Acts 11:18
When they heard these things, they became silent and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose again, the age in which all Gentiles can receive salvation was fully opened. This was not something that happened suddenly. It was the fulfillment of the great plan established by the Creator God.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God implicitly revealed His will to save all mankind.

This means that God declared He would be born into the world as the offspring of a woman, bear the sins of all humanity, and die on the cross. God who came into the world in human flesh is Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 11:10
“In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”

In the Old Testament era, through the prophet Isaiah, God declared that Jesus would be born as a descendant of David. All Gentiles would place their hope in Jesus and receive salvation.

Acts 11:21–23
And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

At the appointed time determined by God, Jesus was born into the world, preached the gospel, died on the cross, and rose again. Thus the sins of all mankind were redeemed. From that time on, whoever among any nation believes in Jesus and repents receives forgiveness of all sins.

However, being redeemed from sin once does not automatically make one a citizen of heaven. One must cling to the Lord with a steadfast heart to the end.

This means keeping strong faith until departing from this world. Only by believing until the end that Jesus alone is the Savior, striving to obey His word, and repenting whenever one sins, can one enter heaven.

John 15:5–6
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

A branch must remain attached to the vine until the end to bear fruit. If it falls from the vine, it cannot bear fruit and withers. People gather it and burn it in the fire.

This means that if one believes in Jesus but then leaves Him, he will be burned in the fire of hell.

Even if one attends church, if he abandons a life of repentance and obedience, he has fallen away from Jesus.

Romans 11:20–21
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

The nation of Israel was rejected by God because they abandoned a life of repentance and obedience. In the same way, even Gentiles who have accepted Jesus will be rejected by Him and go to hell if they abandon a life of repentance and obedience.

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Acts 12:21–24
And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.” And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. But the word of God grew and multiplied.

Herod, who persecuted and killed Christians, put on royal robes and delivered a speech before the people. When the people heard his speech, they shouted that it was the voice of a god.

One who opposes God cannot speak the word of God; he spoke under the inspiration of Satan. Yet the ignorant people did not discern this and extremely praised the wicked Herod, regarding his words as if they were the word of God. All glory must be given only to God. To give glory to an evil human being is to give glory to Satan.

Seeing Herod’s excessive pride and wickedness, the Lord judged him. Suddenly worms entered into him and consumed him.

Who can harm a king who kills people?

But God simply kills him.

When people of the world become extremely proud, God brings them to early destruction.

If a pastor becomes proud and preaches human doctrines instead of the word of Scripture, the Lord judges him.

World leaders and church leaders occupy very important positions before the people.

When a leader guides rightly, the people live; when he guides wrongly, they die.

Therefore, when church leaders abandon the Bible and teach human doctrines, God raises up wicked rulers to destroy those church leaders.

This is clearly proven in the history of Israel.

When Israel’s kings and prophets were consumed by worldly greed and the people fell into corruption, God raised up neighboring nations to strike them.

Today many churches and believers have fallen into corruption, not believing the word of Scripture but believing human doctrines. Therefore God raises up wicked rulers in many nations to judge them.

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Acts 13:6–10
And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, “O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”

When Paul preached, the Jewish false prophet Elymas hindered him. He was a sorcerer, meaning a male shaman. Through all kinds of false gifts and prophecies, he obstructed the gospel.

The apostle Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, commanded him in the name of Jesus to stop his false gifts and evil deeds.

Immediately he became blind and groped about seeking someone to lead him.

Today Satan deceives many believers in the church through false gifts, signs, and prophecies. Believers who do not understand the word of Scripture are deceived by such false gifts and prophecies.

False prophets do not teach repentance and obedience, but teach human doctrines through false gifts and prophecies. Deceived believers end up serving not God, but that pastor.

Such pastors do not save souls but fulfill human desires.

False prophets still call on the name of Jesus, but their purpose is to make money and gain their own honor.

A church is not right simply because it is large, has many members, or has a famous pastor.

A church that teaches the words of Jesus exactly as they are, repents of sin, and strives to obey walks with the Lord.

It is written in Scripture that as the last days approach, many false prophets will arise and deceive Christians with false miracles, signs, and prophecies.

The Lord does not look at outward appearance but at the center of the human heart.

Those who abandon false human doctrines and accomplish repentance and obedience through the words of Jesus are saved.

We must always keep our hearts pure so that the Holy Spirit may always dwell within us.

Today in the church there are many who follow false doctrines and false prophecies and live for their own desires.

Such pastors and believers reject the word of Scripture and walk the path of destruction.

