Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
An Eternal Gift
I used to think the whole repent and be baptized thing was a one-time deal. I figured you couldn’t double dip on God. Now though, I’m seeing this gift is one, as Cousin Eddy said in “Christmas Vacation”, “Is the gift that keeps on givin.” Thank God for that because I certainly keep on screwing up.
A Promise
The promise Peter tells us God has made to us and our children and all those far off is a pretty big deal too. You see I think there are people who are far off physically from us and God and then there are those who are far off spiritually. That can be every one of us including yours truly.
A Crazy Love
I need that gift to keep on being given. I need God to be the kind of maniacal re-gifter who has this crazy love for me. A love so big it lays down its life for me. The love of a father who cares so much for me that he sacrifices my brother to give it to me. A spirit that I can’t even fathom that will come into my life and make me whole and new and clean even when I continually mess things up and have to repent and receive it all over again.
The Requirement
I’m truly blown away by what I’ve been given and it costs me absolutely zip, nada, nothing. Except for this one thing, I guess. I have to love other people. I have to love other people the way my father, brother and the spirit show we how to love and I have to follow my brother because he’s shown me the way. He’ll lead me if I’ll just follow. For a logical, analytical person, that seems pretty reasonable doesn’t it? And yet, I still can’t hold the fort sometimes. So I must repent.
Repentance
I must be truly sorry and I must allow that healing water to wash over me once again. I know that my father’s not requiring some qualifying event. He’s not telling me he’ll do this for me “if”. He’s asking me to accept his gift. And what’s so hard about that?
Something to Think About
Why is it hard for us to say we’re sorry? Is it harder to apologize to people or to God? Which is more important? Which do you need to do today and every day?