How do we share the gospel with intellectual unbelievers?

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” Acts 17:30

When the apostle Paul preached to “Epicurean and Stoic philosophers” (atheists and pantheists) in the idolatrous city of Athens on Mars Hill (17:16-22), he began by acknowledging that they were “very religious” (17:22b) which expressed their longing to connect with their “UNKNOWN GOD…whom” they “worship without knowing” (17:23). Paul masterfully begins with God as everyone’s Creator (17:24-29) and then brings His audience to God as everyone’s Judge (17:30-31). 

As their Creator, “God…made the world and everything in it, since He is the Lord of heaven and earth” (17:24). He sustains “all things” and is not dependent on anyone for His needs (17:25). The true God is the source of all people whom He “has made from one blood” [Adam] to dwell on all the …earth,” having “determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (17:26). God’s sovereign control over the times and locations of people was so they “should seek the Lord…and find Him” (17:27). 

Paul then cited two of their Greek writerswho said, “For we are also His offspring” (17:28). Since God created people, then it is illogical to conclude that God can be made from materials like “gold or silver or stone” (17:29).

As their Judge, “God overlooked” these “times of ignorance” when He had not revealed as much about Himself before Christ (17:30a). “But” now that God has revealed more of Himself to people through Jesus Christ, He “now commands all men everywhere to repent” (17:30b). Paul invites them to “repent” (metanoeō) or change their mind about Christ and see that He is the One who “will judge the world in righteousness” (17:31a). The proof that Jesus is qualified to judge humanity is that God raised “Him from the dead” (17:31b).  

This is what makes Christianity distinct from all other religions. The founders of all other religions are still in their graves, including Mohammed of Islam, Buddha of Buddhism, Confucius of Confucianism, Joseph Smith of Mormonism, Charles Taze Russell of the Jehovah Witnesses,  Rubin Ecleo of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Assoc., and Felix Manalo of the Iglesia ni Cristo. But Christians worship a Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and remains alive today!

Christianity is reasonable because it is based upon historical facts. There are a number of very strong evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 

1. The historical record. The Bible explains Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power… by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3-4). The proof that Jesus rose from the dead was that He was seen alive after His death by over five hundred eyewitnesses (I Corinthians 15:3-8). Just as history proclaims that Ferdinand Marcos was the President of the Philippines (1965-1986), so history proclaims that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead.  The resurrection of Christ is the most attested fact of history.

Thomas Arnold authored a three-volume history of Rome and was appointed to Oxford’s Chair of Modern History. Concerning the evidence behind the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he said, “I have been used for years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than that Christ died and rose from the dead.”

Frank Morison, a British trial lawyer, vowed to write a book disproving Christianity and committed to base his book on a collection of facts. Using a critical method of evaluation and despite his initial beliefs, he concluded that Christianity is true. The resurrection convinced him, and he wrote a book entitled Who Moved the Stone? which begins with the chapter, “The Book that Refused to Be Written.”  

Intellectual atheists such as Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel set out to disprove Christianity only to be persuaded that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is true! They have written books containing the strong evidences that persuaded them to become Christians (see The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (1999) and Evidence for the Resurrection (2004) by Josh McDowell and The Case for Easter (2004) and The Case for Christianity (2014) by Lee Strobel.  Another proof of Jesus’ resurrection is… 

2. The change in the lives of the disciples. These disciples were not shrewd men who figured out some weird way to start a new religion. They did not say, “Let’s get our Leader killed off. Then we’ll go hide out in an upper room and then all of a sudden we will have a new hope.” These were depressed people. They were hiding for fear of the Jews (cf. Mark 16:14; Luke 24:11;  John 20:19). All of a sudden their lives were changed overnight! And they went out preaching the gospel without fear (Acts 2:14ff). What happened to them? The resurrection of Jesus Christ. The third proof of Jesus’ resurrection is…

3. The silence of Jesus’ enemies. If you are one of Jesus’ enemies (the Romans or Jewish Pharisees), and you have the disciples going around saying Jesus is alive and it’s bringing people away from your faith to a new faith, what would you do to stop them? Go find the dead body of their leader. “If I could find the dead body of Jesus Christ, it would bring this entire movement to a stop.” But they couldn’t find the body. Why? Because there was no dead body to be found because Jesus rose from the dead! We will never hear a news report saying that they found the dead body of Jesus Christ because He is risen, and He remains alive today (I Corinthians 15:1-8)! The fourth proof of Jesus’ resurrection is…

4. The changed lives of people today. Because Jesus Christ is alive today, He changes sinners into saints, promiscuous people into pure people, hateful people into loving people, greedy people into generous people, impatient people into patient people. But sometimes, an unbeliever will say, “I believe in this Eastern mysticism philosophy.  It has changed my life just like your belief in Jesus Christ. What is the difference?” The difference is an empty tomb. The difference is we have a reality behind our faith. It’s not just a philosophy. We have evidence for our minds. 

When Paul’s audience “heard of the resurrection of the dead… some mocked” ( Acts 17:32) but “some men joined him and believed” in the risen Lord Jesus Christ (17:34).  

When sharing the gospel with intellectuals, begin with what is familiar to them and then share the truth of the gospel with them, citing sources that will encourage them to agree with the truth. Give them evidence for their minds. Christianity is reasonable because it is based upon historical facts. Let the Holy Spirit persuade them to change their mind about Christ (repent) so they can believe in Him for His gift of everlasting life (cf. 17:30, 34).  

When Paul said God “overlooked these times of ignorance” (17:30) when people had limited revelation before Christ came to earth, they were still guilty as sinners before a holy God and would be separated from Him forever if they did not believe in Jesus (cf. John 3:36; Romans 5:12-14). This reminds us of an important truth: when greater revelation of God is given to us through Jesus Christ, there is now greater responsibility for both believers and unbelievers (cf. Matthews 12:38-42; 23:14; Mark 12:40). 