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Acts 13:26–30
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead.

The Old Testament is the book that declares that Jesus would come into the world. It declares that the Creator God would take on human flesh, be born into the world bearing the name of the Son. It also declares that the Son’s name would be “Jesus” or “Immanuel.”

The Jews gathered every Sabbath in the synagogue and read these Scriptures. Yet they did not understand or believe them.

When the appointed time came, as promised, Jesus was born into the world as a baby.

He went through the same process of growth as other humans, and when He became an adult, He preached the gospel of the kingdom.

Because the Jews did not believe the Scriptures, they rejected and killed Jesus.

The Old Testament had already foretold that when Jesus came into the world, very few would receive Him as Savior and obey His word.

Then as now, there were many formal religionists.

Very few truly believe the Scriptures, repent, and obey.

Therefore, although there are many Christians, the number who enter heaven is very small.

Repenting of sin and obeying the Lord’s word is the narrow way.

Living according to fleshly desires without repentance is the broad way.

Human doctrine teaches that as long as one attends church, he will go to heaven even without repentance.

Believing human doctrine is easier than obeying the words of Jesus.

Therefore many believers abandon the Scriptures and follow human doctrines.

The condition of Israel then and the condition of believers today are similar.

There are always many who religiously claim to believe in God, but among them the number who enter heaven is very small.

Those Israelites who had formalistic faith cried out to crucify Jesus.

Today Christians with formalistic faith cast away the words of Jesus and cry out to believe human doctrines instead.

Luke 13:24
“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

These words are a warning spoken by Jesus to Christians.

Many attend church seeking to enter heaven, but most go to hell.

This is because most Christians believe human doctrines and abandon the words of Jesus. Those who abandon a life of repentance and obedience ultimately belong to Satan.

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Acts 13:36–39
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

David was king and prophet of Israel. Through him, God declared that Jesus Christ would come into the world and, after dying for the sins of humanity, would rise without seeing corruption.

Through the law of Moses, the sins of humanity could not be fundamentally removed. Only through the blood of Jesus are people’s sins forgiven.

In the Old Testament era, since the blood of Jesus had not yet come, the blood of animals temporarily represented the coming blood of Jesus and covered their sins.

Ultimately, even the people of the Old Testament received forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:4
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Hebrews 9:12
“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Acts 13:40–41
Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; “Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”

As promised in the Old Testament, God came into the world as Jesus, died on the cross, and rose again. Yet many do not believe this. They are various heretics and those in the church who do not rely on the blood of Jesus, do not repent of sin, and believe human doctrines.

Hebrews 10:28–29
He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Who are those who trample the blood of Jesus, regard it as unclean, and insult the Spirit of grace?

They are false pastors and believers who claim to believe in God yet disobey the Lord’s word and do not repent of sin.

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Acts 13:46–49
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.’” And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

Paul and Barnabas first preached the gospel to the Jews. All Jews are God’s people. Yet God’s people did not accept Jesus as Savior.

The entire Old Testament speaks about Jesus Christ.

The Jews habitually read the Scriptures every day, yet they did not believe the word of Scripture. That is, they lived a life of faith marked by disobedience and without repentance.

The Jews in Israel hated Jesus and crucified Him, and the Jews living in foreign lands rejected the gospel of life preached by Paul.

Among God’s people, there are not many who truly believe and obey God. This phenomenon is the same today. Many attend church, but those who truly repent and obey the Lord’s will are extremely rare.

Following the world is the broad way; following the Lord’s word is the narrow way.

God desires to save all people, but when His people walk the broad way, reject Jesus, and do not repent, they cannot be saved.

Paul first preached the gospel to the Jews to save them, but they rejected him and did not want to receive the gospel. Therefore the gospel passed on to the Gentiles.

Today many who have believed in Jesus for a long time fall into human doctrines, live in disobedience, and do not repent of sin. From Christians who follow the desires of the flesh, the Holy Spirit departs, and He comes upon the hearts of new believers who repent and obey.

Do not boast of having attended church for a long time, but strive daily to obey and live a life of repentance, so that the Holy Spirit may remain with us and we may enter heaven on the last day.

Romans 11:20–21
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Israel, the natural branches, were broken off, and in their place the Gentiles were grafted in.

This means that Israel, who had believed in God for a long time, was rejected because they disobeyed the Lord’s word and did not repent, and God made Gentiles who believe in Jesus and repent into His children.

But if the Gentiles who have come into God’s embrace disobey and do not repent like Israel, God will likewise reject them.

God is just to every nation and to every person.