(Through the Bible) Acts 3-4 — Chuck Smith

Peter and John at the Hour of Prayer

So we turn to Acts, the third chapter. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. The day started at six o 'clock in the morning, sun up, and so the ninth hour would be three o 'clock in the afternoon.

At two-thirty in the afternoon, the evening sacrifices were offered. They did not go to the temple for the sacrifices. Following the sacrifices, as the smoke of the sacrifice was ascending into heaven, it would be the hour of prayer and the people would stand and praise the Lord or pray unto God as the smoke of the sacrifices ascended heavenward.

And I think it's significant that they didn't go for the sacrifice. They knew that that was no longer valid. But they waited for the hour of prayer and went into the temple at the hour of prayer. In the early church in Jerusalem, Christianity was not considered separate from the Jews except for the belief that Jesus was the Messiah.

There is a common misconception among Jews today that to become a Christian, you have to become a non-Jew. But that was not so in the early church. They remained very Jewish, going to the temple, worshiping in the temple, observing still the feast.

However, the feast now to them had an entirely new meaning. But they did not seek to make a radical break from Judaism, but only seek to proclaim that Jesus Christ is indeed the Messiah that God had promised.

With Peter and John, you have contrasting personalities. Peter the doer and John the dreamer. Peter always translated everything into activity. Remember the last question he asked Jesus concerning John is what shall this man do?

Peter always thought about doing things. But John wasn't a doer, he was a dreamer. And so the Lord said to Peter, look, if I will that he remains till I come again, what's that to you? I can imagine that Peter was often sort of irritated with John because John was the dreamer.

And it could very well be that John in turn was irritated with all of Peter's activity because the dreamer likes more quiet and a serene atmosphere around him. Contrasting personalities and yet made one in Christ.

And that's always the way it goes. You know, Christ is the common meeting ground for all men. And though we may have contrasting personalities, still there is that beautiful unity in Christ. And so we see them going up to the temple at the hour of prayer being the ninth hour.

Again, Mark. First characteristic of these men are that they are men of prayer. It is so important that we be men and women of prayer. Now, there was a certain lame man from his mother's womb who was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple.

The Healing at the Beautiful Gate

The beautiful gate of the temple is often thought to be the eastern gate of the temple. And here is quite a contrast. This man. Lane from birth. An ugly sight lying at the beautiful gate of the temple baking.

And when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked alms. And Peter fastening his eyes upon him with John said, look at us. And so he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

No doubt holding out his hand, which is, of course, the typical gesture of the baker. And Peter said, silver and gold. Have I none? And I imagine that the fellow. At that point was disappointed and probably even wondering of them.

Why are you trying to get my attention? But Peter continued such as I have. I will give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up.

And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. This. Greek here in the description of his feet, ankle bones and the word leaping up are medical terms.

They are used only here. By Luke, who was a physician. And he is actually describing a condition of an ankle that was twisted completely out of joint. Lame, probably with the ankle twisted completely and flat ways.

Because the word indicates coming into its socket and being straight. The medical term itself is being brought back into its socket and straighten. So here is this man lying there with this crippled condition, unable to walk from birth because of this.

Problem with the undeveloped ankle bone and all. And yet. Peter. With that faith that the Lord planted in his heart, took hold of the man. Lifted him to his feet and immediately the ankle. The bone came into joint.

And the man began to. Leap and praise God. And he walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. I can imagine. The stir and the excitement that this must have created.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God. And they knew. That it was the man who sat at four arms at the beautiful gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and amazement. At what had happened to him.

And as the lame man, which was healed, held Peter and John. All of the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's. Greatly wondering. So here's a very notable miracle that attracted immediately the attention of all the people.

Because this man, no doubt, had been there for years. And was a common sight to those who went into worship. And they saw this deformed condition of his feet. And now the feet are straight. Now the man is walking and leaping and praising the Lord.

