“And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:42-43
The Bible plainly teaches us that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). But how can sinners like you and me stand in that judgment? We have come short. We have sinned. We have failed. We indeed stand guilty and condemned on the basis of our lives and works. Cf. Rom. 3:8-23.
The Bible says, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” (Psalm 130:3). But, thankfully, for sinners like you and me there is hope. The Word of God does not stop there. It goes on to say, “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Psalm 130:4; cf. Rom. 4:24ff.).
Jesus commanded His disciples to preach unto the people not only that He was ordained and appointed of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. They were also to preach the truth to which all the Old Testament prophets had testified: “That through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” (Cf. Psalm 130:7-8; Isaiah 11:10-12; 44:22; 53:1-12; Daniel 9:24ff.; Joel 2:32; Micah 7:18-20; Zech. 13:1.)
And, as we learn from Acts, chapter 10, this message of forgiveness of sins through faith in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus was not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles also. Jesus died for the sins of all people, regardless of descent, race or nationality.
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). By His holy life and innocent sufferings and death, Christ reconciled the entire world of sinners to God. Every one of us can take comfort in the message that God, for Jesus’ sake, no longer holds our sins against us but reaches out to us in love and mercy and with forgiveness. And through faith in Christ Jesus, that forgiveness — that remission of sins — becomes our own!
And not only is it ours. We have the great privilege of proclaiming that remission of sins in Christ Jesus to all people, regardless of race, color, background, upbringing, dress or wealth. God is no respecter of persons. Christ died for all, and God desires that all come to faith in Christ Jesus and be saved!
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins that I might be forgiven and stand acquitted before You on the Last Day. Move me to share that message of forgiveness with all people, everywhere. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible.]