Page 36 - GRACE
P. 36

Jesus, The Source of Grace


                               Peter had confronted the people with a moral fact:


                                     “Therefore  let  all  the  house  of  Israel  know
                                     assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom
                                     you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when
                                     they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said
                                     to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and
                                     brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to
                                     them,  “Repent,  and  let  every  one  of  you  be
                                     baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the
                                     remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of
                                     the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to
                                     your children, and to all who are afar off, as many
                                     as the Lord our God will call. And with many
                                     other  words  he  testified  and  exhorted  them,
                                     saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
                                     Then  those  who  gladly  received  his  word  were
                                     baptized; and that day about three thousand souls
                                     were added to them” (Acts 2:36-41).


                               Here we see that repentance was the access-point for about
                               three thousand people who came into God’s Kingdom of
                               the grace of God. It was not enough for Peter to preach a
                               powerful  message  that  day.  There  was  need  for
                               corresponding response from his hearers. And what was
                               sought was not for the people to marvel at the eloquent and
                               fiery message of Peter, or for the people to line up to get a
                               copy  of  the  message  or  sermon  notes.  The  pivotal
                               experience that day was that the people saw the need for



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