Confidence in the Process

In John 14:26, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come when He left the earth. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are where we find the stories of Jesus’s life, from birth to death to resurrection. In Acts chapter one, Jesus ascends into heaven, and in the next chapter, the Holy Spirit shows up big time! Peter gets up to speak to a huge crowd to share the Gospel and lets them know this Holy Spirit will live in those who follow Jesus from then on.

Peter was with Jesus during His ministry and heard what the Lord said and told people. Now, he was seeking and wanting people to receive salvation. He was well prepared and answered with the hope that he had in Jesus. He told them that Jesus has paid for their sins and mistakes by His sacrifice, considering also that many of them may have been around to have seen Jesus on the cross.

Peter was very clear on what to do. The two terms may be old or religious words for some folks, but two thousand years ago, they sure seemed to understand what they meant. Peter told them to take two actions:

1. Repent
2. Be Baptized

Repent means to change, to turn toward a different direction. Repent means if you are living like the list in Galatians 5 of the sinful nature, you must change. This new life will start producing new fruit, the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Repentance is more than just something you say - it’s the fruit you will show in how you live.

Baptism simply means to dip or plunge in water. John the Baptist also tied these two actions together in preparation for Jesus’ ministry. Now, Peter has offered this transformation of becoming something new. He does not give much explanation, but he encourages new believers to be baptized after their repentance.

Just as Jesus died, was buried, and came back from the dead, we imitate Him as we obey the same Gospel. The old is gone, and the new has been born. Full of the Spirit of God, we don’t keep sinning to get grace because we died to that life and now have new fruit pouring out of our lives.

Once we have the Spirit of God living in us, there is no condemnation for our sins—past, present, or future. We can no longer be condemned to spiritual death. We are made alive! It’s the Good News of Jesus Christ that people needed then and still need today!

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)

We can get involved with Jesus in seeking and saving the lost by starting conversations to find out if someone is led by the Spirit or by the flesh. Notice Paul says if the Spirit of God lives in you - if you don’t have the Spirit of Christ, you do not belong to Him. Paul does not automatically know, and neither do we. So, let’s ask! Let’s seek and help folks get saved!

Respond

• Think about your circle of family and friends - who needs to hear about Christ living in you?
• Describe your plan for sharing.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me be sensitive to the spiritual condition of those around me—confident and ready to share Your sacrifice and love with them.