“And the times of ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (KJV, Acts 17:30-31).
“And the times of ignorance God winked at”
Father, I thank you for overlooking my times of ignorance. You have shown me a tremendous amount of mercy, and for that, I am thankful. When I lived in unbelief, I was ignorant. I did not know You, and I did not know Your Word. I was not aware of Your commands for me as I am today.
I can no longer say that I am ignorant. You have given me Your Word and turned on the lights. You have opened my eyes and allowed me to hear Your voice. By the power of the Spirit, You have illuminated the Scriptures and given me an understanding that I did not have before salvation.
I must never claim ignorance any longer. I am not unaware of the work of Christ. You have shown me the effort Christ went through to save me from my sin. I have been blessed with His love. Therefore, I must learn to respond like Paul, who was compelled by the love of Christ.
“but now commandeth”
You overlooked my times of ignorance, but now I must pay close attention to Your commands. Thank You for Your commands. They are good for me. Your commands reveal Your character. You would not tell me to do anything opposed to Your nature. You are a God of love, so You tell me to love. You do not lie, so You tell me always to be truthful. You are good and kind, and I must be likewise.
Sometimes I can think that Your commands are a burden for me. However, John has told me that Your commands are not burdensome. Therefore, I am convinced that sometimes I do not think as I should. Please transform me by the renewing of my mind. Help me to look at Your commands as life-giving, not life-taking.
“all men every where to repent”
Here I see that You have given a specific command. You tell all men everywhere to repent. Please help me to heed the command. Sometimes I can believe that I can repent whenever I want. In other words, I can think that sinning is not that bad because I can eventually choose to do the right thing. However, I pray that You will help me guard my mind. Teach me never to play with sin but to take every bit of Your grace and make the most of it.
Paul has said that repentance is a gift from You. At the same time, I am commanded to repent. Therefore, I must never believe that I can live however I want, and I will always be fortunate enough to be able to repent. Instead, I must stay near to You and turn from sin the moment it rises in my heart. So help me, Lord, I need You to rise for me this day and fight for my cause.
“Because he hath appointed a day”
You have appointed a day, Lord. You have appointed many days in Your Word. You appointed a day by which You brought forth creation. You appointed a day for the Israelites to seize the Promised Land. You appointed a day for Israel to be delivered from their captivity. You even appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah.
You are the God of appointments. You even brought forth Christ in the fullness of time to deliver those who were under the law. You alone are God. You are the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. Nothing can thwart Your plan. No man, the world, or all the demons of hell can rise against You and stop what You have predetermined to take place.
Satan thought He had won when the Son was crucified. But the crucified Christ won the battle and the keys of hell. The Philistines thought they had won when they took the Ark of the Covenant and placed it in the temple of their god. But You afflicted the people and cut off the head of their idol.
“in the which he will judge the world in righteousness”
Here I see that You have appointed the Day of Judgment. May I never think that this day will not come. May I never rest until I am absolutely assured of my salvation. Your Word has instructed me to examine myself to ensure I am in the faith. Thank You for Your guidance on this matter.
I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. I believe that Jesus is Lord and rose from the dead. I believe that He died for my sin on the cross.
However, my confession and belief will prove themselves if it is real faith. Therefore, You give me another test to go along with my confession. You tell me that a faith that does not produce works is dead. You tell me that a diseased tree brings forth bad fruit, but a good tree brings good fruit. Yet again, I am told, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matt. 12:35).
You will judge the world in righteousness. While my works will help me be assured of my salvation, they will never be sufficient. The reality is that I fail You often and fall short of Your perfect standard. I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness at all times. Please have mercy on me this day and bestow Your grace.
Nevertheless, I am encouraged that a righteousness apart from the law has been revealed. It is the righteousness of faith. You tell me that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for the one who believes and that the righteous will live by faith. Thank You for giving me a righteousness outside of myself. Thank You for the righteousness of Christ.
“by that man whom he hath ordained”
You have ordained Jesus to be the Judge of all the earth. All authority was given to Him after His resurrection. I am encouraged that Jesus, the One Who ever lives to intercede for me, will also be my Judge. In reality, I have been judged, and You have declared me “Not guilty.” You have forgiven me and justified me in Christ. Thank You for Your justificative work.
Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. He was Your Anointed One of Whom the prophets spoke. They looked forward to the day the mystery of Christ would be revealed. Thank You for revealing Christ to me.
“whereof he hath given assurance unto all men”
Father, I thank You for the assurance that You have given. You have assured me that Your Word is true. You cannot lie, and there are no errors in Your Word. Your prophets foretold many events, all of which have come to pass or will come to pass. Your Word was written over the course of fifteen hundred years, on three different continents, in three different languages, and by around forty different authors. However, there are no contradictions. The Bible tells the same story throughout, and each book builds on another.
I am taken aback by archelogy and the Bible’s claims being supported through their discoveries. But perhaps the most astounding element can be seen in how the Bible tells me who I am. I cannot hide from Your Word; instead, it is like a double-edged sword piercing my heart. It reveals my true character, and I am amazed by its living power.
“in that he hath raised him from the dead”
Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, and I can be assured of future judgment because of His resurrection. When I look to the resurrection, I know that there is life after death. I know there will be a day when I must stand before my Maker. I cannot hide from You. Death is inevitable, and so is immortality. Please help me to confirm my calling and election. In Jesus’ name, Amen.