SUBJ: Conversion as the result of repentance, distinguished from regeneration, as an act of will in those who have experienced regeneration and heard the Gospel call to come to Christ.

AIM: To set forth the manner of operations of God in bringing many sons unto glory with a view toward a responsiveness in His people to the precepts of eternal life.

INTR: We are aware of the occurrences recorded in chapter 2 and the exhortation to repent as a response to those whose hearts had been pricked with their guilt. The command stands and we are to be attentive to it both as unbelievers and as believers who would be reminded of our state in Him.
1. The setting here brings us to a repeat of both the charges (crucifying Christ) and the exhortation to repent.
2. While the crowd here is essentially Jewish, and they will be reminded of their own heritage, there is no difference as to the need that all face in the view of coming judgment.
3. So, we will explore the directives of Peter here as to what must be believed, what they must do about it, what to expect as a result of it, and the ground upon which true hope is established.

THESIS: There is no doubt that God’s intended purpose for all His chosen will be realized and each of them will have repented of their sins and will have turned from this world and its idols to serve the living and true God.

I. What they must believe
1. That this same Jesus who had been before preached to them was indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life.
2. That this Jesus is the seed of Abraham promised centuries before and which promise is to the assurance of all who come to Him.
3. That this (remembering their Jewish heritage) was the Prophet of whom Moses spoke: I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deuteronomy 18:18. The same is quoted in v. 22.
4. That it will be He who will effect the restitution of all things and that He is even now in Heaven awaiting the time.
5. If indeed He is the Holy One of Israel and He is the Only begotten Son of the Father, it is essential that they believe He is to be worshipped.

II. What they must do
1. It is here that many err in one way or another: the one in believing that repentance merits salvation and the other in believing that salvation can occur apart from it – sin must be dealt with in being removed from the sight of God as well as from the affections of the truly penitent.
2. Repentance is the beginning of conversion in that a turning is happening – it is the gift of the Spirit, but the Spirit does not repent for us.
3. To be converted: In a theological or moral sense, a change of heart, or dispositions, in which the enmity of the heart to God and his law and the obstinacy of the will are subdued, and are succeeded by supreme love to God and his moral government, and a reformation of life. 1828.
4. Consider the example of the Thessalonians: 7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10.
5. They/we are to hear Jesus and we note the mandate of in v. 22b – to attend to His dictates, to submit to His Lordship and His salvation, and to come in the way of full trust unto Him seeking to honor Him in all ways.

III. What to expect
1. This is not “what am I to get out of it.” It is rather the deliverance from the wrath to come and the condemnation rightly deserved.
1) The assumption may be made that in view of the foregoing in repentance the judicial matter of sin is to be considered.
2) So, what of the record? It is blotted out!
2. The idea of blotting out is not from our perspective but from that of God – 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews 10:16-17.
3. The word here is that repentance brings remission and the forgetfulness of God to bear. Sins are legally dealt with in Christ – remission makes applications to the heart and mind of the believer – not repentance, no remission.
4. We the hope of: Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:30.

IV. What Grounds do we have?
1. All the prophets from Samuel and beyond have spoken of these days – the Gospel message has resounded down through the ages declaring the coming of Christ and the salvation He brought and we have the message now that it is finished.
2. The very thing with which they were charged had accomplished the salvation of all them who would repent and be converted – It is in His name through faith in His name (v. 16)
3. It was unto them first that Jesus was sent (v. 26) note that the way of blessing them would be to turn them from his iniquities – is still doing it!