“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
That times of refreshing may come from the Lord…
Wow. That sounds so good. I want that. I long for that…times of refreshing from the Lord.
How do we get there? How do we make the times of refreshing from the Lord a reality in our lives? The pathway to times of refreshing is paved through repentance and turning away from a life of sin and turning to God.
One of the confusions of our modern culture and Christianity is that people want all of God’s forgiveness without God’s holiness. The cross of Jesus wasn’t about accepting our lifestyle as it is. It is about transforming our lives.
In John 8, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees bring before Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery. The teachers of the law and Pharisees declare that the Law of Moses demands that such a woman be stoned to death, and they ask Jesus what he thinks about that. Jesus said, “Let any of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). And, of course, no one does.
After everyone has departed, imagine if Jesus told the woman, “Hey, go back and keep doing what you’ve been doing? Keep doing you? Do what makes you happy. That’s what God wants – you to be happy. Let’s celebrate you!!!”
That would be ludicrous.
Over and over again, you will find Jesus declare, “You are forgiven. Now, go and sin no more.”
That times of refreshing may come from the Lord…
How do we get there? Through repentance and turning away from sin. That’s how we are transformed.
Praxis: Faith in Action 