Peter: The Herald Of The Purifying Flame

Background: Acts 2:10, 15.

Basis: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (2:1-4).

"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel" (2:14-16).

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (2:38, 39).

"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost" (10:44, 45).

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

Having considered this experience as taught by Moses and interpreted by our Lord himself, we are to see further evidences of its inwardness as stressed by Peter also. To him, Pentecost was more than a dispensational inaugural; and as an individual experience it was more than an enduement for service. It was all this, but it was more.

His utterance in Acts 15: 8, 9 is to be regarded as a declaration of divine procedure for all time. The present speaker can never forget the first time that this passage became luminous to his own spiritual vision. Like shafts of light three great spiritual facts began to shine out. They were simple but exceedingly vital:

1. The baptism with the Holy Ghost is for all believers.

2. The baptism with the Holy Ghost purifies the heart.

3. The baptism with the Holy Ghost is received by faith.

Peter had been authentic spokesman on the Day of Pentecost. It is to be expected, therefore, that his later explanation as given here will be the result of his mature and careful thought. It is his declaration in the conference chamber at Jerusalem.

The Church was facing a doctrinal difficulty and had divided itself into two party groups: one, distinctly evangelical, insisting that salvation in all its phases was by faith alone; the other, legalistic, taking the position that, while basically through Christ's Calvary work, salvation as applied to the believing heart was bound up with the practices of the Jewish law.

It must have been interesting to hear those men thrash out this thorny question on the assembly floor. The evangelical group was led by Peter, who attacked the legalists with a head-on charge, and won his point. He called attention to the recent incident under his own ministry in the house of Cornelius, where God poured out the Holy Ghost when there were no attendant legal ceremonies. The passage which we are considering is his own testimony concerning it. The value of these verses is twofold, having some pointed implications accompanied by some plain declarations.

I. The Implications

The fact and results of Pentecost are seen to be more than historical. They are repeatable and perpetual, intended to meet the deepest need of the neediest heart.

A. Light is here thrown on the fundamental happenings on the Day of Pentecost.

The outward manifestations any intelligent Bible reader can recite. There was a phenomenon of sound, "as of a rushing mighty wind." There was a phenomenon of vision in the appearance of "cloven tongues like as of fire." There was a phenomenon of voice, "other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." The over-all phenomenon was in the fact that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-4).

Now from the Jerusalem Council chamber Peter is looking back to Pentecost through the avenue of years; and, strangely enough, when speaking of the happenings there he does not mention one of the spectacular things previously reported. He is concerned with something to him far more vital and certainly more radical, a fact which Luke in his narrative does not even mention: the Holy Spirit purified the heart and the purification came in response to faith.

B. Indications are also seen concerning God's plan for future generations.

"God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness":

1. "Giving them" -- in the house of Cornelius" the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us" -- at Pentecost.

2. "And put no difference between us " -- at Pentecost -- "And them" -- at Caesarea -"Purifying their hearts by faith."

On the basis of this, we are justified in making this twofold deduction:

First, since Pentecost has been repeated at least once (there are other instances also in the Book of Acts), there is no reason why God should not continue to repeat it both in communities and individuals down through the age.

In his message at Pentecost, Peter had declared that this would be so: "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39). Further, since the essential happening on the Day of Pentecost -- The purification of the heart was repeated a second time, and is here emphasized as being fundamental to both occasions, it is reasonable to assume that in this fact we have God's revealed pattern for all time -giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us [at Pentecost] and them [at Caesarea], purifying their hearts [as well as ours] by faith."

II. The Declarations

Coming more closely to Peter's words, we see three great facts concerning God in His relationship to the human heart.

He is seen in His omniscience, as the great Heart-Knower. "God, which knoweth the hearts." He is further seen in His omnipotence as the great Heart-Purifier. "God purifying their hearts" He is finally seen in His faithfulness, as the great Heart-Certifier. "God, which knoweth . . . . bare them witness."

A. God, the Heart-Knower.

"God, which knoweth the hearts."

He, and only He, does know the heart. None other dare pretend such knowledge, not even our dearest friend, and certainly not we ourselves.

