Acts 2:40 “…he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’”(NIV)

Every generation since Adam has been corrupt.  That is the nature of sin (the power of evil let loose in the world).  When we sin (willfully disobey God’s will) we release that power of evil.  Like a corrosive acid it eats, decays and destroys all that is pure and good.  Because of what Adam’s original disobedience did to human nature, we sin by missing the mark, no matter how much effort we make to do right.  Every generation looks around and sees evil in the world; they think their generation must be the most corrupt of all.

Peter calls his generation corrupt, and it was.  Perhaps it was the most corrupt of all time.  They had the son of God walk among them performing miracles, signs and wonders.  In spite of all they saw and heard, they rejected him and crucified him.  Now representatives of that generation were standing before Peter and hearing the gospel.  They heard the good news that God resurrected his son, and Christ now sits at the right hand of His Father.  If they will believe, repent of their sins and call upon his name, he will save them.  Peter tells them, they must first save themselves from this corrupt generation.

This is a troubling saying, because the scriptures teach that we cannot save ourselves.  How can both be true?  Salvation is a gift.  The wages of sin is death; Christ offers us the gift of life.  Sin resulted in a broken relationship with God.  Christ offers us reconciliation and the gift of the Holy Spirit’s presence.  Sin has released evil into the world; Christ gives us the opportunity to affect the world for good.  All of this is free; it is a gift.  However, we cannot receive the gift of salvation if our hands and hearts are full of love for the world.  Christ will freely saves us, but only if we choose to let go of the world.