For Christians, this means we must take the gospel to everyone because God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30a). But people everywhere cannot repent or change their mind about the greater revelation of Jesus if believers do not go to them and share Christ with them (cf. Romans 10:14-15). Likewise, now that Jesus has come, God will hold non-Christians more accountable for responding to Jesus in faith. The key for non-Christians is to respond positively to the light or revelation that God has given to them so that He will give them more light, including the gospel of Christ (cf. Romans 1:18-24). Then they can believe in Him. 

Restoring Mankind’s dominion over creation

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him?” Psalm 8:3-4a

King David began this Psalm by focusing on the majesty and splendor of God as Creator (8:1). As he gazed at the night sky, He was reminded of God’s greatness which is seen in “the work of” His “fingers” (8:3). Like a sculptor whose care and skill is seen in the work of his fingers, so God’s care and skill is seen the work of His fingers which placed “the moon and stars” in the sky.  It was as easy for God to create the universe with His fingers, as it is for a sculptor to make something with his fingers. God spoke and brought the universe into existence (cf. Genesis 1:14-19).  

As David looked at the night sky, he was amazed that God would even be “mindful” of insignificant people compared to the vast universe He had created (8:4). God is not some impersonal force who is beyond the reach of His creation. No, He is always thinking of the people He made and is moving toward them. And not only this, God has “crowned” people “with glory and honor” by entrusting them “to have dominion over the works of” His “hands,” including “all sheep and oxen— even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea” (8:5-8). God created people to rule over the animal kingdom, not the other way around. 

Unfortunately, many people value animals more than people. They are trying to raise money to save animals from being killed, yet money is also being sought to murder unborn children in abortion clinics. Tragically, society has lost sight of how valuable people are to our Creator God. 

This reminds us that the first man and woman that God created (i.e. Adam and Eve), failed to do what God created them to do. God placed all living creatures under the control of Adam and Eve before the Fall, and when they disobeyed God, He did not withdraw this privilege (cf. Gen. 9:1-3, 7). But because they sinned, mankind has never been able to fulfill the destiny for which God created him, namely, to be king of the earth (cf. Genesis 3:1-6; Hebrews 2:6-8). Mankind’s responsibility is to rule over creation, not to let it rule over him. People may use any animals, domesticated or wild, for their purposes, including food (Gen. 9:3; 1 Tim. 4:3-5). Human beings have tamed and even domesticated many kinds of animals, but they find it impossible to control themselves without God’s enablement (James 3:7-8). 

The good news is that Jesus Christ, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47), will fulfill mankind’s destiny when He returns to earth and brings all creation under His rule (1 Cor. 15:27-28; Hebrews 1:8-13; Revelation 20:1-6). Christ is the only One qualified to do this since He “was made a little lower than the angels” in His incarnation so that as God and Man (John 1:1, 14), He could die for mankind, resulting in being “crowned with glory and honor” through his resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God (Hebrews 2:9; cf. Philippians 2:5-11). It was appropriate for Christ to suffer and die for mankind because He would bring “many sons to glory” and be the Captain “of their salvation …through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). Before Jesus could lead His “many sons” to glory, He had to be made “perfect” for this role “through sufferings.” Since His brethren would have to suffer, He would have to as well in order to give them the kind of help they would need (cf. Hebrews 2:18; 4:14-16). 

This “salvation” in Hebrews 2:10 is the deliverance from the loss of dominion over creation due to the Fall. Man lost his glorious dominion over creation due to the Fall, but now he can regain that“glory” by being faithful to Christ (Hebrews 2:10; cf. 1:8-9; 3:1, 14). So the glory in Hebrews 2:10 is not common to all Christians, but only to those who are faithful to Christ to the end of their lives on earth (cf. Matthew 19:27-29;  Luke 22:28-30; Romans 8:17b; 2 Timothy 2:12; Hebrews 1:8-13; 3:1, 14; 10:35-36; Revelation 2:25-27; 3:21). 

What this means for those who are unsaved, is they must recognize they are sinners who cannot save themselves (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9) and that Christ died in their place and rose from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-6). Then they are to believe or trust in Christ alone to save them from hell forever and give them everlasting (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). After they believe in Jesus, they can begin to follow Him as His disciple the rest of their lives to be able to rule with Him in His coming Kingdom (cf. Matthew 4:19; 19:27-29; 28:19-20; Luke 22:28-30; Romans 8:17b; 2 Timothy 2:12; Hebrews 1:8-13; 3:1, 14; 10:35-36; Revelation 2:25-27; 3:21). 

How can I resolve my anger?

“Be angry and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.” Psalm 4:4-5

The apostle Paul quotes the phrase “Be angry and do not sin” (Psalm 4:4a) in Ephesians 4:26 when he is talking to believers about not grieving the Holy Spirit with their communications towards one another (cf. Ephes. 4:25-32). Psalm 4: 4-5 teach us some important principles for dealing with our anger:

1.  Admit and feel your anger (“Be angry and do not sin” –  4:4a). The feeling of anger is not wrong in and of itself. Even God feels anger (cf. Exodus 4:14; Number 11:10; Deuteronomy 7:4; Mark 3:5; John 2:13-16; 3:36; Romans 1:18; 12:19; Colossians 3:6; Hebrews 3:11; 4:3; Revelation 6:16; 19:15; et. al). What we do with our anger can be sinful. When we admit our anger, we begin to take control of it. It is important to use “I feel…” statements which take responsibility for our own anger. Example: “I feel angry when you…” But spiritual perfectionism says, “I’m not angry.” Shame-based statements use the word “You.” Example: “You make me feel so angry!” The last two examples do not honor what God is saying here – “Be angry and do not sin,” because they do not acknowledge or take responsibility for one’s own anger.