And he's hugging Peter and John. So that the people relate the miracle to Peter and John. They realize that somehow, someway, Peter and John are responsible for this man's ability to walk. And so a great crowd of people.

At least five thousand men. Gathered there on Solomon's porch. Greatly wondering at what had happened. And when Peter saw it. He answered the people. Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? They marveled at it because they had lost the sense of the greatness of the God that they served.

If they really believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then that God should do such a thing. You should not marvel them or cause them to wonder. Because they would know that he is a God of miracles by reading the Old Testament.

And so the question is. But why marvel ye at this? Now other people may marvel at the Gentiles may marvel at it. But you're the sons of Israel. You're the sons of the most high God. Why should you marvel at this?

Second question. And why do you look so earnestly on us? As though by our own power or holiness. We have made this man to walk. Now. People so often relate the work of God with the instrument through which God works.

And this is wrong. Why look ye on us as though we through our own power or holiness have done this thing? Unfortunately, there are many evangelists, healing evangelists that try to give off the feeling that it is as a result of their righteousness or their holiness.

That marvelous works are wrought. I get so tired. Of. These evangelists that come along with these. Big spectacular. Miracle campaigns. And having the sheep come up and say. Oh, what do you think about?

Reverend so and so or brother so and so you know. Oh, I hear he's got a meeting over here and people are. You know being healed in the blind or seeing and. All kinds of things are going on and. I remember a while back I.

Was told about one of these evangelists. And it so happened that he was on TV so I had had so many people question me about him. I thought I would listen and I listened as long as I could about five minutes.

And I heard all I needed to know. In five minutes. For this particular evangelist who is now serving time in a federal penitentiary for. Several felonies. This particular evangelist was saying. Do you have faith in me?

I have power with God and all you have to have is faith in me. You know and he was going on that that does it. I don't need to listen any further. The guy's a phony. God never called anybody to have faith in the instrument.

But faith in God. And whenever a man begins to exalt himself exalt the instrument. I know that there is something wrong. Drastically wrong. Several years ago my wife and I went to a meeting. Up in Buena Park area that used to be where all of the evangelists would set their tents here in Orange County.

Another healing evangelist and. Some people wanted us to go with them to the meeting and so we obliged them. And I've never been in such a circus in all my life. All of the gimmicks in the world to whip the crowd into a frenzy.

Get them all excited. They were boasting of all kinds of miracles. In fact it was called a miracle rally. That particular evangelist ended up. Dying from alcoholism in a hotel room in San Francisco. But drawing attention to themselves.

I'm always leery when a person names. Buildings or universities or evangelistic associations after their own names. I pray God that when he takes me that my name will quickly be forgotten. If they dare put my name on any kind of a building as a memorial.

I'm going to ask the Lord to send an earthquake and shake it down. Not unto us so Lord not unto us but unto thy name bring glory. These men were not looking for a name for themselves. Why look on us as though we through our own power or holiness have done this thing.

It's not that I'm a righteous man. And yet that is often the implication that is given. I have this power because I am so holy. I am so righteous. Well what's that do for the rest of us who know we're not holy or righteous.

We think oh there's no way I can expect God to do anything for me because I'm not holy or righteous. But that's not so. For God will work in answer to your prayer and in response to your call. Just as quickly as the Pope or anybody else.

God is no respecter of persons. Man is a respecter of persons. God isn't. And when I get to heaven I can say well Lord you know who I am. You know I'm Chuck Smith. After all I was pastor at Calvary Chapel.

There's a backseat over there. Go sit down son. Man respects a person. God doesn't. Why look ye so earnestly on us. As though by our own power or holiness. We had made this man to walk. By something within us.

By something we possess. It's nothing that we have. Peter is saying I'm nothing. I have nothing. This is the work of God that you are seeing. In response to faith that he has given. Not that I even have myself.

So careful not to receive glory or credit for the work that God had done. For it is foolish to exalt the instrument. When we were living out in Los Arenas pastoring the community church out there. We had a lady that had begun to come to one of the Bible classes that I was teaching in Upland.

