107 Coldren Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15904, United States
Upcoming Sermons & Devotional Message
March Sermons:
3-16 The Windows of Belmont
The Commandments
Exodus 20:3+4,7+8,12-17 Matthew 22:35-40
3-23 The Windows of Belmont
The Harvest
Psalm 103:8-13 Matthew 9:36-38
3-30 The Windows of Belmont
The Anchor
Psalms 119:9-16 Hebrews 6:18+19
Devotional Message : These will change 1-2 times a week. Stop by often to read the new message.
SOME THOUGHTS ON REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS
When we read the Bible, one criterion for forgiveness is repentance. The root word for repentance literally means to stop and turn around. The implication is that when we realize we’ve done something that's less-than-God’s-best for our lives, we stop, turn our lives in a different direction, and walk in the direction of God’s best. In that moment—a moment of honest confession and repentance—God forgives us.
In Acts chapter 3, after the Apostles Peter and John healed the lame beggar, Peter began to share the Gospel. Toward the end of his sharing, he told him what he needed to do to respond to what God was saying through him:
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19).
Let me illustrate what that means. Imagine that you’ve died and are awaiting God’s judgment. All your sins are listed on a whiteboard for everyone to see. God's out of the room—but when He enters and sees what you’ve done, it won’t go well. So—you approach the whiteboard and try to erase the worst sins—only to discover they’re written in permanent ink. They won’t erase, no matter how hard you try.
In that moment, we rely in the promise of scripture about Jesus:
“…if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins...” (1 John 2:1b-2a)
The word advocate means “one who defends” like a defense attorney. Then Jesus enters the room. He recognizes you. He knows you are His. He approaches the white board and pulls out an eraser dipped in His own blood. The moment it touches the whiteboard all your sins disappear, and the board is left without a mark as promised:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
That’s why Peter said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” With an offer like that, the number of believers grew to five thousand men plus women and children (Acts 4:4).
Do you want God’s forgiveness? It starts with repentance. Repenting doesn’t guarantee you’ll never sin again, but it does mean you’ve turned your heart toward God.
Bishop Jeff Greenway