Summing it all up
Ponder: What does God require of us?
Scripture: “. . . that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:20 NKJV).
How does one become a Christian? How ought Christians to live? Paul summed it up in the passage cited above from Acts 26:20.
“Repent.” This word means to change the mind. Since sin originates in the heart/mind, solving our sin problem naturally involves changing our minds about sin. Repentance is not the same as being sorry. “Godly sorrow produces repentance . . .” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow motivates one to change the mind (that is, to repent).
“Turn to God.” Turn is often given in our New Testament as “convert.” “Repent therefore and be converted” (or, as the ASV translates it, “turn again”) “that your sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19). The turning (converting) point is baptism: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized . . .” (Acts 2:38). Repentance is a change of mind about sin; baptism is the point at which sins are forgiven.
“Do works befitting repentance.” One who has changed his mind about sin and has been washed clean in the blood of Jesus ought to live in such a way as to show that he is a changed person. We must not “continue in sin that grace may abound” (Romans 6:1). “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).
In short, God requires that we change our minds about sin. He stands ready to cleanse us from all sin when we obey Him in baptism. And He expects us to live like new creatures. A multitude of specific things are involved in being faithful Christians; perhaps this brief summary will help us to keep them in focus.
Song:”Did You Repent?”
Prayer: Gracious Heavenly Father, help us to be sorrowful for our sins, and may that sorrow lead us to change our minds about how we think and act. For those who have not yet obeyed the gospel, we pray they will do so before it is eternally too late. And for those who have obeyed the gospel, may we ever seek to glorify you by doing good works. We pray in the name of Christ, Amen.
Joe Slater (Justin, TX)