What is the meaning of Acts 3:19? Repent Repentance is more than feeling sorry; it is an about–face toward God. Peter’s call echoes earlier appeals in Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized… for the forgiveness of your sins”. Jesus began His public ministry with the same word: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17). Genuine repentance involves: • Admitting guilt before a holy God (Psalm 51:3–4). • Grieving over sin as God grieves (2 Corinthians 7:10). • Resolving, by God’s grace, to abandon the old way of life (Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 55:7). then “Then” underscores urgency. Salvation is not a gradual negotiation but a decisive response to God’s offer (Hebrews 3:15: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts,”). The moment God convicts, that is the moment to act—delay risks deeper hardness (James 4:14). and turn back Repentance points away from sin; turning back points toward Christ. Peter is calling Israel to reverse course, just as the prodigal “came to his senses and got up” (Luke 15:17–20). The Thessalonians modeled it by turning “to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Practical markers of turning back include: • Confessing Christ openly (Romans 10:9–10). • Submitting to His lordship in daily choices (Colossians 2:6). • Engaging in fellowship, prayer, and Scripture (Acts 2:42). so that your sins may be wiped away God promises not a partial cleansing but a full erasure. Isaiah 43:25 assures, “I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions.” David prayed, “Blot out all my iniquity” (Psalm 51:9), and God answered that prayer ultimately at the cross: “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). In Christ: • The record of sin is erased (Colossians 2:14). • Guilt is removed (Romans 8:1). • Fellowship with God is restored (Hebrews 10:19–22). summary Acts 3:19 lays out a clear, gracious sequence: turn from sin (repent), do it without delay (then), reorient your life toward Jesus (turn back), and receive God’s total cleansing (sins wiped away). The verse invites immediate, wholehearted response and assures that every sin surrendered to Christ is forever erased. |
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