2021 Daily Devotion - Day 331

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My mentor, Dr. James Kallas, used to say the book of Acts did not really have the right title. It is called “The Acts of the Apostles”, but Dr. Kallas said it should be called “The Acts of the Holy Spirit Forcing the Apostles to Act”. This is true, and you see it time and time again in the book of Acts. Jesus told the early church to “go and make disciples of all nations”, and yet the early church just tried to reach fellow Jews in Jerusalem with the Gospel. But over time, the Holy Spirit showed them Gentiles (non- Jews) could become believers in Jesus as well. And over time, churches were planted in places like Ephesus and Corinth. In one of many similar examples, the Apostles must see for themselves that Gentiles were becoming believers, and in Acts 11 we see their reaction:

Acts 11:18 ESV
When they heard these things, they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

But for us today, in the beginning of Lent, this response reveals the origin of repentance. God is the one who granted repentance to them and to all of us. It is His power working in us which leads to repentance. If repentance were something we do, we would call it “works righteousness”, which means trying to be righteous before God by our own efforts. But God is the author of repentance and we cannot take credit for it. Just because it happens through you by the power of the Holy Spirit, doesn’t mean it happens by you. So, as we focus on repentance this Lenten season, we must remember it comes from God – He gets all of the credit.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, prevent us from committing the sin of thinking our repentance is our own doing. If it were left to us, we would never repent, but continue in our rebellion against You. In Your grace, You have provided this tool of repentance to open the door to the forgiveness and mercy we have in Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
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