Power In The Name Of Jesus ( 2)
THE healing of the lame man by the gate of the temple, caused a stir all over the city. “All the people ran together” when they saw the lame man “walking and leaping and praising God.” Their amazement and wonder brought them from different parts of the temple and provided the opportunity for Peter to preach to them.
Peter first drew the attention of the people away from the healed man and from the Apostles. The explanation of the miracle was not to be found in any of them. The true Source and Author of the miracle was Jesus. The Name of Jesus had healed the man, proving that the risen Christ was still alive in heaven, exalted, honoured and glorified by God. Jesus, the One they had denied and crucified, had been raised from the dead by God, and given a Name above all names on earth and in heaven.
The same mighty Name that healed the lame man gave holy boldness to Peter. Peter’s boldness was remarkable as he charged the people that, ( 1) “delivered up” Jesus to the Gentiles for trial, ( 2) “denied Him in the presence of Pilate,” ( 3) “denied the Holy One and the Just,” ( 4) “killed the Prince of life.” And he boldly declared that this Jesus, God raised up and glorified. His glorious Name has now been given for our salvation, justification, redemption, healing, deliverance, sanctification, power and spiritual strength. These sinners who denied and crucified Jesus were guilty and must repent and reconciled to God. Christ now offered Himself to them as Lord and Saviour. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted.” After revealing the great evil of their sins to them, they were called to repentance. For their repentance to be meaningful and acceptable, there must be a definite change of heart concerning their sins, a practical turning away from their sins, a decisive separation from sinners with whom they sinned, a hatred for all sins and a whole- hearted faith and trust in Christ as Saviour and Lord. Christ had commanded that repentance be preached in His Name, by His authority, as He preached it, following His example, emphasising conversion — bringing forth fruit meet for repentance, that is, definite proof and evidence of repentance.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” The “restitution ( restoration) of all things” is also promised if there is genuine repentance. As for the nation of Israel, so also for the individual: no repentance, no refreshing; no repentance, no restoration of all things.
True repentance before God and faith in Christ will grant us remission ( Luke 24: 47), regeneration ( Titus 3: 5), reconciliation ( Ephesians 2: 14- 16), redemption ( Ephesians 1: 7), refreshing ( Acts 3: 19), resurrection ( Colossians 3: 1- 4), righteousness ( Romans 10: 9,10).