Acts 2:38-39
Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Applying God’s Word for today: Repentance, Baptism, and God’s Promise
We like to hold on to our sins, or more specifically, the sinful desires of our hearts. Those things that, in the moment, give us a rush of excitement. In our minds, we devise ways to accommodate our desires, believing that somehow doing so will help us overcome our past mistakes and get our minds off the guilt and shame. However, more sins don’t help because they are hollow and only add to our emptiness.
Peter gives us the answer: Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance means acknowledging our sins before God and turning to him for forgiveness. While we would rather stuff our sins away somewhere, bury them in the back of our minds, or convince ourselves they never happened, none of that takes them away. We cannot be better today than yesterday; those sins are still there. Acknowledging our sins before God and asking for forgiveness from our Savior removes every sin. Moreover, baptism is the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, as Titus wrote, and is similar to what Peter said in Acts. He also wrote in his letter (1 Peter 3:21), “baptism now saves us.”
Jesus’ forgiveness is the only way. He suffered for your sins almost 2000 years ago when he willingly went to the cross to pay for them. He rose from the dead, so we know that God the Father has accepted Jesus’ payment for our sins. Forgiveness is yours, and it comes without a price. It is a gift that comes by faith alone in Jesus. Your faith is something you can share with others who don’t know about God’s love.
If you are far from or close to God, know the love God has for you. It’s not only for everyone else; his love, grace, and mercy are for you. God loves you! You are forgiven for Jesus’ sake.
Dear Lord God, what a blessing to know You have forgiven every sin. The peace I seek comes only by faith in You. Please forgive me for all my sins, including those hidden sins I don’t want to face, and grant me Your peace. Send Your Spirit to be upon me and fulfill Your promise in me; save me from myself and this world. Lord, hear my prayer. Amen.
We all struggle with sin in our lives, both believers and unbelievers alike. The difference: a believer knows forgiveness is already theirs and can rely on their baptism for assurance that Jesus has forgiven them. Believers have peace in forgiveness and the promise of salvation.