Acts 13:44 And the next Sabbath Day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God.

 

Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel of Christ in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia. Present that day were Jews, proselyte Jews, and Gentiles. For the first time in History, they were hearing the message that God loved ALL people! He had sent His Son to be the Sacrifice for the sins of everyone no matter their nationality. This was the best news they had ever heard.

 

The people got so excited they followed Paul and Barnabas all over town. Paul encouraged them to make their new-found belief in Christ a lifestyle. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the Grace of God. (Acts 13:43) The Law of Moses, as well as all six hundred other laws that had ruled their lives for centuries, had been fulfilled by the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross.

 

They no longer had to DO anything except maintain their faith in Christ and Him Crucified. I’m sure Paul reminded them of Jesus’ Words when He said, Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17) For centuries, the Law was all they knew. It ruled every aspect of their lives and everything they did.

 

God had spoken through the Prophets of Old and they believed their Words. Isaiah spoke of the Messiah to come and they believed it but could it be that this Man, Jesus, was indeed Him? When Paul laid it all out for them and showed them how the Birth, Life, Crucifixion, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ (not to mention all the Miracles, Signs, and Wonders) were the fulfillment of the Prophecy, they believed him and were Saved! No more Laws. No more daily sacrifices. No more dietary laws. No more Sabbath Day laws. No more lifestyle laws. They were free from it all! Hallelujah!

 

The people were so excited they couldn’t hear enough about Jesus! And the next Sabbath Day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God. (Acts 13:44) The Messiah had indeed come and they were now living in a new dispensation of time. The Dispensation of Grace.

 

The definition of Grace is the Goodness of God upon undeserving people. It has been almost 2,000 years and we are still living in the Dispensation of Grace. All the laws of the past have been fulfilled by the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross. Jesus took all 613 laws and combined them into two. He said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the First and Great Commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these Two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:37-18)

 

These are the Two Commandments Jesus gave us to live by during this Dispensation of Grace. Then He said, If you love Me, keep My Commandments. (John 14:15)

 

The Words of Jesus will…...….turn the tide……..in your life.

 

Amen.         Doreen

 

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