And so she said Chuck. I want you to witness to my husband. He is the finest psychiatrist in the whole Pomona Valley area. He is recognized as one of the greatest neurosurgeons in this area. But he needs help.

He needs the Lord. And I want you to witness to him. So she arranged for Kay and I to come over to their house on a Friday evening. And to have dinner with them. And then after dinner she and Kay disappeared into the kitchen.

And left Bud and I to talk together. And we spent several hours talking together. About God. About life. He professed to be an atheist. He was a very brilliant man. And we planted seed. And then she had us come over again on a Friday evening.

She said that he had started doing some reading. And he was beginning to search. So we went over again. And after dinner she and Kay disappeared into the kitchen. And left Bud and I to talk again. And I finally said, Bud, you're a psychiatrist.

You've probably been examining and evaluating me. In the questions and all that you've been asking. And you've got a pretty good understanding of me by now. You know my attitude towards life. You know the kind of a person I am.

You know the joy that I possess. You know the peace that I have. I said, tell me. What if Jesus Christ is not the Son of God? What if all that I believe is not true? And the joy that I have and the peace I have are based upon a false premise.

Yet knowing the joy and the peace that I have as a person. What do you feel I have lost by believing what I believe? And he looked at me very straight. And studied me for a moment. And studied the question.

And he finally said, not a damn thing. I wish I were as happy and peaceful a person as you are. I said, well then tell me this bud. What if what I believe is true? What have you lost by not believing?

He said, you trapped me didn't you? And I said, no I think the Lord trapped you. So we got down on our knees. And he asked Jesus Christ to take over his life. Had a beautiful conversion experience. As God changed his life dramatically.

The next morning when I got to the office his wife was waiting for me. She's a very demonstrative person. And she grabbed hold of me and began to just. Say Chuck, Chuck I knew you could do it. I knew you could do it.

Oh Chuck it's so wonderful. This morning Bud was reading the Bible before he went to bed. Oh Chuck I knew you could. Oh Chuck you know you're so wonderful Chuck. Hold on Edie. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. I said your husband's a neurosurgeon isn't he? Oh yes he's the finest. I said what if after an operation. The patient. Should come back to his office and say he's opened up his skull and tied off an aneurysm.

So the patient comes into the office. And he picks up the scaffold. Oh. You're such a marvelous scaffold. You did such a beautiful job in making that incision in my skull. Oh you're marvelous. You're marvelous.

You did such an excellent job. I said your husband would think that the patient was ready for the couch. Because you don't. Exalt the instrument. You exalt the one who used the instrument. Therefore Edie exalt the Lord.

It was the Holy Spirit that convicted Bud. It was the Holy Spirit that drew him. And it was the work of God's spirit within his life. It wasn't my work. God just used me as his instrument. But that's all it was is an instrument of God's hand.

Don't give me any credit. Don't tell me how wonderful I am. Just know how wonderful God is. But people have the tendency to exalt the instrument because they can see touch and feel the instrument. Though we may feel God it's hard to see him and it's hard to touch him except through the eyes of the spirit.

And thus man has a tendency to exalt the instrument rather than God who has used the instrument. But if you are an instrument that God uses be careful that you don't take glory for the work of God. Why look on us as though through our power or holiness this man was healed.

Beginning With the Hearers' Understanding

Now he starts on their level. The God of Abraham. Oh yes we know him. Of Isaac and of Jacob. The God of our fathers. In his preaching he started out at the level that the people understood and where they were at.

And I think that this is something that we need to learn from. When Paul was asked to give a speech on Mars Hill. There at the Areopagus. When Paul started his speech to these Epicurean philosophers. He didn't start off in the concept of justification by faith.

He started his message at the level where the people were at. Even of Athens. I realize that you men are very spiritual. You're aware of the spirit realm. For as I've been walking through your streets all over I see these little idols.

