of or on basis of the forgiveness of sin? Premier Greek scholar and Bible expositor, the late A. T. Robertson, stated: “My view is decidedly against the idea that Peter, Paul, or any one in the New Testament taught baptism as essential to the remission of sins or the means of securing such remission. So, I understand Peter to be urging baptism on each of them who had already turned (repented) and for it to be done in the name of Jesus Christ based on the forgiveness of sins which they had already received.” 2 Polhill, in speaking about this verse says, “In fact, in no other passage of Acts is baptism presented as bringing about the forgiveness of sins. If not linked with repentance, forgiveness relates to faith (cf. 10:43; 13:38f.; 26:18). The dominant idea in 2:38 thus seems to be repentance, with the other elements following. Repentance leads to baptism, the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Spirit. The essential response Peter called from the Jewish crowd is the complete turnabout that comprises true repentance.” 3

With the forgiveness of sins comes the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit is the Spirit Himself. Yet, this is not a separate event or experience. The Spirit is involved in forgiveness making possible spiritual cleansing, regeneration, and transformation. The Spirit indwells believers and serves to seal or guarantee conversion, empowers them for the life of faith, gifts them for ministry, and unites them as one in the body of Christ, the church.

Truths from Acts 2:37-38:

·     The Word of the Lord delivered in the power of the Spirit brings conviction and calls for the response of personal repentance.

·      Repentance leads to baptism as a public confession of one’s faith.

·    God pours out His Spirit on those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus is the Christ.

 

Lesson: A distinguishing characteristic of God’s voice is that His words always call for a response. You can’t remain indifferent to it. When Peter preached to the crowd, the Holy Spirit affirmed his words to those who were listening. As a result, they were “pierced to the heart” (v. 37). This indicates a deep emotional pain as the Jewish people realized, to their horror, that after waiting for centuries for their Messiah, they had crucified Him.

 

Acts 2:39-41

“For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!”  So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

 

Unto whom is the promise of forgiveness given?

Who makes the offer?

What is the individual’s role in being forgiven?

What appears to be the relationship between baptism and identifying with other believers?

 

The right response to God’s conviction leads to salvation and obedience.

 

How can believers cooperate with the Spirit in leading others to salvation?

What are the differences between conviction and condemnation?

When have you felt conviction in a way that you knew was from God’s Spirit?

How does hearing God’s Word lead to repentance?

 

What does God use to convict people of the existence of sin in their life and their need for a Savior?

1. He Uses Our Witness (v. 32) A witness is someone who has personal knowledge of something. Our personal knowledge of God is through our belief in the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. When Thomas, saw a resurrected Jesus, he exclaimed, “My Lord and My God” (John 20:28). Jesus’s response was, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29). It’s the Holy Spirit that empowers us to be Christ’s “witnesses in Jerusalem (Home), in all Judea (Greenville) and Samaria (SC), and to the ends of the earth (Around the world)” (Acts 1:8). 

 

2.  He Uses Our Testimony (vv. 32-36) A witness is also one who testifies to a fact or event. We testify that Jesus was crucified (v. 36) and that God raised Him from the dead (v. 32). We testify that He has ascended into heaven (v. 34), is seated at the right hand of God (vv. 33-34) and has sent the Holy Spirit (v. 33). We testify that Jesus Christ is both Lord and Messiah (v. 36).

 

3. He Uses People’s Conviction (vv. 37-41) God uses our witness and our testimony, “with many other words he testified” (v. 39), (along with the Spirit and the Scriptures), to convict people of sin and our need for a Savior. “Pierced to the heart,” also carries the idea of being pained in the mind. In other words, they were convicted. When a person is convinced of his or her wrong-doing and the need to make it right, they are ripe for repentance. Repentance is turning from sin and turning to God. It is a change of mind for the better which results in a change of behavior because of belief in a Savior. When we believe in Jesus, not only are we pardoned of sin, but we receive the person of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for everyone (young and old, near and far); for all who would believe.

 

Les Misérables begins with paroled convict Jean Valjean stealing the bishop’s silverware. When he’s caught by the police, he expects to be found guilty and imprisoned. But the bishop shocks everyone when he claims he gave the silver to Valjean. After the police leave, he turns to the thief, “Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil. With this silver, I’ve bought your soul, I’ve ransomed you from fear and hatred, and now, I give you back to God.”   

Jesus not only ransomed us with something more precious than silver, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), but He’s also ransomed us from fear and hatred. 1 John 4 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18) and no one who loves God can hate others (1 John 4:20). What should our response be to all of this? “In view of the mercies of God, I urge you to offer yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship” (Rom. 12:1).

 

Lesson: Peter offered hope that the people could repent of their sin; they and their children could experience salvation. This was good news indeed! We must always be aware that the decisions we make with God have profound consequences upon our children and grandchildren.

Peter urged the people to “be saved from this corrupt generation” (v. 40). “Being saved” is the fundamental need of every person. Peter understood the eternal peril that each of his listeners faced, so he preached with urgency.

The result of Peter’s sermon was that three thousand people accepted the message and were baptized. Jesus had foretold that His disciples would do greater things than He had done. In one sermon Peter saw more people find salvation and enter the kingdom of God than occurred during Jesus’s earthly ministry. This reflects the power in a word from God delivered in the power of the Spirit.

 

Our focus in this study is to discern the voice of God. When God speaks, He always speaks words of truth and grace, desiring to bring us ever closer to Him.

 

 

CONCLUSION

People can often become convinced in the moment that what they are doing is right. But the Holy Spirit convicts us and will never lead us to do wrong.

The voice of God always seeks to convict us of the truth.