Act 3:17 (ESV) “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
God points out many times that His grace covers ignorance…
Jesus on the cross:
Luk 23:34 (ESV) And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Which flows into the concept of grace covering ALL our failings
Luk 6:27-28 (ESV)
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
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Act 3:18 (ESV) But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.
Act 3:19 (ESV) Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
I want to come back to this concept of repentance…
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Act 3:20 (ESV) that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,
This is pointing towards Grace SECOND coming…
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Act 3:21 (ESV) whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
Is correlates with what we get to practice now “… Renew your mind…”
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Act 3:22 (ESV) Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.
Act 3:23 (ESV) And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’
Pride prevents us from listening…
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Act 3:24 (ESV) And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.
Act 3:25 (ESV) You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’
Act 3:26 (ESV) God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
All have opportunity, not all will take advantage of it.
Mat 7:13-14 (ESV)
What is the narrow gate? It is repentance in humility.
So what does this “repent “look like? Is this the, “whoops, I’m sorry, all right, let’s move on!”
Repent. This refers to a change of mind and purpose that turns an individual from sin/self to God. Such change involves more than fearing the consequences of God's judgment. Genuine repentance requires action, no mere academic change of mind, nor simply regret or remorse.
John the Baptist called for repentance as a radical turning from sin that inevitably became manifest in the fruit of righteousness
Mar 1:4 (ESV)
And John expected fruit…
Mat 3:8 (ESV)
8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
In my own life I have to deal with my own repentance and the repentance of those around me.
Luk 17:3-4 (ESV)
2Co 7:10 (AMPC)
1Jn 1:8-10 (AMPC)
I need to look for the transformation of my heart – a desire in my heart to do differently.
This is the repentance I want to cultivate in myself and those around me.
