Acts 3:18-21 AMPC
Thus has God fulfilled what He foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ (the Messiah) should undergo ill treatment and be afflicted and suffer. [19] So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord; [20] And that He may send [to you] the Christ (the Messiah), Who before was designated and appointed for you-even Jesus, [21] Whom heaven must receive [and retain] until the time for the complete restoration of all that God spoke by the mouth of all His holy prophets for ages past [from the most ancient time in the memory of man].
Truly there is a time for everything, as we read in Ecclesiastes chapter 3.
Right now, ever since the Resurrection of Jesus, we are in the time for repentance.
God's Door of Salvation is wide open.
But it's never a "blanket" salvation, covering everyone,
regardless of belief or behaviour.
No, it takes a conscious decision, a change of mind and will to walk through that open Door into the saving arms of the Lord.
It's a walk into freedom, not into a straitjacket of legalistic restrictions!
Look at the blessings received by turning to Jesus....
Sins are not only forgiven, but erased and blotted out - wow!
Do I really take this onboard? It sounds just too good to be true.
Yet the fact is, that God's ancient plan was for Jesus to be our sin-bearer.
We can live guilt free in Jesus.
Not only guilt free, but the Holy Spirit brings times of refreshing, blessed relief from the heat of trials.
Yes, trials are precious and strengthen faith and endurance, but those times of refreshing, after we've gone through something painful, are so amazing.
Peter proclaims that there is a time up ahead when God will completely restore everything to perfection under the Kingship of the Lord Jesus.
Grab this time for repentance with both hands and enter into the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus right now.
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