And these little alters to the various gods. And I happen to notice one of your alters and inscribed above it was to the unknown God. That's the God I'd like to tell you about. You see he is the God who created the heaven and the earth and everything that is in them.

He started out where they were at and brought them along. Peter is starting out where they're at. Make sure that you start out where people understand where they're at and bring them into the spiritual dimensions.

But start out where they're at. The God of Abraham. Of Isaac and of Jacob. The God of our fathers. Has glorified his son Jesus. Whom you delivered up and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go.

So they were all aware of what had transpired within the year there in Jerusalem. They were all aware of the crucifixion of Jesus. And it is interesting that Peter here lays the blame squarely upon them.

Pilate was wanting to let him go. And of course in John's gospel this is certainly indicated. Pilate's desire to release Jesus. But when Pilate was determined to let him go you insisted on his death. You denied the holy one and the just one.

And you desired a murderer to be delivered. Or to be granted unto you. And you killed the prince of life. The word prince probably is a poor translation. You remember in Hebrews where it talks about Jesus as the author and the finisher of our faith.

That is the very same Greek word that in Hebrews is translated author. The word literally means a file leader. But that word doesn't do much for us in English. A file leader. And we get a picture in our minds of the files in the office and one in front.

And it's the file leader. But the word actually means one who is first in a new order. Jesus the author of the new life. Or as we read he is the first begotten of those who rise from the dead. So he is the author, the prince, the file leader of life.

That new eternal life that has been promised to us who believe in him. He is the author of that eternal life. Even as he is the author and the finisher of our faith. So he is the author of this life that we possess through him.

What a contradiction isn't it? You killed the author of life. It really is a paradoxical type of a sentence. But God has raised him from the dead whereof we are witnesses. Now, remember the first sermon that Peter preached was centered in the resurrection.

Again, as he has an opportunity to preach to them, his message centers in the resurrection. Remember when Paul was preaching there on Mars Hill, he had to get to the resurrection. And when he got to the resurrection is when it broke the meeting of this.

Ah, that's weird. Nobody rises from the dead and it broke up the meeting with the Epicurean philosophers. But Peter again is preaching the resurrection. This was the heart of the message of the early church.

The Resurrection as the Foundation of the Gospel

That there is hope for eternal life because Jesus rose again. And if Christ is not risen, then we're still in our sins. And we are in a hopeless condition. Those that have died have perished. And we are of all men most miserable.

But the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the gospel in the New Testament. Our hope is premised upon the fact that Jesus rose. So Peter said, thanks be unto God who has begotten us again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

It's the heart of the message of the gospel. You can't take it away. If you do, you have no gospel. And so Peter gets to this favorite theme. God has raised him from the dead whereof we are witnesses.

And so they are bearing witness to the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And his name, the power of the name of Jesus. Jesus said, if you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. Henceforth, you've asked nothing in my name.

Ask that you might receive that your joy may be full. Oh, there is tremendous power in the name of Jesus when it falls from the lips of the weakest saint. No, it isn't your part of the name of Jesus. Yes, but I don't have enough holiness or righteousness at all to utter that name.

I don't care how weak you are. The power isn't in you. It's in the name of Jesus. You can be weak. That doesn't matter. The power isn't in you. It's in the name. And so Peter said, and his name through faith in his name.

Have made this man strong. Now, don't look at me. Jesus Christ. The one you crucified whom God raised from the dead. It is his name. And through the faith in his name. That this wonder was wrought upon this lame man.

He's the one that made the legs straight. He's the one that gave him the ability to walk. Gave him this perfect health. This perfect soundness. This completeness in the presence of you all. And then he went on to say.

Yes, it is by the. Yes, the faith which is by him. Has given him perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Now, the faith which is by him. Notice the preposition. Peter isn't saying it was my great faith.

Peter is saying it is the faith that is by him. He's the one who gave me the faith. Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith. We so oftentimes talk about faith as something that we can develop.

Something that we can work up. Something that we can sit and just meditate and develop faith or something. And we find ourselves in these attempts to increase our faith. Through more or less a mesmerization and different ways by which I'm trying to just increase my faith.

