Acts 2:38 is NOT YOUR MAIL!

Welcome to Truth Time, where you'll get a shot of the truth with no chaser.
Now your Truth Time host, Trey Searcy.
It's so true, as said there by the group Guess Who, the church has come undone.
Well today we're discussing Acts 2:38.
Acts 2:38.
There are billboards, you've seen them, church signs, bumper stickers, people have tattoos that say, Obey Acts 2:38
Well I got news for you.
God tells you in His Word to not obey Acts 2:38.
Don't miss the progressive nature of Scripture.
Acts 2:38 is before Romans chapter 1.
Peter before Paul.
Things changed.
You have those who are always citing this verse, Acts 2:38, and they do so mainly to promote their water gospel.
Acts 2:38 has nothing to do with your salvation.
It's all about Israel getting their sins remitted, not about anyone's salvation.
They had to have their sins placed in remission, which by the way is not fully forgiven.
And is why Peter wrote in the next chapter, Acts chapter 3, you see you just can't stop at Acts 2, in chapter 3 he said their sins will not be totally blotted out until they're back in the presence of the Lord.
That's Acts 3:19.
It was good news for Israel while they were still in their risen state, however they've fallen, and water baptism for the remission of sins fell with them.
If you're a Bible student you already know that, but if you don't there are numerous verses that tell us this.
One of the clearest is in Romans chapter 11 verse 11.
There it says that through Israel's fall, salvation is come to the Gentiles.
You see everyone in Acts 2 was a law-observing Old Testament Jew.
Acts 2 is speaking to a nation, not individuals.
Religion misses this, the wide, wide world of twistianity.
Twistianity depends on tradition and things that are passed down so they can go on and parrot them, but many times miss the truth.
Acts 2 is speaking to a nation, and that's why in verse 37 it says, Now when they heard this, they were pricked to their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
No individuals there.
What shall we as a nation do?
That's their question.
This is national forgiveness, not individual forgiveness or salvation.
And Peter responds.
He tells them what to do.
Repent.
That means to change your mind about who you killed.
That was our Messiah.
You see, at that time, their earthly kingdom was still being offered to their nation.
Anyone wanting to know about individual salvation needs to go and ask Paul and Silas.
That requires you to walk a ways.
Walk on into the book of Acts.
You'll have to travel through several chapters until you arrive at chapter 16, there at verse 30.
That's where a guard—he was a guard at the jail there—he said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And Paul and Silas said, Obey Acts 2:38.
No.
They said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
That's a clear answer.
Paul, the same one who tells us God's not imputing our sins to us, so he's not going to answer the guy and say, Here's how you get your sins forgiven, like Acts 2:38, Repent and be baptized.
No.
The guy wants to know how to be saved, which, by the way, should be the question of all unsaved people today.
What must I do to be saved?
Not what must I do to get my sins forgiven.
Sins are already forgiven.
What must I do to be saved?
Come on, let's move on, let's progress.
This Bible is written in a progressive nature, and it didn't stop at Acts 2:38.
Today we have these so-called Christians, they're everywhere.
They talk about everything but the finished work of Christ.
They play right into Satan's hands.
Listen, you can mention God all you want to.
You can mention water baptism and whatever else, and millions of people will have no problem at all with you.
But you mentioned Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for humanity's sake, the fact that He died for everyone's sins, and it's like fingernails on a chalkboard, because all world religions claim to have a God.
But none of them, not even one, have a true deity that came and died for their sins.
So when you hear this ministry, when you hear Truth Time constantly preaching the gospel of Christ, this is why the religious system does not offer a way to be saved and despise those of us who do.
But I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for I know it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.
You can preach the prosperity garbage, the end-time garbage, you can preach that we're bringing in the kingdom.
You can preach the Acts 2:38 lie, that water baptism saves today.
You can preach commandment keeping for salvation, no problem.
Calvinists can preach their lordship salvation garbage, take your pick.
You can preach any of these, but none, I repeat none, not one of these, have the power to save anyone today.
Not a one.
There's a whole lot of Bible you can preach that won't save anyone today.
Someone tried to tell me not long ago, a listener says, our salvation's in 1 John.
You've got to be joking.
Where did he learn that?
His denominational church.
People talk about, go to church, go to church.
Yeah, if you find a church that preaches the gospel that saves, but most don't.
Most preach a time past gospel that was for the nation Israel.
Oh, it's in the Bible.
But there's a lot of things in the Bible that is not your instructions for today.
It's truth, but we are to rightly divide the word of truth.
That's to divide truth from truth.
It was truth for a nation, a national message for the nation Israel.
But it's not the gospel that saves today.
No, that's Paul's gospel, the one that Christ gave to him.
