From the beginning of creation, God our father has desired a relationship with mankind. But something terrible happened, sin entered into God’s creation. Now there is a barrier between God and mankind. From the very beginning till now God had a plan and that plan would be the reconciliation between man and his creator.
Let us read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation; namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation. We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” WEB
Let us now fast forward from creation to the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts. God’s plan was about to come to full view. Let’s pick up in Acts chapter 2:22-38 where the Apostle Peter preaching to the multitude that had gathered.
“Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay. This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear. For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” WEB
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
What does Peter mean? Repent or Repentance. This is an act of one turning from his or her own ways to God’s ways. Our ways are sin because it is in opposition to God. The word repent in the Greek language is “Metanoeo”, meaning to change one’s own mind and purpose as the result of after knowledge. Not only are we to change our ways but we are to continue to walk in God’s way.
This act of repentance by faith sets in motion God’s gift of salvation and forgiveness through his son, Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21-28 says, “But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus. Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
We are now born from above, our spirits are renewed, and we are in fellowship with God our father who is spirit. John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” This is the just the beginning of our walk with our heavenly father.
Let us continue on this journey and take a closer look at Salvation.