2.  Talk to the Lord until you can be still (“Meditate [talk] within your heart on your bed, and be still”– 4:4b; cf. 4:3). As we talk to the Lord He can help us identify the source of our anger – Is it selfishness or perfectionism? Or is it because we have been wronged?

3.  Do what is right which includes forgiving others and yourself (“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness– 4:5a). Sacrifices were offered in the Old Testament as a means of forgiveness (cf. Hebrews 9:22). As God shows us the source of our anger, we can seek forgiveness if we were being selfish or perfectionistic (I John 1:9) or we can extend forgiveness to those who have wronged us (Ephesians 4:32). 

4. Trust the Lord with the situation (“And put your trust in the Lord”– 4:5b). Many believers struggle with the first two steps the most and skip right over them to forgive and trust the Lord without acknowledging or processing their feelings. But if we do not admit our anger or hurt and turn it over to the Lord, it is very difficult to forgive “from the heart” (cf. Matthew 18:35). 

Somehow Christians are not comfortable admitting their deep hurt and anger. Perhaps it is due to the perfectionism that is taught in churches today. But if we are to be more like Jesus Christ, we can learn to admit our anger and release it to God, so He can use it the way He intended – to accomplish His righteousness (cf. Mark 3:5; John 2:13-16; James 1:19-20). If we refuse to address our anger God’s way, it will result in more brokenness in the body of Christ because we are giving the devil an opportunity to lead us into greater sin (cf. Ephesians 4:26-27). But if we do deal with our anger God’s way, we can experience what David did,“I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

If you only have 60 seconds to live, what does the Bible say you must do to go to heaven?

The answer to this question can be found in Acts 16:25-31 where a prison guard thinks he has a short amount of time to live. Missionaries Paul and Silas had been thrown into prison and as they were praying and singing to God, there was a great earthquake which caused all the doors of the prison to be opened and everyone’s chains to be loosed (16:25-26). The jailer awoke from his sleep seeing the prison doors opened, and assuming that the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself (Acts 16:27). Under Roman law, a prison guard who allowed his prisoners to escape was liable to the same penalty the prisoners would have suffered – death by execution. So to avoid the shame of a public execution, he was about to commit suicide.

Paul and Silas showed great love and concern for the jailer both by remaining in prison when they could have escaped and by preventing the jailer from committing suicide (Acts 16:28-29). This love for the jailer seems to have won him over. Thinking he only has a short amount of time to live, he asks them, “Sirs what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).

Do Paul and Silas tell him to confess his sins? Be baptized with water? Turn from his sins? Obey God’s commands? Give his life to Christ? Surrender to the control of Christ? Ask Jesus into his heart or pray the sinner’s prayer? No. They said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). 

The reason a person must believe or trust in the Lord Jesus alone is because we all have a problem called sin (Romans 3:23) that separates us from God (Romans 6:23). Because all of us have sinned against God, we all deserve to die forever  in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15). But God does not want us to die forever in the Lake of Fire, so He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, Who lived a perfect life and died on the cross for all of our sins and rose from the dead, proving that He is God (John 3:16; Romans 1:3-4; I Corinthians 15:3-6). Jesus is alive today and He has the power to save us from hell forever and give us eternal life which can never be lost (John 10:28-29). He now invites everyone to believe in Him for His gift of everlasting life (John 3:16). No amount of our good works can save us from the Lake of Fire because they are all stained with sin (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9). Only Jesus can take away our sins (John 1:29). Believe in Him and the Bible guarantees “you will be saved”(Acts 16:31). 

If you only have 60 seconds to live or 60 years to live, the Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31) and you will go to heaven when you die. Nothing more and nothing less. This is good news! Please believe it and share it with others.

What happens to a believer who falls away from the Lord?

“4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” Hebrews 6:4-8

The author of Hebrews is referring here to genuine Christians who have been “enlightened” by the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:32; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:3-6), which leads to “tasting” or receiving the gift of eternal life (John 4:10; Rom. 6:23; cf. Hebrews 2:9), which makes possible partnership (Hebrews 1:9; 3:1, 14) with the Holy Spirit, under Whom they feed on the Word and taste God’s power (Hebrews 6:4-6). Only a believer can “fall away” from the Lord. One cannot fall away from the Lord unless he has the Lord. This “falling away” refers to casting away their Christian hope (2:1; 3:13-14; 10:26) or apostasy. These Christians were in danger of returning to animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins instead of holding fast to the all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:1-18; 3:12; 7:11-28; 10:1-18).

It is humanly “impossible… to renew” a believer who has fallen away from the Lord to repentance or a change of mind so that they come back to the Lord. Why? Because they have approached Christ the same way His enemies did who crucified Him – they put Him to “open shame” by rejecting Him (6:6b). But what is impossible for people is not impossible for God (Jeremiah 32:17; Luke 18:27). The believer who falls away from the Lord is not in danger of damnation.

We have Jesus’ guarantee that if a person comes to Him for the bread of life he or she will never need that bread again: “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst’ ” (John 6:35). Christ promises that those who come to Him in faith will never hunger or thirst for everlasting life because it is permanent and cannot be lost. 

We also have Jesus’ word that those who come to Him in faith will never be cast out of God’s family because Jesus is determined to do the will of the Father: “37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day” (John 6:37-39). The believer will never be cast out under any circumstances because Jesus is determined to do His Father’s will which is that He loses no one. Jesus has never lost a believer and He never will. 

But someone may say, “Well, I guess it really doesn’t matter what we do once we get saved. Throw your faith away and mock Chrstianity, and you will still go to heaven!” The writer of Hebrews is telling us, “Oh yes it does matter if you throw away your Christian faith!” The apostate believer may be safe from the fires of hell, but he or she is not safe from the fire of God’s discipline as verses 7-8 teach: 

“7For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.” Hebrews 6:7-8

The writer of Hebrews uses an illustration from nature to summarize the consequences of pressing on to maturity as opposed to denying Christ. The field that produces according to the intention of the farmer is blessed, but the field that produces thorns and thistles is burned. So when a Christian is properly fruitful, God blesses. But when a believer produces a bad harvest, he is disciplined. This idea of blessing obedience and cursing disobedience is seen in Deuteronomy 27-28 as well.

