Forgiveness of Sins Through His Name (Acts 10:34-43)

Acts 10:34-43

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. ³⁶ You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

³⁹ “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, ⁴⁰ but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹ He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” ^[1]

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After reading and meditating on today’s passage, my thoughts are drawn to the basic gift of God through the Gospel, the forgiveness of sins.  Peter’s sermon to Cornelius concludes with the message of forgiveness through faith in Jesus.  This is the good news of peace that Peter mentions in verse 36.  Peace with God through the forgiveness of sins which is received through faith in Christ.

An important part of my daily devotional routine is reviewing the previous day.  I walk through the day giving thanks to God for the people and events that were a part of it.  Sometimes this meditation leads to repentance as well as I review a thoughts and actions that, to be perfectly blunt, were sinful.  Starting the day with repentance is not an exercise in negativity or guilt, but rather a reminder of the constancy of God’s grace and forgiveness.  Each morning the mercy of God is new, and so each morning the slate is wiped clean because of what Christ has done.

My relationship with Christ is not dependent on my spiritual perfection, or even the rate of growth.  The ultimate basis of my relationship is the grace of my God, expressed through His abundant and daily forgiveness. This will not change until the day He calls me home.  So a daily time in confession and repentance is a daily reminder of the grace of God which will cover me that day.  That’s a good thing.

So my prayer is one of thankfulness for the gracious forgiveness of my God.

 

What is the Word leading you to pray about today?

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^[1] The New International Version. 2011 (Ac 10:34–43). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.