UNDERSTANDING THE REMISSION OF SINS 1

Acts 3: 19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”. The word repent here is metanoeo in the Greek which means change of mind. Repentance therefore is a function of perception. Peter speaking in his sermon said change your mind. The people he spoke to had something else in mind about the miracle he had just performed at the beautiful gate. Peter before this statement above realized the ignorance there present and he said repent speaking to the people. Acts 3: 12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, “Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? 13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. 16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled“. The people marveled, they all thought it was by Peter’s power and holiness he healed the lame man, they never realized Jesus as the son of God, they did not know He is the Holy one and the Prince of life the prophets spoke about, they did not believe He was raised from the dead, they never knew faith in His name heals the sick. Peter realized all these and in his preaching he said repent (change your mind), giving them facts about Jesus Christ they didn’t know.

Acts 3:19 “Repeat therefore and be converted“. The word convert is epistrepho in the Greek which means to turn around or to turn returning to something. The word “and” is an adjective not a conjunction used to explain the verb repent. Peter therefore was saying turn around your mind in changing your thinking about Jesus when he said repent and be converted. Repentance is not preached without the word. Repentance is not change your behaviour (as many preacher preaches today), it is change your mind or thinking towards the word of God. “Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out…”. The term “that” (pros in the Greek) is ought to be “towards” as used in this context. It’ll make sense to see Jesus’s statement in Luke24:46-47 in comparison to how Peter preached. “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”. Repent therefore, and be converted towards, i.e. see this in the prophecy and by the prophets that the reason Jesus Christ died and rose again on the third day is that your sins may be blotted out. Verse 19 is the fulfillment of verse 18. Verse 18 “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled”. Peter therefore identified the prophecy, established its fulfillment in the person of Jesus and said towards those events, a change of mind in seeing the truth about Jesus (His death and resurrection fulfilled) will bring sins to be blotted out.

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…” The term “blot out” here is exaleipho in the Greek which means wipe out completely without trace. Paul describing the finished work of Jesus uses the same word in Colossians 2:13-14 “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross”. This word across the Bible is used for only God as a third party; for only God does something permanently. Revelation 7:17, 21:4, 3:5. If it is done by God, then the resurrection of Jesus and not repentance (which is manly) blots out sins. The resurrection of Jesus and the blotting out or cancellation of sin have the same effect. The only reason why the blotting or cancellation of sin will be faulted is if the resurrection of Jesus is equally conditioned. Jesus Christ raised from the dead was what took sins away forever. Peter basically preached the resurrection of Jesus. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”. The word “when” here is used for manner to mean “in this same manner” (hopos in the Greek). The word refreshing is anapsyxis in the Greek which means recorvery of breath or revival of life. In other words, the blotting out of sin will be the believer of the Gospel of Christ having the same vital experience as Christ. Christ is raised from the dead and we have refreshing. It says, the blotting out of sin is the same manner as Christ being raised from the dead. In His life we’re revived. The word time is kairos in the Greek meaning moment but he pluralized it. So it means that there is one resurrection of Jesus but there will be millions and billions of refreshing (as many as will believe) in that same manner. From His life, we are raised from Spiritual death to Spiritual life. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”.

The term presence of the Lord is a phrase used for the resurrection of Jesus. The presence of the Lord in the New Testament is a term used for the appearance of Jesus from the dead. Acts 2:31-32 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. The term presence is prospon in the Greek which means appearance from somewhere. The presence of the Lord is the appearance of Jesus from the dead. The term prospon is also used for the appearance of Jesus through the Church, which we call  the second coming of Christ. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”. In other words, from the appearance of Jesus from the dead comes our own revival and that revival is the blotting out of sins. There is a sending forth of Jesus from the dead for remission of sins as foretold by the prophets. Acts 3: 20-21 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. Jesus is alive, He lives in every believer.