When we become Christians by believing in Christ alone for His gift of eternal life, we are a lot like a plot of ground that belongs to God. And God has poured out His grace upon us like rain from heaven. And He has a right to expect that our lives will be fruitful, productive, and useful to Him and to other people. And when they are, God blesses that life. But if after we have received the blessings of His matchless grace, we produce briars, thorns, and fruits of a sin-cursed world, then God rejects that kind of a life and it falls under His temporal curse. And its destiny is to suffer the fire of His discipline.

The “thorns and briars” have worthless results (and harmful ones) of departure from the faith. Such land is disapproved (cf. I Corinthians 9:27). In this ancient practice after the land was burned, it was replanted. So even though burning is a picture of temporal judgment of the apostate, it also offers hope because of the purifying effect of the land. Just as the burning of a field was temporal and did not destroy the ground, so God’s judgment on His people is temporal and its purpose is to destroy their fruits, not them, so they can be productive once again for the Lord (cf. I Timothy 1:18-20). Keep in mind, however, that this judgment could lead to physical death (cf. I Corinthians 5:5; 11:30; I John 5:16).

But the writer of Hebrews does remind us that there are worse punishments than a sure, quick physical death as in the Old Testament. “28Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (10:28-29).

For example, King Saul suffered a worse punishment than death as he went through prolonged manic-depression and paranoia. He also was consumed by fear and hatred (I Samuel 13:8-28:25), yet he was saved since Samuel said he would be with him after death (I Samuel 28:19). Also King David should have been killed for his adultery and murder (cf. Exodus 21:12-14; Deuteronomy 22:22), but instead he went through the prolonged agony of God’s discipline for almost a year (cf. Psalm 32:3-5; 51:8). This included physical weakening and inward grief. This “worse punishment” may also have come upon some of the Corinthians who were “weak”and “sick”and eventually died (I Corinthians 11:29-32; cf. 10:1-13). The wrath of God is not limited to non-Christians, as believers can also experience God’s present-day wrath (Romans 1:18-32; 5:9-10; 13:4-5) whereby He gives the disobedient over to the consequences of their sins resulting in self-destruction. Believers can be saved from this wrath through the life of Christ living through them (Romans 6-8).

The reasons for such a punishment are found in Hebrews 10:29 above. The apostate “has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” His apostasy is an unruly trampling on the dignity and claims of Christ (cf. 6:6). He regards the sanctifying blood of the New Covenant, which sanctified him, as impure or unholy. Notice this apostate has been “sanctified” by the blood of Christ which in the author’s mind is the same as justification (cf. 2:11; 10:10, 14).

The reason it is impossible for us to renew an apostate back to repentance is because God reserves that believer for the fire of His discipline (6:8). And if repentance is ever going to happen in this life, it will only happen after they have gone through the scorching heat of God’s temporal judgment. Hebrews 10:30 says, “For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’” This verse does not say God will judge the unsaved. It says “The Lord will judge His people.”

Rather than teach that a Christian who falls away from the Lord loses his salvation or was never saved in the first place, Hebrews 6:4-8 affirms the eternal security of the believer but also warns of the dangers of departing from our Savior.

What we focus on influences how we live

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1

The Psalmist describes two paths of life in this Psalm: the path of the godly and the path of the ungodly or wicked. “Blessed” or “happy” is the godly person who avoids the way of the wicked or ungodly person (1:1). Notice the progression of verbs in this first verse: “walks…stands…sits.” Departing from the Lord begins with casually listening (“walks”) to “the counsel” or wisdom “of the ungodly.” As they are influenced by that counsel, they begin to slow down (“stands”) enough to pay attention to “the path of sinners” who are separated from God. While spending time in the company of sinners (“sits”), they become more deeply involved with “the scornful” who mock God and ridicule what is godly. 

“Blessed” is the godly person who avoids every form of wickedness in every place the Psalmist says (1:1). Instead of focusing on the way of the wicked person, the godly person focuses (“meditates”) on “the law of the Lord” (God’s Word) throughout all his waking hours (“day and night”) which produces a healthy root system or stability (“planted”) that nourishes (“by the rivers of water”) his spiritual life so that it “brings forth its fruit” at the proper time (“in its season”) and endures (“whose leaf also shall not wither”) times of spiritual dryness (1:2-3a). What we focus on will influence how we live our lives. We can focus on God’s ways and Word which benefits us and others (“whatever he does shall prosper”- 1:3b), or we can focus on the way of the wicked which embraces evil (1:1) and provides temporary pleasure only to be destroyed in judgment (1:4-5, 6). 

God’s grace and Israel’s existence today

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

After Mordecai learns of Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews in the book of Esther, Mordecai seeks to motivate Queen Esther to use her position to help save her people. His question in 4:14 was intended to help Esther see God’s purpose in enabling her to become Queen at “such a time as this.”  

After fasting for three days, Queen Esther intervenes and exposes Haman’s plot to annihilate the Jews and then Haman is hanged “on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai” (Chapters 5-7). Queen Esther then persuades her husband, King Ahasuerus, to send letters throughout his kingdom enabling the Jews to “avenge themselves on their enemies” so that on that designated day, the Jews defended themselves by killing “seventy-five thousand of their enemies” (9:1-16). Afterward Queen Esther and Mordecai established the Feast of Purim to be celebrated yearly so the memory of these Jews “should not perish among their descendants” (9:17-28). Then Mordecai was elevated by the king to second in command (Chapter 10). 