It's called the gospel of Christ, the gospel of the grace of God, which is faith in the bloodshed of Christ, faith that He died for your every sin, He was buried and He has risen.
That is the power of God unto salvation for us today.
John wasn't talking to you, and if you believe your Bible, you know this.
Galatians chapter 2 is clear.
John's gospel was restricted to the circumcision, the Jews.
Gentiles were not included in John's gospel.
Galatians 2:9, read it for yourself.
Listen closely.
And when James, Cephas, which is another name for Peter, and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given unto me, this is Paul speaking, they gave to me and Barnabas, to Paul and Barnabas, the right hands of fellowship.
So they all shook hands and agreed that we should go into the heathen, that's the uncircumcision, and they unto the circumcision.
That is as clear as can be.
And it's been right here, hidden in plain sight all along, but denominations turn a blind eye to this truth.
You've got to go dig this out for yourself.
And Peter's Acts 2:38, repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, can't be yours either.
We just read in the passage, he, James, and John all agreed, shook hands, that's back when a handshake meant something, and agreed with Paul and Barnabas that you guys preach the gospel of the uncircumcision, and we will restrict our gospel to the circumcision.
The circumcision for male Jews who had to be circumcised to be in.
If you refuse to go under the knife, you're out.
It wasn't debatable.
Circumcision was mandatory, not an option.
But you've got to find this on your own because Pastor Make-Me-Rich ain't going to tell you.
He's busy teaching out of the books of first traditions and second opinions.
Now in Galatians 2:7, Paul here, when he was speaking of Peter, James, and John said, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter, that's clear.
Two gospels.
Two gospels to anyone who simply believes their Bible, their King James Bible.
Do not obey Acts 2:38.
It's not your gospel.
Water today does nothing more than get you wet, but it once was a part of Israel having their sins put into remission, just as the verse says.
It was an instruction for a different time, and the next time your preacher preaches this, be sure to ask, hey, why stop there?
Why stop at verse 38?
What's wrong with verse 45?
Raise your hand and ask to read that one.
If the church signs, say, Obey Acts 2:38, why don't next Sunday they take that one down and put up Obey Acts 2:45?
What's wrong with that?
Verse 45.
Let's read it, and it won't take you long to figure out why you won't see that on the church sign.
Well, let's start here at verse 44.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common.
Verse 45.
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
They grabbed verse 38, repent and be baptized, but avoid this verse like the plague.
So disingenuous.
It reeks with hypocrisy.
And for those who might say, well, he really didn't mean they had to do that, it wasn't commanded.
Okay, why then, only a few verses later, Acts chapter 3, do we find that Peter was broke?
He was broke.
Why?
Because unlike the Acts 2 impostors of today, he actually did what the verse said.
He did what he was told.
Acts chapter 3, verse 6.
Then Peter said,
Silver and gold have I none.
Some, not much, no, none, because they sold everything they had, they obeyed.
Today's preachers who preach Acts 2 as if it's for us to follow, better be thankful the dispensation changed with Paul, because if not, they would be in serious trouble for not obeying this.
Because those who are dishonest about it were killed right on the spot, right where they stood, like Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5.
Oh, Acts 2:45 didn't really mean they had to sell everything.
And in Matthew 19, when he told that man he needed to sell everything and keep all the
commandments, Jesus didn't really mean that, Trey, I don't know what you're talking about.
Well, read Acts 5.
Almost everyone should know the story by now, but they don't stop and think when they hear it.
They just amen the preacher and keep blindly shuffling along.
If selling everything you owned were optional and not mandatory, then why were they killed?
If Acts 2:38, repent and be baptized, if verse 44, sell everything you own, was our instructions for today, then where are all the dead bodies?
All those who don't sell their possessions.
Where are they?
You see, it just don't square.
Today we're not to obey Acts 2:38 nor verse 45.
This is not our gospel, but if you believe it is, and if you're betting your salvation on it, stop being a hypocrite and obey verse 45.
Don't stop at verse 38, that's hypocritical, obey verse 45, sell everything you own, you'll still be wrong, but at least honestly wrong.
If you're gathered in a group of 50, 50 people, who identify as being Christian, you'll be hard pressed to find one in the crowd that give you a true salvation, and listen, I'm being generous, it's probably more like one out of a hundred, that will give you a true salvation testimony.
Only one, only one that will tell you they trust in Christ alone for their salvation.
Everyone wants to attach themselves to their salvation, attach a work, something they can do in their flesh, something they get credit for, self-credit, selfianity, selfism.
That's what comes from the church of twistianity.
They've attached their subtle works to the cross for so long, most don't even recognize it, and they'll stand there and swear up and down, and they'll agree with you and say, oh, I believe in salvation by grace through faith also.
