TODAY'S VERSE:

Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
 
Imagine you are trapped in a 1,000,000 foot deep well. The sides of the well are slippery and after trying to climb out several times, you realize that it is impossible for you to get out on your own. So, you stop trying and call out for help. Luckily, God is there with a rope and helps you right out. This is the analogy we used in prep school to explain repentance. Repenting is admitting that we are helpless and hopeless and that we need God to save us!
 
God the Holy Spirit makes known to us that we are helpless and hopeless without Jesus Christ. He convicts us. He gives us “the rope” to get out of our “slippery well”. It is up to us to take hold of the “rope” – use our volition - and be directed by the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit gives us the power to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Repenting is turning away from slimy sin and turning to perfect God. This can be as an unbeliever in need of the Savior; or, it can be as a believer in need of getting back on the right spiritual track. In either situation, the person is turning away from sin and turning to God. God loves us so much. He wants a relationship with us; He wants us to believe in Jesus Christ. Then He can call us His children. Once we are His children He wants us to have a lifestyle of keeping our eyes on Jesus.
 
Hebrews 12:2 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith….

Being God’s children, we live under His abundant grace policy. We don’t deserve or earn what He so graciously gives us. God can give to us because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus Christ has paid for our salvation and every issue connected to sin. Believers are free to live in the spiritual life of grace! This is very foreign to our natural mind. Our flesh really wants to do works to prove to God that we are good. That won’t work! Only Jesus Christ could do and did the work on the cross that justifies the sinner. God has given us the ability through the Holy Spirit to put away the desires of the flesh. Also, sin is no longer our master but Jesus Christ is our Master! Yipee! Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can live in God’s abundant grace and have times of being refreshed!
 
Romans 6:6-7 Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

Our hearts have been changed because we are children of God; the Holy Spirit has poured out the love of God into us. Now that is refreshing! God’s love is perfect! The more of this love we really understand, the more we can rest in it when the doubts and fears come. God created us and loves us more than anyone can imagine. He wants us to set our minds on the things above (Colossians 3:2) and focus on Jesus Christ! Now that is a beautiful sight!
 
Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us.