Throughout history, the devil has tried to destroy the Jews through different nations and leaders, the most familiar recent attempt being Hitler’s slaughter of millions of Jews in the 1940s. Think about it, today Israel exists like a tiny island of a few million immigrants surrounded by a sea of over 300 million enemies. It would seem inevitable that, sooner or later, this tiny nation would be destroyed. 

Israel’s existence today is best explained by God’s faithfulness and grace  to His promises to Abraham and his descendants (cf. Genesis 12:1-3;  13:16; 15:17-21; 17:7-8; et. al). God has supernaturally preserved His people even though Israel has stubbornly disobeyed the Lord resulting in them being oppressed and scattered throughout the whole world (Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:65). 

According to the Bible, a future leader will make a seven-year peace deal with Israel, fulfilling Israel’s longing for peace (Daniel 9:27a). But Scripture also says this peace plan will be broken, and Israel will be attacked once again (Daniel 9:27b; cf. Revelation 12:13-17). Countless armies will amass against them with no human hope of victory at the end of the seven-year Tribulation (Psalm 2:1-2; Revelation 16:12-16; 19:19). Only King Jesus’ return, judgment and reign will finally bring lasting peace to Israel (Revelation 19:11-20:6; cf. Isaiah 2:1-4). 

As you read this article, you may ask, “Why would God continue to pursue such a stubborn and rebellious people such as Israel”? The answer is that God is demonstrating His amazing grace to the world. Only a God of grace would put up with them! But that is true of you and me as well. God is not doing one thing for the Jewish people that He is not willing to do for all of us. He pursues us in love despite our sinfulness. And regardless of how stiff-necked we may be, He never washes His hands of us.

God knew you would be reading this article right now. He knows what you are going through and He wants to extend His grace to you. God says in Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” If you have Jesus Christ in your life, you need to know that He will never abandon you. He will never leave you alone. You may have lost your job…home…family… even your own health, but you cannot lose your relationship with Jesus Christ once you come to Him in faith. No one can take that away from you.

If you do not have Jesus Christ in your life, you need to know that time is running out! One day soon, Jesus will be coming for His church to remove them from the earth (I Thessalonians 4:13-18). Here is the question: “Is He coming for you? You can know for sure that He is if you will do but one thing – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). 

The Bible tells us that all people have sinned against God with their thoughts, words, and actions (Romans 3:23). Because of our sins, we all deserve to die forever in a terrible place called the Lake of Fire (Romans 6:23a; Revelation 20:15). But God does not want any of us to die forever in hell, so He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die for our sins on the cross and rise from the dead (John 3:16a; I Corinthians 15;1-6). God is now asking you to “believe” or trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone (not your water baptism or goodness or morality), to save you from the Lake of Fire forever (Acts 16:31). No amount of your good works can save you from an eternity in the Lake of Fire (cf. Isaiah 64:6; Romans 4:5). Only Jesus Christ can save you because He is God (John 1:1, 14, 17; Titus 2:13) and only God can save you from your sins forever and give you eternal life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 16:31; I John 5:20). 

If you just believed or trusted Christ alone to save you from the Lake of Fire and give you eternal life, know that Christ has saved you forever and given you everlasting life (John 3:16; Acts 16:31! Rest in His promise to deliver you from the Lake of Fire forever and from the coming wrath of God on earth (I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18). Begin to share this good news with others so Jesus can do the same for them (Matthew 4:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). 

How can we overcome fear in evangelism?

One of the greatest challenges we face as believers is fear in evangelism. It’s not that we don’t want to share Christ with others. Nor is it due to a lack of commitment. I believe most Christians would love to share the gospel with non-Christians, but they are overcome with fear. They are afraid of rejection. They are nervous about not knowing what to say. It is important to understand that fear in evangelism is normal. Even the apostle Paul was afraid to share the gospel at times. This is why he asked believers to pray that he would have boldness in preaching the gospel (Ephesians 6:18-20; cf.  I Corinthians 2:3). The issue is not having no fear in evangelism. The issue is how to overcome fear with boldness. How can we overcome fear in evangelism?

In Acts 4:12-31 there are four principles for overcoming fear in evangelism. In the context of these verses we see that as a result of healing a lame man in the name of Jesus Christ, Peter and John were brought into the custody of the Jewish supreme court of Israel known as the Sanhedrin (Acts 3-4). Instead of standing before the wealthiest, most intellectual and powerful group in the land as a victim, Peter and John stood before them as their judge. Peter accuses them of crucifying not only the One Who was innocent, but also the One Who was the long-promised Messiah (4:10-11). Ouch! That is boldness! Do you want that kind of boldness to speak up for Jesus?  Then…

GRASP THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT MESSAGE (4:12). Peter said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (4:12).  Do you believe that? If you do, it will increase your boldness to share Christ with others. He is the only One who can save people from their sins. The more you are convinced that the gospel is true, the more boldness you will have to speak up for Christ. 

Who should have more boldness, a Christian talking about Christ, or a Buddhist talking about Buddha? A Christian, of course! Why? Because unlike the Buddhist, the Christian has a message from God (cf. I Thessalonians 2;2-4). It contains no error. We have only truth and Good News, not error and bad news to give people. Only a Christian has the message that proclaims Christ’s name as the only name by which God will save those who come to Him in faith. 

Why is Jesus’ name the only name by which people can be saved from hell forever? Because He alone is God (John 1:1, 14; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; I John 5:20) and He paid the full price of admission into heaven when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. All other religions, whether it be Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness, Iglesia Ni Cristo, etc., are spelled D-O. Their message centers around a false gospel – what the person must DO for God to get to heaven. Christianity, however, is spelled D-O-N-E. The work of paying the full penalty for all of our sins was“finished” or DONE when Jesus Christ died in our place on the cross and rose from the dead (John 19:30; I Corinthians 15:1-6). This is the true gospel based on what God has done for us, not what we have done or will do for Him. Knowing that we have the only message in the world that guarantees a future home in heaven for all who believe in Jesus Christ alone can give us more boldness in evangelism. 

