God promised Moses and then Joshua that if the Israelites obeyed His commands, He would clear the way for them to enter the promised land: no force would be able to stand against them, because He would be at their side, fighting their battles (Joshua 1:3–5). Yet, when given the new land, the keeping of it was contingent upon the Israelites continuing to obey and worship the God of Israel, Yahweh (Deuteronomy 30:17–18; Joshua 23:11–16). This is the template set for those living under God’s sovereignty and working for the kingdom of God.
The Israelites of old were to take physical land, while we of the New Covenant are to convert souls across the globe to Jesus and the message of the gospel. The kingdom of God was first presented in geographical terms but now exists within all those reborn by the Holy Spirit. After becoming a member of this kingdom, we are instructed to take spiritual land for Yahweh by fighting for the liberation of souls held in bondage to the Spirit of the Antichrist. Yet, to be victorious we need God fighting on our behalf, and for this to occur we must live in accordance with His instructions and not abandon our faith in Him.
We too are promised that if we follow God’s instruction and live by faith, He will provide, but the temptation is to go our own way, forget where our blessings come from, and lose the ground that was gained through faith. For while simple in theory, faith can be the hardest thing, as fear, doubt and anxiety are fired by the enemy into our minds. This was the same for the ancient Israelites, as it is for us living under the New Covenant. For guidance and inspiration on how to be successful in our kingdom tasks and to hold the line against enemy attacks, it makes sense to turn to the first followers of Christ who sought to expand the kingdom under the New Covenant following Jesus’ ascension: the apostles in the Book of Acts.
In Acts 2, we find the apostles converting people into the kingdom of God. Peter, as soon as he started to evangelize, preached the necessity of repentance. The word repentance derives from the Greek word metanoia, meaning to both acknowledge what we have done wrong and turn away from it. Following repentance, Peter instructed believers to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, which he promised would be followed by the arrival of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life: the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
At first, this may seem different from Paul’s teaching that we are justified (saved) by faith (Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8–9). For in Peter’s account, we find a more technical process of first repentance, followed by formal baptism, and then the descent of the Holy Spirit into our being. However, the two positions are consistent, in that repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus are both an expression of faith; and this faith leads to being saved, as expressed through movement of the Holy Spirit into us. The importance of repentance for Paul is made clear in Acts 26, as when being questioned by King Agrippa about his activities he states:
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.
Moreover, we can extract the baptism of the Holy Spirit from Paul’s writings as he teaches that when we are saved from being dead in sin the Holy Spirit begins to clash against our old sin nature (Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:17).
So, do people need to repent and have a formal baptism in the name of Jesus to be reborn again in the kingdom as Peter says? Firstly, I would put it that they do not occur in a clean cut, two-step process as Peter alludes, as we can express our faith in Jesus (and his teachings) in many ways. However, if our expression is not genuine, it would not lead to justification and the arrival of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, no matter what we say. Secondly, I do not think a baptism occurs only in formal ceremonies in church buildings. There are many testimonies of believers experiencing the arrival of the Holy Spirit in other milieu. Repentance is a unique issue though, as engaging in it is such an important expression of faith in what Jesus taught and, I personally believe, it is an essential ingredient to being saved. In summary, I would state that the event of justification occurs when our expression of faith, including repentance, accumulates to a point that triggers a descent of the Holy Spirit. This position can be held if we take the sayings of Jesus and the teachings of Peter and Paul as a whole, rather than building a theology from an isolated statement.
After being saved, what type of behavior does the Book of Acts indicate we should expect to see in ourselves and other people? The first things we find is a life filled with prayer and worship, and a detachment from material acquisition (Acts 2:42–47). If we see no such changes, there is no evidence of the turning away from the things of our past that repentance is supposed to involve. The spirit of charity and sharing of material wealth with those that need it (Acts 4:32–37) are other aspects of how the apostles demonstrated that members of the kingdom of God should operate. This went as far as people giving up their land for communal use so others could be provided resources in accordance with their needs.
