Forgiveness for All

This morning I continue in the book of Acts in my study of “forgiveness”. I am in chapter 10 at the passage titled in my bible, “Gentiles Hear the Good News”. I am drawn to this passage and title as I feel as though Peter is speaking directly to me as a Gentile.

“³⁴So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’” — Acts 10:34-35 (ESV)

What a great opening to the passage. God is for all who acceptably do what is right and within His will. Peter makes it known right away that the gospel, grace, and salvation are for everyone and not just a select few. It is only required to repent, be forgiven, be baptized to be accepted into the family of God.

It seems like a simple thing, and it is. There are other parts that may make it more difficult, yet once one has been accepted into the family of God through forgiveness of sin, those more difficult things would become much less daunting. The prospects of contentment are solidified through the knowing that God will care for all of our needs and the rest just gets in the way or can be used for His glory. Take the instance of the young rich man who rejected Jesus as he could not part with all of his riches to follow Jesus (Matthew 19:16-22). As he was looking at only the physical, he missed out on the opportunity to enjoy and be a part of the family of God. He was not excluded based on God, but based on his own. He was not willing to do what was acceptably right in the eyes of God. It was his actions, or lack of actions.

I have to remember that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And that is not just those who are “bad” but every one of us. Knowing that I have a better view of the words of Peter here at the end of the passage in Acts.

“⁴³To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” — Acts 10:43 (ESV)

“Everyone” is afforded the opportunity for the forgiveness of sins. The pathway is clear and is noted continually throughout God’s Word. Grace and salvation is for ALL who, repent, are forgiven, are baptized to demonstrate the new, clean self, and then going to do the work of God wherever He asks you to go.

What do you know of those who are or have the opportunity for salvation? Are you of the opinion that only certain people are afforded the opportunity? What if you instead took the approach that ALL have the opportunity for grace and salvation through repentance, forgiveness, and baptism?

Continued Message and Work in Alignment with Jesus

John the Baptist was aligned with Jesus, before He really began His ministry. Jesus spent His time continuing to preach and teach of forgiveness following repentance and demonstration through baptism. And as He reached the end of His time here in this world, Jesus turned the work over to His disciples and me to continue with the same message to all through the Great Commission.

Peter is chronicled in Acts with delivering the same message of repentance and forgiveness and baptism as a demonstration of the continued work of Jesus.

“³⁸And 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. ³⁹For 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.’” — Acts 2:38-39 (ESV)

I read this morning and every morning in the Word of God and see the consistency in the gospel. I do not see contradiction in the message. I see the continued delivery of the gospel as from God through others who have been tasked with that delivery. In this example, I see John the Baptist and Peter aligned with Jesus in the message even as one came before and the other after. And as I study and remember, Paul and Timothy and more contemporaries were aligned as well.

I am here in this world and am tasked with continued delivery of the gospel in alignment with Jesus. I am to be giving the message of repentance, forgiveness, and baptism as demonstration of my cleanliness and devotion to the work of Christ to do all He has me to do and to go everywhere He has me to go.

My path is likely different than yours and our field of evangelism will likely be different as well, yet our work and message is the same. We are to deliver the gospel and the message is repent, be forgiven and be baptized to demonstrate your new cleanliness and devotion to continue the work of Christ. The key is that last part in that we are to continue the work and message of Jesus everywhere He would have us go.

What is your take on the gospel and the work to be done? Are you trying to figure it all out and working to create a new plan of the work and message? What if you just continued the work and message in alignment with Jesus as those who came before you (John the Baptist, Jesus Himself, Peter, etc.)?

Forgiveness Follows Repentance

Being a Christian, and following the Baptist teachings, I believe in baptism upon repentance of sin and acceptance of Jesus as my savior. Now I am not wanting to get into the debate of which “religion” is right. I am only giving my thoughts into what God’s Word indicates to me and to draw attention to His Word for others to think and learn for themselves.

Mark, in the beginning of his gospel book, writes of John the Baptist and his role in the coming of Jesus. John, being Jesus’ cousin was tasked with preparing the way for Jesus and His ministry. When I think of preparing the way, I think of setting things up for the follower to simply pick up and go with it. Imagine preparing a conference room, or preparing a sporting field, or preparing a meal, or preparing a path. In each of them, the preparation is done to set up for others to be able to just get on with things. John was sent ahead to do just that for the ministry of Jesus.

Now, in this preparation, John began before Jesus and continued in demonstration of alignment with Him. Jesus was fully capable of just doing the work without someone to prepare the way for Him, yet that was not the plan and Jesus was certainly in line with God in the plan to save the world.

John, in his preparing of the way, followed, although some might think began, the teachings of Jesus. He was out proclaiming the coming of Jesus and did so, not for his own recognition, but to bring glory to Jesus and the LORD.

“⁷And he preached, saying, ‘After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” — Mark 1:7-8 (ESV)

Now, let me get back to my thoughts this morning. John was preparing the way for Jesus and was doing so in following the teachings of Jesus. He was proclaiming the greatness of Jesus and the reason for His coming and the path to salvation. That path as we know from Jesus was to repent of sin, accept Jesus as your savior, and be baptized to show others that you have been washed clean and are starting new. John came before Jesus, yet was teaching and giving the same message, repent and be baptized to demonstrate your complete forgiveness.

“⁴John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” — Mark 1:4 (ESV)

Jesus took away my sin and washed me clean by forgiveness of those sins only after I repented of those sins and no sooner. I acknowledged my sin and that I was in need of forgiveness and accepted the gift of salvation that is freely offered/given. I was washed clean in baptism thanks to my repentance and the forgiveness given. I was not baptized in hopes of being forgiven, I was baptized in obedience and in demonstration of the forgiveness I was afforded through my repentance of the sins in my life and that would continue in my life.

John preached the gospel of Jesus before Jesus, yet was aligned with the message that the way was to repent, be forgiven, and be baptized. John was not the savior of the world, that was Jesus, yet his message was the same. Our forgiveness comes after our repentance and not just because. Yes, Christ died for my sins and for that we should acknowledge, yet to experience that forgiveness, I had to first repent and I will continue to repent as I may be forgiven, but I am still a sinner.

What are your thoughts on forgiveness of sin in your life? Are you hoping to get to repentance at some point and are maybe pursuing things in the wrong order? What about following the preaching of John the Baptist that came before but was fully aligned with Jesus to repent, be forgiven, and then be baptized to demonstrate your repentance and forgiveness?