Wiped Out

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

WIPED OUT

Acts 3:17-26

17 "Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you — even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.'   24 "Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'   26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

NIV

First things first, our sins have been wiped out by Jesus. There is one caveat: we need to repent, change the way we think, turn from wrong thinking to right thinking, and turn toward God. Having our sins wiped out makes it clearer than having our sins forgiven. The Greek word exaleifoo carries this direct meaning to wipe off, wipe away. It has also been used in the sense of anointing or washing every part. That means God not only forgives our sins because of Jesus, but he wipes them out, blots them out, so they are no longer there, or visible. Because our sins have been wiped out and are no longer seen, we must accept that truth and not hold ourselves guilty. God does not declare us guilty, as he wiped out our sins and has declared us innocent, holy, and blameless in his sight. When we accept that truth, then and only then will we find that refreshing, a cooling as the Greek word means. Jesus told us to learn from him, for he is gentle and humble of heart, and we would find rest for our souls. That is this refreshing, this cool feeling within our soul, our spirits, knowing we are his. We no longer have to be heavily laden or burdened because we came to Jesus and he gave us rest, which the Greek word translated as rest means to repose or be refreshed. This is the best way of living in Jesus, to have a refreshed soul, restored, at peace, first, with God, and secondly, within our own selves, our inner selves. We are also among all the people on earth who will be blessed because we are in Christ, and He is in us. So let us live with that refreshing, knowing our sins have been blotted out.