In 13:38 and 39 Paul goes on to say, “Therefore let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through this One forgiveness of sins is announced to you, and from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses, in this One everyone who believes is justified.” To be forgiven of sins (v. 38) is negative, for our release from condemnation. To be justified (v. 39) is positive, for our reconciliation to God and acceptance by Him.
In both 38 and 39 Paul speaks of “this One.” Who is this One? This is the One who has been resurrected to be God’s firstborn Son, our Savior, and the many holy and trustworthy things. Therefore, through the One who is the holy and trustworthy things as God’s mercies to us we are forgiven and justified. Have you ever heard such a gospel? Through the One who is the firstborn Son, the Savior, and the holy and trustworthy things, forgiveness of sins has been announced to us. And through this One we are justified from all the things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses.
The One by whom we are forgiven and justified is not only our Savior; He Himself is our forgiveness and justification. Both forgiveness and justification are mercies from God to us, and these mercies are aspects of the resurrected Christ. Today Christ in His resurrection is our forgiveness and our justification. Never consider forgiveness and justification as something apart from Christ. Both forgiveness and justification are aspects of Christ Himself as mercies from God to us, and these mercies are holy and faithful things.
Do you not regard forgiveness and justification as gifts that God has given to us? Do you not believe that this forgiveness and justification are holy and trustworthy things? To be sure, forgiveness and justification are gifts of God, and they certainly are holy and trustworthy things. If we have this understanding, we shall see that forgiveness and justification are not common. Rather, they are holy. Furthermore, they are faithful, sure, trustworthy.
I very much appreciate Paul’s preaching of Christ in Acts 13. Through his preaching many were saved.
In 13:40 and 41 Paul spoke a word of warning: “Therefore beware, that what is spoken in the Prophets may not come upon you: Look, you despisers, and marvel, and vanish away; for I am doing a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though someone tells it to you in detail.” Then as the people were going out of the synagogue, “they entreated that these words be spoken to them on the next Sabbath” (v. 42). Verse 43 says, “When the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the proselytes who were worshipping followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.” As in 2:10, the proselytes were Gentiles who were converted to Judaism (6:5). The grace of God, in which the Jews and proselytes who followed Paul and Barnabas were exhorted to continue, is the Triune God received and enjoyed by the believers and expressed in their salvation, change in life, and holy living.
We need to pay particular attention to the word “grace” in 13:43. We even need to analyze this grace. Although we may be familiar with this word, we need to realize that the grace in 13:43 is a compound formed of a number of elements. This grace is compounded of all the holy and faithful things.
If we would understand this, we need to see that verse 43 is part of the continuation from verse 34. In verse 34 we have the resurrected Christ as the holy and faithful things. According to both the promise and prophecy of the Old Testament, these holy and faithful things are mercies. We have pointed out that these mercies are different aspects of what Christ is. In verse 43 the expression is changed from “the holy and faithful things” to “grace.” God has given us the resurrected Christ as the holy and faithful things, and we have believed in Him and have received all these holy and faithful things. But what do we experience in our daily life? We experience the compound, all-inclusive grace, which is the processed Triune God, the very God who went through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. This is the reason Paul persuaded the believers to continue in the grace of God.
To continue in the grace implies that we have already received this grace. Having received the grace of God, we now need to continue in it. Actually, the believers received the holy and faithful things spoken of in verse 34. Then these holy and faithful things become the grace of God in verse 43. Hence, the grace of God is compounded of all the holy and faithful things.