GROW CLOSER TO JESUS (4:13). As Peter and John boldly spoke of Jesus before these educated and powerful opponents, their listeners could discern that these men had spent time with the Savior. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (4:13). These two lowly fishermen were not intimidated by all the intellectual knowledge and training of these men. They were more impressed with Jesus and they wanted this group to know Him in a personal way. This elite religious group acknowledges the boldness of Peter and John while noting their lack of education. 

Often a person’s boldness for Christ shrinks as his education increases. He or she becomes “too sophisticated” to be bold for Christ!! It’s better to possess boldness and lack learning, than to possess learning and lack boldness. And it is one thing to be bold with our social equals, but it is an entirely different thing to be bold – as Peter and John were  – with our social and educational superiors. True boldness knows no respect of persons. 

Boldness in evangelism does not arise from having a theological degree or a vast knowledge of the Bible. The key to boldness in evangelism is spending time with Jesus Christ. Peter and John had been in a discipleship relationship with Jesus for over three years. His heart became theirs. So the closer we get to the heart of Christ, the closer we get to the people for whom He died. His heart bleeds for the lost. Luke 19:10 explains: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The heart of our Lord is a seeking heart. Aren’t you thankful for that? We would still be lost in our sins if Jesus did not seek us out. Look at God’s heart. First Timothy 2:3-4 say, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God created hell for the devil and his angels (cf. Matthew 25:41), not for people. God desires that all people go to heaven and He wants to use you and me to introduce people to the Savior who can get them there.

Those who live close to Christ capture His heart for the lost. They bleed for the same people He bleeds for. And the more they experience Jesus’ love and grace in their lives, the more compelled they will be to tell others about Him and what He can do for them. 

Also, as we grow closer to Christ, we can approach people with a clear conscience (cf. I Thessalonians 2:10-12). We don’t have to consider witnessing to a lost person thinking, “I sure hope he doesn’t find out how I live or treat my family.” Instead we can walk up to someone who doesn’t know Christ knowing we are attempting to live a consistent Christian life. Notice, I said “consistent,” not perfect. If we are living with unconfessed sin, it will reduce our boldness for preaching the gospel since our fellowship with the Lord will be broken (I John 1:3-10). I cannot be bold for Christ if I am out of fellowship with Him. 

GIVE CHRIST OUR OBEDIENCE, NOT OUR OPINIONS (4:19-20). Overcoming fear in evangelism is not done in a classroom or convention. It is cultivated through obedience. Peter had just accused the Sanhedrin of crucifying the long-promised Messiah named Jesus. These leaders did not want to hear this, so they commanded them not to preach Christ any longer (4:18). To share Christ now would be to go against the highest authority of the land. What would they do? It’s one thing to share Christ in a friendly environment such as in the church, but what about sharing Christ with those who could take your life? What would Peter and John do? Would they hover in a corner… pray for the rapture…or plead with God to send someone else? No. Their response was immediate. There was no, “Would you allow us a day or two to pray about this?” 

“19But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard’ ” (4:19-20). The apostles had made their decision. Obedience to God must come first, not a surrender to the fears and threats presented by people. They made their decision; their accusers could make their own. The apostles were so gripped by the message of the gospel that everything else became immaterial in comparison. They had the attitude, “If you miss this, you have missed everything.” Peter and John are compelled to make the truth of Jesus known and they continue to do so. 

God honors obedience. The humble, dependent heart that says, “Lord, I’m afraid to preach the gospel, but you are my Master. I am Your disciple. I will do it for You, Lord Jesus, with Your help” (cf. Luke 5:5). We cannot overcome fear in evangelism apart from obedience to a simple God-given command. 

The more you know Jesus, the more You want to please Him instead of people. Jesus is not interested in hearing our opinions about why we lack boldness in preaching the gospel. Some of those opinions may include :

“But, Lord, I don’t know what to say to these people. I don’t want to be embarrassed.”

“These people may ridicule me or reject me.”

“Lord, I could lose my life.” 

What’s at the center of all those opinions? The word “I” or “me.” Focusing on ourselves becomes distracting at the least and defeating at its worst. Instead of focusing on ourselves, let’s shift our focus to Jesus and what would please Him. He is more interested in our obedience to His command, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8; cf. Mark 16:15). 

The power and boldness of the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey. When we seek to please Jesus Christ instead of ourselves or others, we will always have boldness in our preaching. It won’t matter if our audience is receptive or not because our most important Audience is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, not next to you at work or school or on a bench at a film showing. Keep looking unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Seek to please Him, not people (Colossians 3:23-24). In order to renew our boldness in evangelism, we must resolve to obey Christ at any time. He may ask you to share the gospel when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable or even when it does not make sense. But when Jesus tells you to share His gospel with someone, JUST DO IT. He will give you the words to say through His Spirit (cf. Matthew 10:17-20). He will give you the boldness with which to say it (Acts 1:8; 4:29-31).

GO TO GOD IN PRAYER (4:23-31). When Peter and John returned to the rest of the church, they did not brag about how they stood up to the Sanhedrin. They reported all that the religious leaders said to them (4:23). The apostles were afraid and together with the rest of the church they laid their fears before God (4:24-30). Often times we tell one another about our lack of boldness in evangelism, but seldom do we talk to the Lord about it. God ought to be the first Person we talk to about our lack of boldness in evangelism, not the last.

As these believers looked up to God in prayer, they focused on four  things…

God’s Strength (4:24): They prayed,“Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…” (4:24). Threatened by the rulers of Israel, these believers now turn to the Ruler of the universe who also created these rulers. The majesty of God’s creation dwarfs the earth and its problems. We must not let our problems dwarf our concept of God but let our concept of God dwarf our problems. Since God can create the universe in six days, He will have no problem giving us the strength to renew our boldness for preaching the gospel. 

