“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.”
Acts 13:38-39
Every once in a while, I think it’s good to have a simple reminder of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t get much clearer than these verses from Acts 13. Take a moment to re-read these verses and meditate on them. Take a moment to try to comprehend the full gravity of these two sentences. Take a moment to thank God for the salvation that comes from Jesus.
The truth of the gospel is this: through Jesus, the son of God, forgiveness and mercy are offered to everyone. Anyone who believes in him, in the sacrifice that he made, and in the salvation that he offers, will be redeemed and made perfect just as Jesus was perfect. Not that this could be earned or accomplished by any man, but by Jesus alone, and offered to us as a free gift.
Alone we are powerless to achieve the holiness, righteousness, and justification that would be required to live in communion with God, who is perfectly holy, righteous, and just. Alone, we are sinners. The consequences of sin are always death. Through Jesus, we don’t have to achieve perfection, we are invited to join with him in his own. Through Jesus, we don’t stand condemned to death for our sins as we deserve, but we walk free of all charges, cleared on the testimony of the Holy Spirit that our debt has been paid, that we have died with Christ and now live in newness of life eternally with God.
No sin is greater than the grace of God through Jesus. No person is disqualified from the salvation that Christ offers.
Friends, our God, the creator of the universe, perfect, holy, and all-powerful, wants you. He loves you. He sacrificed the life of his own son for you, that you too may become his child.
Repent and believe the gospel. Salvation is for you. God is calling you. God does want you. Find a church, confess, be baptized, and live eternally with God and all the saints by the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank you for the powerful message of the gospel. Thank you for the incredible weight of the gift that Jesus offers us. There’s nothing I could ever do to be worthy on my own, but I know that through Christ I have been made one of your own children. I am so grateful to be yours. Forgive me for my sins, and bring me to eternal life with you one day.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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