No you don't.
And if you don't change, your end won't be very nice.
Heaven is not your home, heaven is not your family's home, heaven is not your great-grandma's home, if she, if you, if all y'all didn't trust in what Christ did on the cross alone for your salvation.
If you attached works, if you attached self-effort to the finished cross work of Christ and the resurrection, the gospel that saves today, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, you're not saved, and I'm sorry that more people haven't already told you this truth.
Get a group of 100, and there's going to be several who trust in their water baptism.
Oh, they know what He did on the cross, but they attached themselves and their baptism with it.
They're not saved.
Because remember, salvation is not of yourself.
That's so plain, I shouldn't have to say a word on this.
Ephesians 2:8 says it plain and clear, salvation is not of your self.
Water baptism is of your self.
And you'll find some in the crowd that are trusting in their church membership to save them, some trusting in confessing sins, or as they say, as they call it, asking for forgiveness to save them, and you'll even find some in the group that'll say you have to be baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues to be saved.
Religion is a mess.
Get out of it.
And you can just fill in the blank.
The list can grow real quick if you talk to enough people.
I know this from experience.
I've been at this for 33 years, since June of 1987, and there are all sorts of things people attach to the cross of Christ, hoping to be saved.
But they've got a sad day ahead of them.
Sad indeed.
And the fact that there are multiple, all sorts of beliefs, yet everyone is pretty much okay with it, don't bother them one bit.
It's because Satan's got them thinking, oh, that's okay, we don't all have to believe the same way about salvation, we just get together and have a good time.
We're all going to heaven anyway.
Just turn up the music, lift our hands to the light bulb, and let's all get along.
That's nothing but a social gathering to hear a social message.
They're deceived.
There's only one way to be saved today, not two, three, four, or more, but one.
God made it simple, so clear, but those trapped in emotionalism miss it.
It goes right over their head.
The gospel, the gospel that saves today, 1 Corinthians chapter 15, starting with verse 1.
Paul speaking, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, there it is, the gospel which I preached unto you.
See that?
That's what we're looking for.
The gospel, okay?
Which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.
That's what you need to do today.
Stand in Paul's gospel.
Stand firmly.
Not in the messianic gospel in the book of Matthew, before Christ even died.
That was him speaking to Jews.
Not the messianic gospel that was still being preached after the cross in Acts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
You know the one.
You're familiar with it.
You don't obey it, but you know it.
The one that says keep the law and sell everything you own.
That's what the Acts 2 Jewish church did, but you don't.
You don't do it, so stop pretending that that's where the church started.
If it is, then you're a really bad church member, one who doesn't follow instructions very well.
No, there was a Jewish church that came before Christ called Paul and told him about your gospel.
Paul said, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached by which also ye are saved.
Now that's what we're looking for.
How to be saved today.
So we can be the one out of the fifty or one out of the hundred in the group that when asked how are you saved today, we can give the right answer.
Go ahead, Paul.
Verse 3.
How that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures.
There it is.
The gospel of your salvation in a nutshell.
Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received and wherein ye stand.
Do you believe this gospel?
Have you received it through faith?
Is this where you stand?
Do you think you have to obey Acts 2:38 or do you stand in this good news for your salvation?
Stop being like the rest of the religious herd that mix in their own self-effort to salvation.
Listen, you can't go to the other side of the cross for your salvation.
You can't go to Matthew 19 and think that law keeping and selling your possessions will save you.
You just can't.
The man came to Jesus and said, what good things shall I do that I might have eternal life?
Jesus said, rest your faith in my finished cross work and the resurrection.
Just trust in my bloodshed.
Just like Truth Time Radio told you.
No, that's not what Jesus said.
It hadn't happened yet.
He hadn't died for anyone.
So why does the denominational churches have you over there in Matthew trying to find your gospel?
You're not going to find your salvation there.
Many preachers take Paul's writings and read them back into the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
But they don't belong.
They don't fit.
They do not respect what is called progressive revelation.
After Jesus died, he came back to Paul and added some knowledge about what needs to be believed today for salvation.
He didn't come back in Acts 2.
That's why Peter's gospel was to repent and be baptized for the remission, not full forgiveness, but remission of sins.
And Peter in just seven verses later, verse 45, said, sell everything you got.
Sell everything you own.
Something no one even considers doing today.
That's what they had to do.
It wasn't optional.
And it's why Peter said, silver and gold have I none.
He was broke because he obeyed Acts 2 and you don't.
Most today, just walk through the cherry garden and pick out the cherries they like.
They pick out the verses that they feel comfortable with.
They say, okay, I'll get wet, but hey, I don't like being poor.