All vital religion has to do primarily with the heart. The life is just the outflow. The heart is central to all else.

1. The true condition of the human heart is here recognized.

It is assumed to be corrupt and needing to be made pure. Concerning man's heart condition there are two extreme lines of teaching, both of which we must be careful to avoid, while between the two is a third position which to us appears to be the most scriptural, sensible, and safe.

a. There is the position of the modernist.

The human heart, says he, while by no means all it should be, is not nearly so bad as the older theologians have pictured it. Their ideas of native depravity and indwelling sin are just overdrawn pictures by sincere but misguided enthusiasts. There is no such thing as total depravity.

b. There is the assumption of the Calvinist.

The human heart, says he, is all that our fathers have declared it to be, and worse. It is corrupt through and through. That corruption is deeper down than we think. It is deeper than our own consciousness, so deep in fact that it is actually part of us. No matter how constantly the cleansing Blood is applied, the corruption is always deeper down. Our very nature is the source from which it springs. It can never be fully cleansed out as long as we live.

c. Between these two extremes lies a middle position, known to theologians as the Wesleyan Armenian view.

Its teaching may be stated as follows: The blackest picture of human sinfulness is not one bit too strong. Jesus himself endorses it:

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23).

What is overdrawn is the statement that the depravity of nature is so essentially part of our humanity that not even the applied efficacy of the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness can wholly take it away.

For sin, both committed and inherited, says the Wesleyan-Armenian, God has an effective remedy. It is greater than all our sin.

2. The divine relation to the human heart is here revealed.

"God, which knoweth the hearts." Nor does this passage stand alone: "God looketh at the heart" (I Sam. 16: 7). "I the Lord search the heart" (Jer. 17:10).

This great Heart-Knower knows the heart's capacity -- and demands all its affection. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God," said Jesus, "with all thy heart" (Matt. 22: 37).

He also knows the heart's carnality -- and demands its destruction. His sacred presence is like a searchlight sweeping through the soul. The holiness of His nature demands holiness in His people. "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy" (I Pet. 1:15).

B. God, the Heart-Purifier.

"God, which knoweth the hearts.... purifying their hearts."

Here, a further divine attribute comes into view. This holy God has not only a penetrating eye and an omniscient mind; He is also the possessor of an omnipotent hand. Whatever of sin His holy eye discovers His almighty hand is able to remove.

The method of this purification is dual in its character, two elements, human and divine, being at work which are at the same time both independent and correlated. There is a hand that does the work; there is also a hand that grasps the promise.

1. The hand that does the work -- the hand of God himself.

"Giving them the Holy Ghost . . . . purifying their hearts."

That, says Peter, is what happened at Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, what happened also at Caesarea, and is to happen all down the age. It purified the heart. That is what the fiery baptism of Pentecost is intended to do.

"He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Matt. 3:11).

"The promise is unto you" (Acts 2: 39).

2. The hand that grasps the promise -- the hand of faith.

"Purifying their hearts by faith."

The soul itself is to be by no means passive here. Definitely and consciously it is to take God at His word.

Faith is the receiving hand consciously extended to appropriate the Blessing.

C. God, the Heart-Certifier.

"God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness."

When God has done the purifying work, His certification will be as sure as His sanctification.

Should the question be asked, Where and how is this witness given? we answer: In the depths of the spiritual nature, where the corruption once resided and where the cleansing took place.

The reaction may or may not be emotional in its nature, for the certification is primarily inward and spiritual.

An uncertified cleansing is unthinkable. To be made clean and not to know it is unreasonable.

Come, O my God, the promise seal;
This mountain sin remove;
Now in my gasping soul reveal
The virtue of Thy love.

I want Thy life, Thy purity,
Thy righteousness brought in;
I ask, desire, and trust in Thee
To be redeemed from sin.

For this, as taught by Thee,
I pray And can no longer doubt.
Remove from hence, to sin I say;
Be cast this moment out.

Saviour, to Thee my soul looks up,
My present Saviour Thou;
In all the confidence of faith
I claim the Blessing now.

'Tis done! Thou dost this moment save,
With full salvation bless;
Redemption through Thy blood I have,
And spotless love and peace.

-- Wesley