Faith is a gift. By grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. That is the faith isn't of yourself. It is a gift of God and not of works. Less any man should boast. Even the faith is a gift.

And as Paul is listing the manifestations of the spirit in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. And to some there is this gift of faith. That God imparts at certain times for certain conditions. And it's interesting because it is a gift of faith.

There are times when I'm facing a situation and I have complete faith that it's going to work out. I have no qualms, no worries. The Lord has given me faith and I'm just confident it's going to work. Now, there are other times I'm facing similar situations and God hasn't given me the faith.

And I'm worried and I'm wondering what's going to happen now. You know, and what if this doesn't happen? What of that? And it's all troublesome because God hasn't given me the faith in that particular situation.

It's a gift. It isn't something that I just possess and can exercise anytime I want. It isn't an Al-Kazam kind of a magic word that can bring to pass any kind of a situation that I desire. It is something that God puts in my heart in certain times for certain situations.

And it's just glorious when it's there. And it's disastrous when it isn't there. The gift of faith. It is the faith that is by Him. He's the one that gave me the faith. When Peter was walking up, he saw that man and the Lord gave him the faith.

He said, Peter, give him what you've got. What did he have? God gave him at that instant this faith for the man's healing. And so Peter said, hey, I don't have silver and gold, but what I have, I'll be glad to give you to.

And took him and lifted him up and said, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand aboard. All the power of the name. Faith in the name. The faith that God gave to Peter at that moment. And now, brethren, I know that through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers.

Now Peter is addressing them more personally. Talking of the crucifixion of Jesus. He said, I know that in ignorance you did it. How did he know that? Because Jesus, when he was being nailed to the cross, said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

So I know in ignorance you did it. You didn't know what you were doing. Jesus confessed that. Points out another interesting thing. In a little bit, we'll read that five thousand of them. Were converted five thousand of those who were guilty of crucifying Jesus, but didn't know what they were doing.

Are now brought to Jesus Christ to trust in him as their Lord and Savior. And the prayer of Jesus was then answered when he was being nailed to the cross and said, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.

His prayer was answered on this day. When Peter said to these people, I know through ignorance you did it. But those things which God before had shown by the mouth of all of his prophets that Christ should suffer.

He hath so fulfilled. In other words, that which transpired was not an accident. That which transpired in the crucifixion of Jesus was something that God had planned, actually. Because it was predicted in the scriptures.

The suffering of the Messiah spoken of by the prophets. And so then Peter gets to the application. Repent, therefore, and be converted. That your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

And so he's calling to the people for repentance, for conversion. That they might receive the forgiveness of their sins and that glorious work of God's Spirit in the times of refreshing. And he, that is God, shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.

The Restitution of All Things and Israel's Restoration

Jesus is coming again. The Father is going to send him again. Jesus said, and if I go away, I will come again. Last week in our lesson, Acts chapter 1, as Jesus ascended into heaven and they were standing there looking up into heaven, into the cloud that had received him out of their sight.

The two men in white apparel standing by said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye here gazing into heaven? For this same Jesus shall come again in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. He's coming again.

God is going to send Jesus Christ, who was preached unto you. Whom the heaven must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God had spoken by the mouth of all of the holy prophets since the world began.

Now upon this one little scripture, a whole doctrine has been developed of the final restitution of all things. And that final restitution of all things will take place when Satan finally kneels down and confesses his guilt and is brought in again as a child of God.

And God has finally restored everybody and everything. All sinners and everybody will be saved. The final restitution of all things. And this particular heresy has been based upon this one little scripture.

That he is not referring to the restoration of the wicked at some future date is obvious by the fact that he said it is something that all of the prophets have spoken about. And as we go back to the prophets of the Old Testament and they're speaking of the restitution of all things, what are they referring to?

