"Repentance, Forgiveness, and God's Amazing Grace"

“Repentance, Forgiveness, and God’s Amazing Grace”

 

“Then I asked, “Who are you, Lord?”  “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the Lord replied.  “Now get up and stand on your feet.  I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of Me.  I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”          Acts 26:15-18

 

What is SALVATION?  I believe that SALVATION includes:  REPENTANCE, FORGIVENESS, and GOD’S AMAZING GRACE.  I think Paul’s conversion, which took place on the road to Damascus is a GREAT example of what SALVATION IS.

 

The Apostle Paul was giving King Agrippa an account of his ENCOUNTER with Jesus Christ.  He told the King that he was NOT DOSOBEDIENT to the vision from Heaven.  Which means, of course, that Paul followed Jesus’ instructions.  I believe that when Paul fell to the ground and Jesus identified Himself, Paul REPENTED of his sins.  And I believe that he was FORGIVEN of ALL the blaspheming, violence, and persecution of the Church, and was shown MERCY and God’s AMAZING GRACE.

 

In other words, Paul didn’t receive what he deserved, which is MERCY, but he received blessings that he did NOT deserve, which is GRACE.  Jesus not only brought Paul out of the DARKNESS and into the LIGHT, but He set Him FREE from his bondage of sin and despair.  Then Jesus called Paul into His service of being a MISSIONARY of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ to the GENTILES.  To OPEN their eyes and to TURN them FROM DARKNESS into the LIGHT, and to RELEASE them from the power of Satan, to God, so they may RECEIVE FORGIVENESS of their sins and have a PLACE among those who are SANCTIFIED by their FAITH in Christ Jesus.

 

That is God’s plan of SALVATION for ALL mankind, REPENTANCE---eyes being OPENED, brought out of DARKNESS and into the LIGHT, and FORGIVENESS--- to NOT be held accountable for their sins.  And GOD’S AMAZING GRACE---to be SANCTIFIED by their FAITH in Jesus Christ, and to have an ETERNAL HOME in HEAVEN, and a place in God’s Family.  This is SALVATION, have YOU received it?   If NOT, you can NOW, and have the ASSURANCE of SALVATION.  To have that ASSURANCE, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for you, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  The CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and receive God’s AMAZING GRACE.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!