What Shall We Do?

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

WHAT SHALL WE DO

Acts 2:37-39

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "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. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call."

NIV

What shall we do? It is doubtful that there are many believers who came to Christ because they were cut to the heart. The words of Peter cut his listeners to their heart, to the very core of their being, because they understood what they had done, and were saddened by their actions. Why did we come to Christ? What motivated our turning from a life of sin and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? Was it the promise of eternal life? Was it the promise of a better life? More than likely it had something to do with us, rather than Jesus. Yet once we became a believer, we learned the truth about what we did, and what God did. We truly repented, and we sought out baptism, and we received the promised gift of the Holy Spirit for we are either their children or all who are far off. It is truly a bitter sweet experience. There is joy because we are in fact saved, but there is a saddest of heart knowing Jesus had to endure that cross for us, for our sin. We can join our brothers and sisters who stood on that street in Jerusalem hearing those words of Peter. The Spirit opens our heart to the pain and suffering Jesus endured for us. Yet at the same time the Spirit fills our heart with joy because we will see Jesus one day and we can experience his love, his forgiveness in our life right now. To have the burden of sin lifted from our hearts, to be relieved from the burden of the grave brings a great joy only a believer in Christ can experience. Once we understand that all we can do is repent and accept it makes the choice clear. Why some refuse is beyond understanding, unless they have never really understood the choice. Maybe too many see Christians as narrow minded denominational rule followers, rather than people forgiven of their sin filled with the Spirit and living a joyful life in Christ. Maybe we have never spoken the words of Peter to them, giving them the opportunity to be cut to the heart and ask, “What shall we do?” Maybe we should be standing up more and telling people, to listen carefully, and we will explain what is happening. But then that would require something to be happening. That would require us being out there pouring out on the street with happenings of God in our life. We have repented, we have been baptized, but in water and in the Spirit. We need to be living like it, not just as a church attender, or a member of some organization. Many people attend church or are members of organizations; we need to be living it personally. If we are saved, than we need people asking us, “what shall we do?”