Repentance and Baptism

Acts 2:36-47

Our first Bible reading for this third Sunday of the Easter season, we will finish off the first sermon that the Apostle Peter preached to the crowds that had gathered there in Jerusalem.  Peter had preached that Jesus was indeed the chosen Messiah, that he had died, only weeks earlier, for their sins, and that God raised Him from the dead.  Peter’s message, anointed by the Holy Spirit, cut right into the hearts of his audience.  Under conviction, the people asked Peter what they were supposed to do (vs. 37).  When we hear a moving sermon that speaks to us or convicts us, we must then do something about it.   This crowd in Jerusalem didn’t tell Peter he preached a good sermon, and then go home the same as they had come.  No, they made a change in their life.  It’s not enough to just be sorry for our sins.  No, accept God’s forgiveness, and then live like forgiven people.  Like this group did when convicted by a moving message, ask God what He wants us to do, and then do it.

Peter then presented the simple Gospel message - repent, believe that Jesus died for your sins, and accept Him as the Messiah, the Savior.  He didn’t give some long, theologically complex and deep message.  He just presented Jesus, and told them they needed to repent (vs. 38-39).  To be saved one must repent, turning away from their carnal nature and the sins of their past, and turn towards Christ, and depend on Him for forgiveness, mercy, and salvation.  Repentance is more than just fearing the consequences of God’s judgment.  It is a change of mind and of purpose.  One who is truly repentant knows that evil and sin must be forsaken, and Christ embraced.  One turns from sin to God.

Many Bible scholars believe that verse 38 would be better translated “because of the remission of sins” rather than “for the remission of sins”.  Baptism does not forgive sins or save anyone.  We only need to look at the repentant thief on the cross to see that.  This man turned to Jesus and was saved in the last minutes of his life, so he had no opportunity to be baptized.  Yet Jesus said that he would be with Him in Paradise (Luke 23:39-43).  Genuine repentance, and calling upon Jesus for forgiveness of sins is what does save us.  After one has done that, and because of that, one is baptised.  Baptism is an outward sign, an acknowledgement of one’s faith and the inward change in one’s life, and is an act of obedience to the Savior, Jesus.  Through baptism one identifies with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

Peter’s salvation message, under the power of the Holy Spirit, brought 3,000 people to salvation that morning as verse 41 indicates!  Their hearts were open to God and His message.  They were saved, then baptized, and they joined the fellowship of the disciples and other believers.  For these early believers this was potentially risky, being baptized in the “Name of Jesus”, as indicated in verse 38.  Practically all of the early believers at this time were Jewish, and to join this group who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, could be very costly.  The Jewish religious leaders were still very hostile to believers in Jesus, and many of the believers were cast out of the synagogue.  Many of them were disowned by family members.  In a very short while, the Jewish establishment would start putting Christians to death.  

That didn’t stop the Holy Spirit from moving in many people’s hearts, and many more people came to profess faith in Jesus, as the remainder of our passage says.  Witnessing and sharing the Gospel to others was a daily thing (vs 47).  It was not limited to just on Sundays, or when it is convenient to do so, or when the topic came up in conversation on its own.  These early believers knew that they had the best message in the world, the message of salvation, and they wanted to let others know.  Threats from the religious leaders or family didn’t stop them.  Neither did the fear of death.  Are we that eager to get that same message out to those we know?  It is the only message of eternal importance.  Let’s get that message out so that we, too, can see people coming to the Lord daily.  And if you haven’t accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior yet, I urge you to let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart, as He did to those who heard Peter’s first sermon, repent of your sins, and call upon Jesus Christ as your Savior.