Forgiven

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

FORGIVEN

Acts 10:39-43

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 tree, 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."

NIV

Peter gets right to the point about having sins forgiven only through the name of Jesus. We should notice that he has never mentioned the fact the people who he is talking to were sinners in need of being forgiven. He focused on the life and death of Jesus and that it is only through of him that people will find the forgiveness of sin. He also includes the fact that Jesus is the only judge of people. We can learn a lot here as far as how we share the gospel message. We should not be ever telling people they are sinners in need of Jesus. We should focus on the fact that it is Jesus who judges all men, and it is through him people can have sin forgiven and thus find eternal life. As we will see the Holy Spirit will do the rest. As Peter learned not to judge who is clean and unclean we should learn the same truth. It is totally up to Jesus to do all the judging and it is totally up to him to do all the forgiveness of sin. All we can do is tell the story about Jesus and let the Spirit do the rest. It is a good that Jesus has forgiven our sin, as we accepted the work of the Spirit in our lives convicting us that we were in need of forgiveness. But there are those who are still in need and we need to be as Peter was, not judging anyone but simply telling them the story about Jesus.