Repentance
and Remission of Sins!
"Then
He said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary
for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third
day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached
in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem"
Luke 24:46,
47.
This message was shared by Jesus with His disciples following
His resurrection; a message of repentance and remission of
sins to be preached in His name to all nations. This is a
message that can be shared with the world because of Christ's
suffering, His crucifixion, and resurrection from the dead,
making it possible for our sins to be forgiven because of
what He has done for us.
However,
the message of repentance and remission of sin did not originate
after Christ's crucifixion. It was proclaimed from the very
beginning of John the Baptist's ministry, "John came
baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance
and the remission of sins" Mark 1:4.
Jesus
at the beginning of his ministry, "began to preach and
to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"
Matthew 4:17. And throughout their ministries both John, Jesus
and their disciples continued to expand on this message of
repentance and remission of sins.
Repentance
and remission, what are we talking about here? Repentance
is having a change of heart over something that we have done.
When we have sinned, or have done something that is disobedient,
like a child disobeying his or her parent, when we have not
been obedient to what we know is right, we are guilty, we
have a change of heart and repent. This is repentance.
Remission
from the Greek implies pardon, deliverance, forgiveness, liberty,
remission. We are forgiven our trespasses. In the heart of
the Lord's prayer it says, "And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors" Matthew 6:12. This implies
that God will treat us as we treat our neighbors. If we forgive
our neighbors their sins, He will forgive our sins. This is
huge. But He not only forgives our sins, He also helps us
to clean up our act. He helps us to do what is right.
Listen
to this, "God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for
us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him"
2 Corinthians 5:21. This is what God has done for those who
put their faith and trust in Him and who repent of their sins.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
1 John 1:9. WOW, this is Good News!
On the day of Pentecost, Peter shared this message from the
Lord, "'Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that
God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and
Christ,' Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren,
what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let
every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit'" Acts 2:36-38. And in following days he
continued this theme, "Repent therefore and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out" Acts 3:19; "Him
God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior,
to give repentance … and forgiveness of sins" Acts
5:31.
The important message here is that God loves us supremely
and has made provision for everyone, in spite of their sins,
to be saved when they yield themselves to Him (See John 1:12).
He has paid the penalty for the sins of those who accept Him
into their hearts in appreciation for everything He has done
for them. Listen to Christ's own words as to how this is possible…
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even
so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved"
John 3:14-17.
Paul reminds us, "The wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Romans 6:23.
Peter wrote "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance" 2 Peter 3:9.
Christ's ministry was to call sinners to repentance, to love
them, to forgive their sins and to share His righteousness
with His disciples. He came to show us a new way of life and
He said, "I am not come to call the righteous but sinners
to repentance" Matthew 9:13.
May our Lord's heart touch yours today and may God bless you
abundantly!
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