They are referring to the restoration of the nation Israel into divine favor again. Israel, because of their rejection of God, is to be cut off. They're to be dispersed. They're to be scattered into all the world.

They're to become a curse and a byword. They're to be burned in ovens. As the prophets foretold. But each of them who foretold the awful, tragic misery that the Jews would endure during the great dispersion, they all saw through the darkness to the light on the other side when God would once again take his unfaithful bride, clean her up, dress her up and receive her again as his wife and restore the unfaithful wife to her position.

And Hosea and all of the prophets speak of this restoration of God's work and grace to the nation of Israel. And that is what is referred to. Not that God is going to finally restore all the wicked, including Satan.

That's what all of the prophets speak about. You won't find this other doctrine of the restitution of all things. That is, all men are to be saved. Ultimately, you won't find that in any of the prophets of the Old Testament.

But it's always dealing with the nation of Israel. And you remember, he is addressing ye men of Israel. Why marvel you at this? So this restitution is God's restitution of his of his work with Israel, which shall come.

Paul the Apostle in the eleventh chapter of Romans said that blindness has happened to Israel, in part, until the fullness of the Gentiles become in. But at that point, all Israel will then be saved. For there shall come the deliverer out of Zion to turn the hearts of the children unto the fathers.

And he makes reference to this restitution of the work of God among the Jewish people that shall take place. Now, Jesus said, You're not going to see me again until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

The earth has one more seven-year period to endure. For there were seventy-seven determined upon the nation Israel to finish the transgressions, to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to finish up the prophecies for the Messiah to come and to anoint the most holy place.

And there would be sixty-nine seven-year periods from the time that the prophecy would go forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah, the Prince. But that leaves one seven-year period unfulfilled, which is yet future.

During this seven-year period, God is going to deal with the nation Israel and that blindness that has been over their eyes for almost two thousand years will be removed. Now, blindness has happened to Israel in part.

That is, for the most of them, there are part of them who have not been blind. There are part of Israel today that God has opened their eyes to see the truth. And oh, what evangelists they usually make when God opens their eyes and they can see that Jesus indeed was the promised Messiah.

But it's amazing how blind most of the people are. And they really don't know their own scriptures that well. But they know the traditions and and they know the dietary laws and all the Sabbath. But they're really blind to the true work of God.

And having forsaken the way of God, they've gone about to establish a righteousness through works, through good works. But by the works of the law, by the Bible tells us no flesh will be justified in his sight.

The Bible also tells us for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin. So God is going to restore Israel. He's going to work again. He's going to put his spirit upon Israel. According to Ezekiel, at the time that God destroys the invading Russian army who moves into the Middle East in the last days.

To to take over the Middle East in those days, God is going to destroy Russia. And when he does, he'll put his spirit upon the nation of Israel. The beginning of the end, the last seven years when God will be working with Israel.

And during this period of time, the world around them will be going through a Holocaust. At least the last three and a half years of this period of time, a time of trouble such as the world has never seen before or will ever see again.

Time of the Great Tribulation. Now, during this time, God dealing with the nation of Israel. They will begin to weep over their blindness as a woman who weeps over the loss of her only son. They will weep that they were blind to the grace and the goodness of God and to the Messiah that God provided.

For they will recognize that Jesus indeed is the Messiah as they see the Scriptures coming to pass that were predicted. And they'll realize that they made a mistake in their national rejection of Jesus and they will accept him.

And they will be saying, Oh, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And at that point, Jesus will return with ten thousands of his saints to establish his kingdom upon the earth. Behold, the Lord come with ten thousands of his saints.

And when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory as we come with him to establish God's kingdom upon the earth. So the heavens must keep him until the times of restitution of all things, which God has predicted in the prophets since the beginning of the world, all the way back to the Garden of Eden, where God promised that the seed of the woman would bruise the heel of the serpent.

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your own brethren like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all of the things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people.

Yea, and all of the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after him, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. And ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all of the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

And unto you first God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. So God has kept his promise that he has made through the Old Testament prophets.