Acts 17:30 – “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent…”

There was a time when God shut His eyes to paganism. Now light has come into the world. God asks men everywhere to turn to Him. Light creates responsibility. Now God is commanding all men everywhere to repent. He has presented God as the Creator in His past work. He shows God as the Redeemer in His present work. Now he shows God as the Judge in His future work. Having exposed the folly of idolatry, Paul goes on to state that for many centuries God overlooked the ignorance of the Gentiles. But now that the good news of the gospel has come, He commands all men everywhere to repent, that is, to do an about-face, to turn from your sin. This is often where many people make a critical error. Just because God is not judging them or chastening them at the moment, they think they are getting away with the sin in which they are involved with. What most fail to factor in, however, is the long-suffering of God. Listen, you make a serious mistake whenever you misinterpret the patience of God for apathy toward your sin. As Paul said, “God has been gracious. But now is the time to repent, to change your mind and change your current direction.”

Challenge:

What is holding you back from receiving the mercy God wants for you? You see, the enemy would love for you to think you are just fine and you do not need to talk to God about your sin. But this week’s verse clearly indicates that right now is the best time to repent from your sin. The correct response is to obey God’s command to repent of your sins. Do not delay in turning to the Lord for forgiveness. He is waiting for you with open arms, ready to free you by removing your sin. I challenge you this week to immediate repentance at the moment you sense the conviction for your wrong actions. When you have an evil thought toward someone, turn to God and ask Him to forgive you. When you covet the possessions of others and live in discontentment, come to the Lord and ask Him to change your heart and bring your desires in line with His will. Do not wait. Grace is available to you at any time and God is waiting for you to ask Him for forgiveness. This is the reason Jesus went to the cross for you, so you could live totally freed from all your sin. God is not far away, and you can have close fellowship with Him. In fact, every day you must depend upon Him for your life and breath. Your loving Creator has sent Jesus Christ to demonstrate His love for you. It is your responsibility to respond to His Son and to follow Him. May God bless you.