Be Converted"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out . . ." (Acts 3:19). A few verses earlier the apostle Peter accused the Jews of first denying Jesus Christ and then of murdering Jesus. Yet, he assured them that even the sin of murdering the Son of God could be blotted out if they would repent and be converted. In Acts Chapter Two, Peter made a similar charge followed by the assurance that even this sin could be forgiven. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . ." (Acts 2:38). The apostle Paul listed several sins of which the Corinthian Christians were formerly guilty but for which they had been forgiven. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).From these passages we learn that any sin for which we will repent and from which we will turn can be forgiven. No sin we may have committed is too difficult for God to forgive. Regardless of what sins we may be guilty, God will forgive us if we repent and be converted. This is possible through the divine love of God and the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God on our behalf. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The benefit of Christ’s sacrifice is applied to our souls when we obey the Gospel. We do this by examining the Gospel message and permitting it to create faith in us (Romans 10:17); this leads us to repent of sins (Luke 13:3) and profess Christ (Romans 10:10); then our sins are taken away in baptism (Acts 2:38). The remainder of our lives must be committed to Christian living and Christian service (1 Corinthians 15:58). Dear Friend, have you repented of your sins and been converted? There is no sin for which God will not forgive you--if you will repent and be converted. |