God Grants Sinners Repentance

God requires repentance, but poor sinners are incapable of repenting. But with the coming of Christ, the Gospel message was finally preached, wherein forgiveness of sins was promised to all who repent.

Jesus commanded that repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in His name, trusting on His sacrifice by which He redeemed sinners from the judgment by His own blood shedding.

The Apostles immediately began to preach this Gospel of repentance and promised forgiveness at Pentecost. Peter's sermon that day amounted to this: you have killed Messiah, but God raised Him up from the dead just like He promised David! Now Jesus is exalted as Lord and Christ.

This left the listeners in a dangerous condition, for they had betrayed the Savior and with wicked hands had slain Him. They were shown to be traitors to Messiah, and their doom was obviously sealed.

But when they asked Peter what they should do, Peter preached exactly what Jesus had told him to preach: he commanded them to repent and be forgiven - forgiven by the very One Whom they had murdered!

A few days later, Peter preached a similar message to a different crowd, explaining that their betrayal of Jesus was according to God's plan described in the Old Testament to provide a sacrifice for sinners. He also cited to them Moses' prophecy of the coming of Messiah, and the promise of destruction to all who refuse to trust in Messiah's Gospel.

Next, Peter preaches to the wicked rulers and priests who had arrested him for preaching Christ's gospel. Peter's sermon discloses this fact: that repentance is given by Christ, as is forgiveness of sin. Christ is the Gospel, unifying repentance and remission of sin.