Acts 2:36-40
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? 38 And Peter said to 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. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.
On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, and Peter called the people to repentance: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (verse 38). A key to this call is in the previous verse which says that "when they heard this they were cut to the heart" (verse 37). Repentance starts with a broken, contrite heart. We have to grieve our sin if we are to truly repent and be forgiven. Too often I have felt sorry for the consequences of my sin, but have not really grieved the evil of my sin. But the good news is that the offer of forgiveness, and the gift of the holy spirit, is available to all of us.
Lord, help me to grieve my sin and repent.
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? 38 And Peter said to 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. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.
On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, and Peter called the people to repentance: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (verse 38). A key to this call is in the previous verse which says that "when they heard this they were cut to the heart" (verse 37). Repentance starts with a broken, contrite heart. We have to grieve our sin if we are to truly repent and be forgiven. Too often I have felt sorry for the consequences of my sin, but have not really grieved the evil of my sin. But the good news is that the offer of forgiveness, and the gift of the holy spirit, is available to all of us.
Lord, help me to grieve my sin and repent.