Remission of Sins
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He said to them, Thus it is written, and accordingly it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
- Luke 24:45-47
Just before Christ’s ascension into heaven, He explained the necessity of His suffering, death, and resurrection—He gave the “why” behind His crucifixion. As He made clear, He had to endure that so all humanity could be given the chance to turn from the sin that held us captive, and so that our sin could and would be blotted out forever!
However, as believers, we are charged with a greater task than to just secure our own salvation. Jesus said, “…that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name….” Because we have experienced His amazing grace, and because our sins have been forgiven, we now have a divine obligation—a mandate—to boldly declare this message of repentance and remission of sin.
You may be thinking, “I can’t declare a message from God—I’m not called to preach.” Preachers have the opportunity to declare this message from a pulpit at most a few times each week. But every believer has the chance to proclaim it by the way they live every day. I am convinced that the most effective proclamation of the message of repentance is not in a church service, but by how Christians conduct themselves in their everyday lives. Our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, and this entire culture is our congregation, watching to see—and needing to see—whether you live out what you say you believe.
You don’t participate in activities or forms of entertainment as you did before. Your habits and patterns of behavior have changed—probably dramatically. You have a different point of view about life and the world around you. People need to see and realize that there is something different about you—and the difference is that your sins are forgiven and you are on your way to heaven. And when they ask you about it, you can tell them exactly why you are certain of it—that you repented of sin and received forgiveness from a gracious God, and they can, too.
I encourage you to go out into the marketplace—the world where you conduct your daily activities—and demonstrate a life characterized by the forgiveness and restoration you have received. Let the message of repentance and remission of sins be proclaimed unhindered in your life!
Lord, today is Your day, and I want Your will to be done. So, whatever happens, guide me, and let's face it together. Amen.
Further Reading
- Luke 24:45-47
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
- 1 Corinthians 15