That's a cherry picker, not a right divider.
The day of Pentecost in Acts 2 was not the beginning of the church, which is Christ's body.
It was a day of Old Testament prophecy concerning Israel being fulfilled.
To get a good grip on what Peter means, simply read the book of Joel.
More specifically, chapter 2.
Joel there mentions wonders in heaven and in earth, blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sun goes dark and the moon turns to blood.
And verse 32 concludes, the book of Joel there, chapter 2, it shall come to pass, this is what it says, it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
delivered.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
A verse of scripture that has nothing whatsoever to do with you, this is a Jewish church, not your church.
It's Jewish, and it's why it says Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance.
The remnant being spoken of is the remnant of believers in Israel.
This was the context of the book of Acts prior to the apostle Paul.
You'll find the phrase ye men of Israel several times, Acts 2:22, 3:12, 5:35, that's who's
being addressed.
Acts 2:14, ye men of Judea and all that dwell at Jerusalem.
Verse 36, let all the house of Israel know.
Pay attention to the context.
This is before their fall and not good news for you.
At that time, salvation was still of the Jews, John 4:22.
And to further the truth, look at Acts 11:19, Acts 11:19.
Read that and you'll find these words.
Now they which were scattered abroad upon persecution that arose about Stephen, travailed as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to, listen, none but unto the Jews only.
This is Acts 11, nine chapters past obey Acts 2:38.
And they're still preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
What is it about this you don't get?
Where's the church the body of Christ?
Not yet mentioned because they're not here.
Not yet.
You know, according to good old St. Pete, the good news was that Christ had been raised from the dead to sit on David's vacant throne.
And there he would rule and reign over them in their earthly kingdom.
That's their good news.
This was not about a heavenly anything.
That's why Peter in Acts one asked the Lord, will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
It's earthly, not heavenly.
Peter's good news was about Christ, their king coming back, and all that endured into the end, endured through the tribulation until his return would be saved.
Peter has not one mention of the shed blood of Christ and its atoning power anywhere in the book of Acts.
You see, this is Paul's gospel.
Remember, we read it earlier.
He said, for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received.
That's why he says my gospel three times.
This is Paul's gospel.
He delivered it to the Corinthians first, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, he was buried, and he rose again.
Peter never said that faith alone for salvation was found in the finished cross work of Christ and his resurrection and that shed blood.
Their sins are not even blotted out until Jesus returns to set that earthly kingdom up.
And even when Peter reluctantly went to one Gentile, Cornelius, in Acts 10, he opened his mouth and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.
That is as opposite as can be to the message Paul preached.
Peter, unlike Paul, preached works as being a part of Gentile salvation.
He that worketh righteousness is accepted with him.
Was Peter in error for saying that?
No.
He preached what he was supposed to preach at that time.
Israel hadn't fallen.
And it was Paul who the Lord later told of the why of the cross.
It was Paul, not Peter, who received the Romans 16:25 revelation of the mystery.
And here's something noteworthy.
Peter's ministry that began in Acts chapter 1 ended just 11 chapters later, there in chapter 12.
Yeah.
And he appeared only one other time in the book, in chapter 15, never to be heard again in the entire book.
It's all about Paul and his ministry for the rest of the book of Acts, a book with 28 chapters and Peter's gone by Acts 15, from chapters 15 through 28.
Although to hear religion tell it, you'd think the book of Acts was dominated by the apostle Peter.
Not so.
That award goes to Paul.
Paul's apostleship to us Gentiles dominates the entire New Testament Scriptures.
You have to take the writings of several apostles and put them all together to match that of Paul.
And Satan, through the help of religion, has twisted this all up and elevated the books of Peter, James, and John over the apostle Paul's writings.
That's why you see church signs, billboards, bumper stickers obey Acts 2:38.
Peter only wrote two tiny books in the back of your Bible with only 8 chapters and about 160 or 165 verses.
John only wrote John, 1,2, and 3 John in the book of Revelation.
Five books.
A far cry from having over half of the book of Acts written about your ministry and then 13 epistles to your credit.
Acts 2 is not about worldwide Christianity, as many teach.
It's about a Jewish holy day that happened annually, 50 days after Passover, an event that male Jews were required to attend.
You're not a Jew, nor have you been to one of these feast days.
And if you did, why would you?
It's not for Christians.
They were Jews.
You'll read in Acts 2 where it says, And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under God, men who were lawkeepers and were circumcised because the law demanded it.
Do you do that?
Deuteronomy 16:16, Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
The feast of weeks is the feast of Pentecost, and there wasn't a Gentile in sight, only law-keeping, circumcised Jews.
Remember, you only get two educations, the one you're given, and the one you give yourself.