Subject No other name (Acts 04:8-12)
When a person is born into the world, no matter who he is, he gives him a name. I'm thinking about making that name a better name.
But now, people don't just name two things. His names are ‘Jesus’ and ‘Judas’. In fact, these two names were very common at the time. But now no one names their children by this name.
One is because it is a very holy name, and the other is because it is a name abandoned by God.
Also, people value their names. I don't use the adult's name in vain, and I try to beautify it without defiling it. Not only that, as the saying goes, 'A tiger dies and leaves its skin behind, and a man dies and leaves a name.'
Interestingly, celebrities usually use pseudonyms. It means that no matter how popular they are, they are insignificant and vain.
We cherish the names of great and famous people, and we keep them.
-Even if we know the names of countless people, we must know the name of one person, and that name is the name of Jesus.
Verse 12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
It is said that there are four great saints in the world when learning at school. ‘Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus’
But we do know for sure that everyone may be famous and wonderful people, but the only name that can save us is Jesus.
Because only Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Ex) Socrates' last words-
The Buddha said that each person should strive to become a Buddha, but he did not suffer for the sake of life for the sake of sin.
Confucius said that we do not know tomorrow.
But Jesus said. “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to God except through me.”
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me-”
This is why you must believe only in Jesus.
Believing in Buddhism and having another religion is not a bad thing. However, it is important to know that other religions are vain to believe in other religions because there is no salvation through others, and you can never receive salvation through other religions.
That is why Psalm 16:4 says, “He who offers gifts to other gods will suffer more.”
Life is an existence of 'desperation'. In order to change the life of despair into a life of hope and happiness, life develops civilization and seeks material abundance.
However, no matter how much civilization develops, life cannot escape the shadow of despair. No matter how abundant the material wealth, the despair of life never turns into hope.
Yes, Bernard Shaw said this.
“I have two despairs. One is the despair that things don't work out the way we want them to, and the second is the despair that comes after things become what we want.”
In the end, life is hopeless even if it happens, and despair if it doesn't.
The reason life despairs is because of the problem of 'sin'.
The sins committed in life make us despair and take away the beauty of our lives. And that sin causes endless problems in our lives.
If this problem of sin is not resolved, life will never be free from the problem of despair and suffering.
For example) People usually commit a number of actions when they commit a crime.
1. Rationalize.
‘Someone else does’, ‘With these things’
2. Make self-justification.
‘I couldn’t help it’ ‘Someone else would have done it’
3. You hide yourself by attacking others.
'It was because of who'
4. I try to overcome my guilt because I build achievements.
Ex) A father who donated his fortune to ‘Boy Scouts’.
5. Escape.
Drinking and indulging in pleasure, I try to forget by force. Some even flee by suicide.
But all of this is by no means a solution to sin. Rather it ruins my life.
- The only way to solve this problem of sin is through Jesus Christ.
When Jesus was born on this earth, an angel appeared to Joseph and said,
“You will give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Even John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.”
No one in this world has truly solved the problem of our sins. Only Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins.
Therefore, if anyone believes in Jesus on the cross, all their sins are forgiven and they are set free from the heinous sins.
‘There is no other name.’ No name can ever save us from iniquity and bless our lives.
That is why we must believe in Jesus and live a new life of blessing in Jesus Christ.
-Moreover, Jesus not only solves our sins, but also helps and solves various difficult problems we encounter in life.
Ex) The story of the main character of today's case was healed “in the name of Jesus Christ” and we were able to live a new, blessed life.
Ex) W. COWPER ‘The blood of a fountain is the blood of Immanuel.’
He once fell into deep despair, giving up his life and trying to commit suicide.