God’s Scriptures (4:25-26): They prayed, “25Who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? 26The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’” (4:25-26; cf. Psalm 2:1-2). These Christians are praying the Scriptures found in Psalm 2:1-2, which describe a future day of rebellion when the nations will gather against Christ under the Beast of Revelation at the end of the Tribulation period (cf. Revelation 16:12-16; 19:19). They were so familiar with the Bible that they could see the relevance of Psalm 2 to their situation. The more we know God’s Word and its relevance to our situation, the more boldness we will have in evangelism.

God’s Supply (4:25-26): When these Christians focused on Psalm 2 which talks about a future day of rebellion when the nations will gather against Christ under the Beast of Revelation, do you know how the Lord will respond to their opposition? Psalm 2:4 says, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.” This is like the laughter of a father whose three-year old boasts that he can outrun him or beat him in a wrestling match. It’s not going to happen. Likewise, God knows the boundaries of power among the nations and He is amused by their attempts to overthrow Him. That, my friends, is boldness! If God laughs at this spirit of rebellion among the nations, it would be inappropriate for you and me to be afraid of those who oppose the gospel. God has an abundant supply of boldness to give us if we will ask Him for it. 

God’s Sovereignty (4:27-28): They prayed, “27For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done” (4:27-28). These believers apply the future spirit of rebellion to those who crucified Christ. They understood the sovereignty of God – that everything happens according to His plan. And the more you believe this, the more confidence and boldness you will have. God allows difficulties in our lives to teach us that He is in control and that nothing is impossible with Him. Have you ever met people you think even God cannot save? That person you think will never become a Christian? Bring him or her to God in prayer and he can melt that heart of stone. 

Look what happens next. “29Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus” (4:29-30). They don’t say, “Lord, would You remove these troublemakers… save us from prison or death.” No, they don’t pray that. Instead they ask God to give them the boldness and the power to share His Word with those who could take their lives. We often ask God to remove our problems rather than pray for God to be glorified in them. Thank God these believers prayed in this way, otherwise the church would not be here today. If we don’t pray in this way, the church may not be in our communities for future generations. 

What happened after they were done praying? “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (4:31). The more we look up to God in prayer, the less fear we will have in evangelism and the more we will boldly speak up for Christ with others!

Someone once said that in Acts 1-2 they pray for ten days, Peter preaches for ten minutes, and three thousand get saved. Today, churches pray for ten minutes, preach for ten days, and three people get saved. A.C. Dixon once said:

“When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on…But when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do.” How much bolder would we be in evangelism if more were happening in our prayer lives?!

If we want to overcome fear in evangelism…

GRASP that we have the right MESSAGE (4:12).

GROW closer to JESUS (4:13).           

GIVE Christ our OBEDIENCE, not our OPINIONS (4:19-20).

GO to God in PRAYER (4:23-31)

Would you like to see the Lord add new believers to your church daily?

“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47b

After the apostle Peter preached the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection to his Jewish audience on the Day of Pentecost (2:1-40), we are told that “three thousand souls were added” to the Jerusalem church that day (2:41). Luke also tells us that “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (2:47b). Would you like to see the Lord add new believers to your church every day of the year?

I would hope all believers would say “Yes!” For this to happen, we must center our churches around the Lord Jesus Christ and His purposes for His church (Matthew 22:37-39; 28:19-20; Philippians 1:21). Those purposes include:

Worship: “46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people”(Acts 2:46-47a; cf. Matthew 22:37; Ps. 149:1). The early church expressed their love for the Lord in worship by meeting in large groups (“in the temple”) and small groups (“house to house”), observing the Lord’s Supper (“breaking bread…they ate their food”) “with gladness and simplicity of heart” (2:46-47a). As a result God gave them “favor with all the people” (2:47a). 

Fellowship: “They continued steadfastly in…fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42; cf. Matthew 22:39; Heb. 10:24). Someone once said that fellowship is like two fellas on a ship. They are spending time together going the same direction as the ship. When believers are going the same direction as the Lord Jesus Christ, they will enjoy intimate fellowship with the Lord and one another as they worship Him together and pray together. 

Discipleship: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…” (Acts 2:42; cf. Matthew 28:20). The “apostles’ doctrine” is the New Testament. Believers in Jesus need more than the commands of Christ. They need to be taught to “observe” or obey the commands of Christ (cf. Matthew 28:20; James 1:22). It is not enough to have Bible information. We must apply the Bible to our daily lives through the power of the Holy Spirit to experience the transformation of our lives into the image of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18). 

Ministry: “44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need” (Acts 2:44-45; cf. Matthew 22:39; James 1:27). The early church lovingly ministered to one another’s needs by selling their possessions to give to the needs of their local church (cf. John 13:34-35; I John 3:16-18). These believers were givers, not takers. God wants His people to be the most generous people on earth in view of His great grace toward us through Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:1-9). Why not make this one of the goals of your local church?

Evangelism/Missions: “41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them…47And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:41, 47b; cf. Matthew 28:19a; Acts 1:8). Healthy churches do not keep the gospel to themselves. They obey Christ’s command to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone” (Mark 16:15; cf. Matthew 28:19a; Acts 1:8). They equip believers to share the gospel of Christ with non-Christians. Do not wait for unbelievers to come to your church. Go where the lost people are and share the gospel with them. 

The Lord loves to add new believers to churches that are centered around the Lord Jesus Christ and His purposes for His church (Matthew 22:37-39; 28:19-20; Philippians 1:21). As we focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and fulfill His purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism /missions, His gospel of grace will spread, and His church will grow and flatten the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18; 28:18-20). 

Must I be baptized with water to go to heaven?

