I wish to share a Powerful observation found in Acts VIII: “Philip preached unto him JESUS!”
In Acts VIII, The Spirit led Philip to a desert outside of Jerusalem for the sole purpose of reaching a hungry soul! He approaches a Eunuch who was trying to decipher a passage out of the book of Isaiah but didn’t understand it. I believe Philip expounded on the messianic prophecy he was trying to read and scripture say’s, He preached unto him JESUS!
Here’s the powerful observation I wish to convey. The message of Jesus to this lost and dying world is not simply praying a sinners prayer. Then the Holy Spirit instantly comes upon that person. Nowhere in scripture do we find this erroneous doctrine.
V.35 tells us, Preaching JESUS involves BAPTISM, because after he preached to him, as they were traveling down the dusty road, the Eunuch said, here’s some water, what hinders me to get baptized? Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, (what I just preached….) The Eunuch said, I BELIEVE!!!!
‘This misconception that all we have to do is believe in our heart is a false doctrine that hinders us from receiving all God has for us. WE MUST FIRST BELIEVE…That’s called FAITH! The just shall live by faith, -Paul! Without faith it is impossible to please Him, -Paul! Faith without works is dead, -James!
This is exactly why JESUS told His disciples in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned!” This is exactly what Philip Preached: EUNUCH, You must first believe, then you must obey the message of the Gospel given by JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF!
This commission was given to His disciples prior to Jesus’ ascension, and it was first preached on the day of PENTECOST by the Apostle Peter! Philip preached that same message in Acts VIII to the Eunuch, preaching JESUS means preaching THE ACTS 2:38 message which was the first sermon in the New Testament Church. Which led to the first altar call where 3,000 souls responded to the Word of God!
You can accept this precious truth or reject it. The choice is yours, but you cannot deny what the Word of God says! Scripture says out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, let my word be established. The Old Testament prophesied about it. The Gospels proclaimed it. The Book of Acts experienced it, and the Apostles wrote to confirm it!
It is the Doctrine of Essentiality: There is no other way into the sheepfold, you must BE BORN AGAIN OF THE WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT TO ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
Believe on the Lord Jesus. Repent of your sins today. Get baptized in the only saving name JESUS CHRIST for the remission of your sins. God will fill you with His Spirit with the evidence of speaking in a heavenly language! What doth hinder you today? Today is the day of Salvation!
God Bless, JDS