If we are to take seriously what the Word says, we should also believe that miraculous healing is possible. For in the version of the Great Commission in Mark 16, Jesus says:
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Acts 3 presents an early case of such healing miracles. Peter, who performed the miracles, said that it was done through faith and the name of Jesus: Acts 3:16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. Likewise, Philip shortly after being reborn in Christ, engaged in miraculous healing and the casting out of demons (Acts 8:5–8).
From the beginning of the Book of Acts we get a clear presentation of what it means to enter the kingdom of God, and the signs of its arrival. However, in the very next chapter we are presented with its major obstacle. Immediately, the ruling elite tried to shut the apostles up, for they knew that if they could ban all talk of what was happening, and get the apostles to start self-censoring, they could block the advance of God’s kingdom on earth. It is quite strange how the rulers of ancient Jerusalem were not inspired towards having faith by the miracles but immediately tried to censor all talk of Jesus and the miracles associated with his name (Acts 4:13–18).
How Peter and John responded to this is something that we should all keep in mind when people try to censor us for speaking the truth that God whispers into our ears, or pressure us to take on beliefs we know are untrue:
Acts 4
19 But 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. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
They knew from Scripture that the powers of this world would not accept the Messiah’s message and would come after those that tried to spread it. This is evident, for shortly after being confronted by the authorities they quoted Psalm 2 in prayer as a prophetic warning regarding what they were experiencing:
Acts 4
24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:
‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
We, like the apostles should expect the kings of our age to censor, pressure us to self-censor, and at times physically force us to stop spreading the raw and real gospel. They would have been fine with Peter and John if they shut up and sat quietly in the corner reminiscing about their old teacher, Jesus. But the spread of the kingdom of God, and the nature of life inside that kingdom, threatened their role and superior position over others.
This is not easy and comes with very real financial, social and physical repercussions. However, we have the Holy Spirit working for us as the Lord did for Joshua and His army. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do things we otherwise could not. This is expressed at the completion of their prayer in Acts 4, where the Holy Spirit descended mightily upon the group: 31 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. In addition to the Holy Spirit, the Book of Acts indicates that in dire times the Lord may even send angels to support us (Acts 5:19–20; Acts 8:26).
We should not expect things to be easy when taking territory from the controlling element of our world from behind enemy lines. Yet, throughout the Book of Acts we find examples of the apostles celebrating and praising God during persecution. This attitude derived from a very deep understanding that they were involved in a supernatural war greater than themselves, and that they were on the right side of it.
Acts 5
41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
We are to take from all this that much is promised to those that act for the Lord and bring people into His kingdom, including supernatural support and miracles. If we follow His commands, and work for His cause, He will open prison cells for us and give us wisdom and power. However, as with the original message given to Moses and Joshua, all of this is dependent on us worshiping the Lord, following His commands, and doing His will. For, all the miracles and wisdom came down from Heaven to promote the Lord’s plans. It is by living a faithful life that we can expect supernatural support; and it is a lack of faith that will lead to defeat and loss. For when we act to do God’s will we are like a boat sailing with a mighty wind behind us pushing us to our destination, but without such a wind we end up going around in circles of hopelessness and failure.
Prayer
In the name of Jesus, I cast out all fear, worry, and anxiety surrounding meeting my material needs and command that you never return.
Abba Father, I ask that you replace such thoughts with a spirit of bravery so I can perform the tasks you require of me.
I commit to doing what you want me to do and ask that you rebuke Satan’s efforts to confuse me regarding my gifts and purpose.
I repent the times I have hidden my light and have retreated from my central mission of winning souls over to your kingdom. I commit to acting more bravely.
I accept that living in accordance with Jesus’ teaching involves persecution. However, I know that you will provide my needs so I should not worry.
The Word states that as reborn believers we are given spiritual gifts. I ask that you reveal to me my gift and how you want me to use it for your kingdom.
I commit to living in accordance with what you reveal rather than in pursuit of earthly wealth.
I commit to treating others how I wish to be treated and advancing peace. If I ever feel pressured into treating others in a way that I don’t want to be treated I will be ready to walk away knowing you will provide for me.
May your peace and wisdom descend down upon me.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.