The Good News & New Life

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:28 ESV

The truth is, "'for we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God. "Romans 3:23. Born into sin, because of the great fall that took place in the Garden of Eden, Eve and Adam was tempted and lost the right standing with God. The GOOD NEWS is God is so merciful; he didn't leave us that way. We read in, Romans 3:25-26 " Jesus’ God-given destiny was to be the sacrifice to take away sins, and now he is our mercy seat because of his death on the cross. We come to him for mercy, for God has made a provision for us to be forgiven by faith in the sacred blood of Jesus. This is the perfect demonstration of God’s justice, because until now, he had been so patient holding back his justice out of his tolerance for us. So, he covered over the sins of those who lived prior to Jesus’ sacrifice. And when the season of tolerance came to an end, there was only one possible way for God to give away his righteousness and still be true to both his justice and his mercy—to offer up his own Son. So now, because we stand on the faithfulness of Jesus, God declares us righteous in his eyes!"

Thank you, God, for sending Jesus, the atonement for out sin. Our debt of sin has been paid once in for all, by faith we can receive his blood as a sacrifice and payment to cover us. The blood of Jesus washes away all our sin. Hallelujah!

Prior to Jesus, the Jews practiced Jewish law, they received forgiveness once a year, by going to the temple, and the high priest would burn an offering (often a spotless lamb) to atone for the sins of the people. Now, we no longer need to receive forgiveness through a "holy man" but directly through the Lamb himself, Jesus the Messiah.

Repentance is needed in order to receive forgiveness. Repentance takes place in the heart. The condition of the heart must be sincere remorse. Repentance is when you change your mind, and the direction of where you were once going. True repentance looks like making a 180 degree and choosing to no longer follow sin. How we think, effects how we live. When we truly regret sin, and decide to follow Jesus, we are promised the gift of the HOLY Spirit. In John 14:26,"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." The Holy- Spirit is also referred to as the helper, it is the spirit of Jesus that dwells within the believer to empower the believer to live a life pleasing to the Father. The Holy-Spirit's work is to bear fruit in us. "22But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)

Galatians 5:16 (TPT) "Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life." Galatians 5:17 (TPT) When your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit, you hinder him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your self-life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit.

There is a baptism that takes place in the spiritual realm, our old life is crucified with Jesus Christ, and our new life begins. Jesus and his followers like John the Baptist, and other disciples encourage water baptism as a public sign of crucifying our old life of sin and becoming a new. We have been made righteous through faith, its a free gift. Not by works, can we become righteous. "Yet through his powerful declaration of acquittal, God freely gives away his righteousness. His gift of love and favor now cascades over us, all because Jesus, the Anointed One, has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin!"(Romans 3:24 TPT)

God love us so incredibly much, that he sent his Son to reconcile us back to him, giving us a right standing, and closing the gap of separation sin caused. Now we receive our great inheritance, to call God, ABBA our heavenly father, who promises us a life of eternity with him, forever and ever. John 3:18 (TPT)"So now there is no longer any condemnation for those who believe in him, but the unbeliever already lives under condemnation because they do not believe in the name of the only Son of God." Today, i encourage you by the Holy-Spirit, to not let one more minute pass you by, "For this is the day of Salvation"

Reference:

John 3:16 (TPT)

For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.

2 Corinthians 6:2 (TPT)

For he says, I listened to you at the time of my favor. And the day when you needed salvation, I came to your aid. So can’t you see? Now is the time to respond to his favor! Now is the day of salvation!

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for sending

your Son, to take the penalty of sin and death from me, by the blood that was

sacrificed and poured out. I receive your blood as an atonement. Thank you for

washing me white as snow. Thank you I am raised to life and am a new creation

in you. I receive you to be my Salvation and Lord. Thank you for your Holy

Spirit, guide me into all truth. Amen.