“Our Daily Bread”   http://odb.org/

 The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie              http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

 Acts 2:36… “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  (NKJV)

 This opening scripture written by Luke, must really have been exciting times for Christ’s new Church…  The Holy Spirit had just been given to Jesus’ disciples, on the day known as Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)…  The apostle Peter, who Christ had made His chief disciple for growing His church (Matthew 16:18), was so empowered by the Holy Spirit, that he stood up and boldly started preaching to all the Jews who had just insisted a few months earlier, that Jesus be crucified on the cross…

 The apostle Peter’s first sermon, where he presented and defended Jesus Christ as Israel’s Messiah, must have really been powerful… Right after Peter proclaimed the opening scripture, Luke records the response of the stunned Jewish listeners, in…Acts 2:37…   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?”  (NKJV) 

The apostle Peter responded with his first major presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with this in…Acts 2:38… 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. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (NKJV)

Jesus Himself tells us we must repent and believe in the gospel, in this scripture…Mark 1:14-15… Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  (NKJV)

Repenting and turning from one’s sins is absolutely key to obeying the gospel of Christ…  No one becomes a Christian without understanding that they are sinners in need of a Savior…  And that Savior is Jesus Christ…  As a sinner turns from their sinful life, they must be filled with remorse for their sins; and this remorse is conveyed to God, as they repent of their sins, and seek Jesus Christ by God’s grace through faith alone in Jesus, to take over total control of their lives…

 This is the message that Peter preached… It is formally known as the gospel of Christ,  and is still the only way a person is forgiven of their sins today…  No one is good enough to be deemed righteous in God’s eyes, because of any righteous works they have done in the name of the Lord… God saves people by His grace, through faith alone in Christ, not by any works they have done in the name of the Lord…Ephesians 2:8-9…  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV)

Christ’s Church grew by 3000 new believers that day !!  Luke records this in…Acts 2:40-41…  And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.  (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, Your Word is clear, that repenting and turning from one’s sins is a major part of obeying the gospel of Christ… I pray Lord, that Your Word would be used by You, to open the eyes and regenerate the hearts of those in need of the saving grace through faith that You will gift to those that seek Your Son Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior of their lives… I pray for this gift of grace for those in need; and I also ask for a special blessing for all of Your children this day…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen… 

written by bruce r mills