Repentance to Life

<p>REPENTANCE TO LIFE </p> <p>Acts 11:1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3saying, “You went to be with uncircumcised men and ate with them!” 4But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning,</p> <p>Peter then tells them in the next seventeen verses about his visit to Cornelius and the message of God’s reconciliation of the whole world in Christ.</p> <p>I would like to focus on a significant statement made by the Jerusalem Christians in Acts Chapter eleven when they recognised God’s work of salvation for the household of Cornelius through the message of Peter – ‘18When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.’ (NKJV) The Jewish Christian leaders were initially hesitant about including Gentiles in the Christian community as many believed that Gentiles may need to fully convert to Judaism before becoming followers of Jesus. And now they have evidence from Peter that Gentiles have been included in God’s gift of ‘Repentance to life’ in Christ, going beyond John the Baptist’s repentance from sin. Repentance develops may I say evolves and advances us from one stage to a higher stage. Never seen this repentance to life before but always wished it was there! Well it is.</p> <p>‘Repentance from sin’ in the Old Testament challenged a person to recognise their sinfulness and to seek with all their will and determination to turn away from sin and to obey God’s Commandments and be devoted to him. Israel wasn’t able to obey the Commandments in their own strength, but God had provided the offering of blood sacrifices for them to receive forgiveness and mercy for their sins. Sin then sacrifice sin then sacrifice and on and on.</p> <p>But since the Holy Spirit has been sent into the world for everyone it has become his work to now bring everyone to the awareness of the