Acts 13:26 Men and brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and whoever among you fears God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. I. NEEDED. "What must I do to be saved?" the question of questions. 1. Men are lost, and need saving from the consequences of their wandering. 2. Men are under condemnation, and need saving from the threatenings of the broken law. 3. Men are sundered from God, the Fountain of life and blessedness, and need saving from the death that never dies. 4. Men are in bondage to sin and evil habits, and need saving from that dire captivity. And where is the saving word? Nature is dumb on the subject of salvation; conscience emphasises the existence of the evil, but is silent as to the remedy; philosophy has grappled with the problem, but has left it where it was; educational and reformatory measures have removed a few symptoms, but left the root of the disease untouched. History is the arena on which many saving experiments have been tried; let the student say which has succeeded. II. BEST. 1. From whom? (1) Not from man. The patient is unequal to effect his own cure. The declaration of the text is a disclaimer of originality to an age sick of original efforts to cure an inveterate disease — a disease, too, beyond the power of original physicians even to understand. The office of the gospel preacher is simply to tell what he has been told in the clearest way. (2) From God who knows the evil thoroughly; who pities and loves the sinner; who desires above all things his salvation, and has made abundant provision for it in Christ. 2. To whom. "You," whoever you may be. (1) Jews ineffectually striving to work out their salvation by the works of the law. (2) God-fearing Gentiles endeavouring to construct a salvation out of the elements of their morality. (3) Sinners of every degree. III. ACCEPTED. 1. Heard. Hence the need of Scripture study, and attendance on the ministry of reconciliation. Ignorance is inexcusable in a land of Bibles and churches. 2. Believed in. A sick man who has no faith in his doctor or his prescriptions will hardly be persuaded to take his prescriptions. So there must be an assent to the verity and divinity of the gospel message. 3. Embraced. knot simply with the intellect, but with the heart. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." When may the word of salvation be accepted? Now. For it is needed now; it is sent now. The need for it will not grow less by lapse of time; nor will time make it more acceptable. (J. W. Burn.) Parallel Verses KJV: Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. |
    |