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

After preaching Jesus’ death and resurrection to his Jewish audience in Jerusalem (2:22-35), Peter informed them “that God has made this Jesus, whom” they “crucified, both Lord and Christ” (2:36). When these Jews felt sorrow or regret about what they did to their “Lord and Christ,” they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What shall we do?” (2:37). Peter told them to “Repent” (metanoeō) or change their mind about their wrong view of Jesus and then believe in Him for salvation from Hell (2:38a). By calling the people to repent, Peter was commanding them to trust the One whom they had crucified (cf. John 11:25-26; 20:31; I John 5:1). Acts 2:41, 44 confirm this understanding when they say the people “received his word” (2:41) and “all who believed were together” (2:44). 

Acts 3:19-4:4 also supports this usage of the verb “repent.” After Peter and John healed the lame man (3:1-10), Peter preached the death and resurrection of Christ to his Jewish audience (3:11-18) and invites his audience to “repent” or change their view of Christ and see that He is the Messiah. His Jewish audience was thinking, “If Jesus is the Messiah, then where is His Messianic Kingdom?” Peter explains that if they would “repent” and believe in Jesus as the Messiah, His Messianic Kingdom would commence (3:19-26; cf. Mark 1:15). How did these Jews respond? “Many of those who heard the word believed” (Acts 4:4). 

Several factors must be taken into consideration to properly understand Acts 2:38: 

1. Throughout the book of Acts we see that salvation is byfaith alone in Christ alone as taught by Philip (8:12, 37), Peter (10:43; 15:7-11), and Paul (13:39, 48; 14:27; 15:1-2; 16:30-31). God’s Word does not contradict itself, so Acts 2:38 must be talking about something more than salvation from hell. 

2. The distinction between regeneration and forgiveness. Regeneration is imparting the very life of God at the moment of faith in Christ to the believer (John 1:12-13; I John 5:1). Therefore, it is judicial and cannot be changed. Forgiveness, on the other hand, involves the restoration of harmony between God and believers (Luke 6:37; 11:4; I John 1:9). 

The Bible speaks of two types of forgiveness: Positional forgiveness involves the pardon of past, present and future sins at the moment of faith in Christ (Acts 10:43; Ephesians 1:7). This is a one-time event and cannot be changed. Fellowship forgiveness involves closeness to God, and it can be lost and restored repeatedly throughout a Christian’s life (Luke 6:37; 11:4; I John 1:9). For example, when you are born into your earthly family you will always be your parents’ child no matter what (regeneration), but closeness with your parents can be broken by your disobedience and restored by confession and forgiveness (fellowship). The same is true in our relationship with God. 

3. The meaning of repent. The word “repent” (metanoeō) means “to change one’s mind.” Whenever this word is used in a salvation context, it means “to change your mind about whatever is keeping you from trusting Christ and then trust Him to save you” (cf. Mark 1:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 17:30; Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). 

4. The book of Acts is dealing with a transitional time in God’s program. The birth of the Church takes place in Acts 2. For a brief period of time after the birth of the Church, people were not baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13) at the moment of faith in Christ. For example, Samaritan believers (Acts 8:12-17), disciples of John the Baptist (Acts 19:2-6), and Saul (22:1-16) received the Holy Spirit after they were baptized with water. But Cornelius and his family all received the Holy Spirit at the moment of faith in Christ (Acts 10:43-48) which is the normative experience for believers today (cf. Mark 1:8; Acts 10:43-48; 19:5; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:2, 26-27; Ephesians 1:13-14). Why the difference?

Palestinian Jews who had helped crucify Christ had to be baptized to be placed in the Church and have fellowship with God. That is, in order to enter into closeness with Christ, they had to publicly identify with Him through water baptism because they had earlier rejected Christ publicly when they participated in His crucifixion. This is why Gentiles in Acts 10, who had no part in Christ’s crucifixion, received the Holy Spirit at the moment of faith in Christ and were baptized later. 

So when we come to Acts 2:36-38, Peter says to his Jewish audience, “’36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ 37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” (2:36-37). Peter has just preached that Jesus, whom His Jewish audience had personally helped to crucify, was both Lord and Christ (2:22-26). Peter replies, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). By calling the people to repent, Peter was commanding them to trust the One whom they had crucified (cf. John 11:25-26; 20:31; I John 5:1). Acts 2:41, 44 confirm this understanding when they say the people “received his word” (2:41) and “all who believed were together” (2:44). 

The forgiveness spoken of in Acts 2:38 is fellowship forgiveness, just as we see in I John 1:9. For these Jews guilty of crucifying the Messiah, they had to be baptized and receive forgiveness for this sin of rejecting Christ in order to have fellowship with God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Without water baptism they would still have eternal life because they believed in Jesus (Acts 2:41, 44; 4:4; cf. John 3:16;  I John 5:1), but they would not escape the temporal judgment coming upon their sinful generation for crucifying the Messiah (Acts 2:40). 

Conclusion: Water baptism is not a condition for salvation or going to heaven. Only believing in Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose from the dead is necessary to go heaven (cf. John 3:15-16, 36; 4:10-14; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26; 20:31; Acts 8:12, 37; 10:43; 15:7-11; 13:39, 48; 14:27; 15:1-2; 16:30-31; Romans 4:5; I Corinthians 15:1-6; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; I Timothy 1:16; I John 5:13). However, water baptism is a condition for discipleship (Matthew 28:19) and is to be done as soon as possible after a person believes in Christ for His gift of salvation (cf. Acts 2:41; 8:6-13, 36-38; 10:43-48; 16:31-33; 18:8). When a believer is baptized with water, he is telling God and those who witness his baptism, that he desires to follow Jesus as His disciple no matter what the cost (cf. Matthew 10:16-39; 28:19-20; Luke 9:57-62; 14:25-33; John 8:31-32; 13:34-35; 15:1-8).