That The Gentiles By My Mouth Should Hear The Word Of The Gospel And Believe, And God Which Knows The Hearts Bare Them Witness, Giving Them The Holy Ghost - Part 1875

Throughout the scriptures, the Lord God reveals Himself to His people, His message, His teachings, His wisdom and knowledge that brings understanding, when our hearts fear Him. And in this current dispensation of grace, His Name is JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; I Timothy 3:16)

The Word that was with God and was God dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. (John 1:1-18) Why? Because God manifest in the flesh, taking upon Himself our transgressions, shed His holy precious blood on a cross so that we -- His beloved creation -- could come to know Him as our Lord God and Saviour. Yes, this same Jesus whom ye/we have crucified is both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)

"But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, He saith, "Behold, the days come," saith the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in My covenant, and regarded them not," saith the Lord.

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days," saith the Lord, "I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people, and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord:fr all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8:6-12)

"And for this cause, He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15)

"And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (Hebrews 12:24)

"And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (I John 2:2)

Indeed, the good news gospel message of Jesus Christ is not hidden from those who seek Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. In fact, when our hearts turn in totality to Him -- the Lord Jesus Christ (which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures), which was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh; and declared the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations for His Name, among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ ..." our salvation in Him is confirmed. (Romans 11:25-36)

This is why there is more than just a blank page between the old covenant and the new testament. If this is the first time you are hearing this teaching, I would suggest reading Hebrews 9 and 10 wherein there is some explanation about the law being a shadow of the good things to come, and that, for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament. The latter -- where a testament requires by necessity the death of a testator for it to be in force, is intended for us in this current dispensation of grace. 

As well, it is important to understand that the Law and ten commandments were given to Moses for the Israelites who were God's chosen in the old testament. We see this distinction in the new testament when there is (at times) heated discussion among the apostles concerning the circumcised and the uncircumcised, and how the Lord has now (in this current dispensation of grace) written His laws within our hearts. The Mosaic Law (as Paul, an apostle to the Gentiles teaches) a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, wherein our hearts and minds are transformed and renewed in our Lord God and Saviour, and His wisdom and knowledge that can only be found in the Word. The Word -- JESUS!

We see this when Jesus conversed with the scribe. Jesus confirmed the first commandment in the old --  that is, believers are to love the Lord thy God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. And the second, that from His love flowing through us we are to love one another. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-31) 

Further, there are specific instructions for Gentiles but we will touch on that later. Right now, look at Acts 15, wherein certain men came down from Judaea to teach the brethren. These said, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go to Jerusalem (unto the apostles and elders) about this question. (Acts 15:1-4)

And being brought on their way by the church they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, causing great joy unto all the brethren. When they got to Jerusalem, these declared all the things which God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, "That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses." This led to the apostles and elders coming together to consider the matter.

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said, "Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made a choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the Word of the gospel and believe, and God which knows the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us -- and put no difference between us and and them, purifying their hearts by faith ..." (Acts 15:7-9)

But Peter did not stop there. He continues, saying, "Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul who declared what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles, by them. 

When the two were finished, Jame spoke and said, "Men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His Name, and to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, "After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up; that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My Name is called," saith the Lord, "who doeth all things."

Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world, wherefore, my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from the Gentiles are turned to God; but that we write unto them -- that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day."  (Acts 15:13-21; Amos 9:11-12; Acts 15:28; Acts 21:25; I Thessalonians 1:9; I Corinthians 8:1; I Corinthians 10:20, 28; Leviticus 3:17; Acts 13:15, 27)

Indeed, the message was so confirmed that the apostles and elders and the whole church (pleased with the decision) wrote letters by them after this manner. Judas and Silas were also sent to tell the same things by mouth -- "for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things -- that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well." (Acts 15:22-29) Those that heard the epistle rejoiced for the consolation.

As we also see later, apostle Paul preaches the same message so there is no contradiction in the scriptures, for God is not the author of confusion.

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one." (Galatians 3:19-20)

The Seed is Jesus -- God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16) In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9) And He shall save His people from their sins -- His Name is JESUS! (Matthew 1:18-21)

Stand in the offering plate.