Forgiveness of Sins

Readings:
I Chronicles 23
Acts 13:13-43

Focus:
Acts 13:38: "You must understand, my brothers, it is through him that forgiveness of sins is now being proclaimed to you."

This is the main thing that Christianity is about. Sometimes people think that Christians want other people to follow rules, or that they want other people to conform, or that they are trying to make other people be like they are. Perhaps there are some Christians with these mistaken notions.

But the real heart of Christianity is that when people put their faith in Jesus, then their sins are forgiven. Then they are able to have eternal life. The consequences of having faith in Jesus are eternal; they are about life and death. This is why Christians care whether or not other people are Christians; they are concerned about their eternal fate.

And everyone sins. Even little things like irritability towards someone who doesn't really deserve it, or selfishness, or failure to be friendly to someone lonely, even those things are sins. As a pastor I know says, we can't ask God to ignore those little sins and let us into heaven in spite of them. Think: would it really be heaven if it were filled with people who did those things?

So, Paul and Barnabas, and all the rest of the Christians through the ages who want to tell others about Christianity, don't just want to make others be like them. They want to proclaim forgiveness of sins.