The Call of Repentance

“Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”

Acts 2:37-41 NASB1995

I was reminded of this passage as I shared the Gospel of Jesus the other day. The Gospel of Repentance is directed directly at the heart. So often, we are under the impression that we decide the reaction based on our ability, but that cannot be further from the truth. The Holy Spirit is alive and active in our lives and draws souls to Himself. Our words can be soft but, with the Holy Spirit, powerful. They also can be sweet, but with the Holy Spirit, pierce the unbeliever's heart. The call has stayed the same. Peter called out, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” This should still be our call till the Lord calls us home. The mission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lord, I pray that You use our words to pierce the unbeliever's heart and draw them unto you.

Pastor Benaiah Snider