“We proclaim to you the good news. What God promised to our ancestors, he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it was written in the second psalm, You are my son; today I have become your father. “God raised Jesus from the dead, never again to be subjected to death’s decay. Therefore, God said, I will give to you the holy and firm promises I made to David. In another place it is said, You will not let your holy one experience death’s decay. David served God’s purpose in his own generation, then he died and was buried with his ancestors. He experienced death’s decay, but the one whom God has raised up didn’t experience death’s decay. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, know this: Through Jesus we proclaim forgiveness of sins to you. From all those sins from which you couldn’t be put in right relationship with God through Moses’ Law, through Jesus everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God. Take care that the prophets’ words don’t apply to you: Look, you scoffers, marvel and die. I’m going to do work in your day — a work you won’t believe even if someone told you.” (Acts 13:32-41, CEB)
Through Jesus, everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God.
Who believes. Do you always believe? Did the thief on the cross believe in Jesus?
We could probably go back and forth on if the thief believed, and to what extent he believed in Jesus. He believed Jesus was innocent. And that brings up a good point to what extent do we have to believe in Jesus?
And isn’t belief in Jesus a work we do? And would we believe if someone told us?
Is it about belief or is it about grace and God doing something miraculous? The reading says everyone who believes in Jesus, but before that it says Through Jesus we proclaim forgiveness of sins to you. Nothing about belief.
If it depends on me, I will always fail, but it doesn’t. It depends on God and in God we can have faith.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 