Times of Refreshing [Act 3:19]

Therefore, repent and return – so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of The Lord…

This verse comes from the second sermon that the apostle Peter preached. When he preached his first sermon, over 3000 people (mainly Jewish) were pierced to the heart and cried out to Peter and the other apostles – “Brethren, what shall we do?” 

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of The Holy Spirit.  So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about 3000 souls. [Acts 2:37-38, 41]

In both of his sermons, Peter told his audience how to respond to the Gospel message he proclaimed.

And he wasn’t the first to give this kind of response to those to whom he preached. Jesus and John the Baptist did as well. [Matt 3:2; 4:17]. Repentance is at the heart of the Gospel message. And as Jesus declared in the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount – it is the only way into the Kingdom of God. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [Mt 5:3-4]

The Greek word for “poor” conveys the thought of being completely bankrupt. When we accept that we are spiritually destitute as a result of our sin, we are provoked to cry out (to mourn) over what our sin has caused. This is what real repentance looks like. Understanding the Biblical meaning behind the words “repentance” and “return” can also enlighten one on how to respond appropriately to the Gospel message. 

Literally, the Greek word for repent means – to change one’s mind. The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament expounds even more – to have a serious change of mind (thought) and heart about a previous point of view or course of behavior. To “return” simply means to turn around or turn back. This speaks of a moral change in how one turns from his ways and returns to a point or area where he has been before. Paul testifies of this while on trial before King Agrippa -- 

After that, King Agrippa, I could not disobey the heavenly vision. But both in Damascus and in Jerusalem, through the whole of Judea, and to the Gentiles, I preached that men should repent and turn to God and live lives to prove their change of heart. [Acts 26:19-20 JB Phillips NT Translation]

Repentance is allowing our minds to be transformed to God’s way of thinking. Returning is when a change of mind leads to a change of heart that results in a change in direction. God has now faithfully wiped away all of our sin and has fully cleansed our hearts. The apostle John explains this further--

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [1Jn 1:9]

God wants to bring about a complete rest-oration of His presence in our lives. That’s what this word ‘refreshing’ means – to catch one’s breath or to experience relief from heat or exhaustion; to cool or relax; a relief from distressing or burdensome circumstances. How does and how can God bring all this about? Peter tells us that real relief can only come from the presence of The Lord [Acts 2:28; 3:19]. And he follows it with the greatest reward in this life and in the life to come – that He may send Jesus, The Christ appointed for you [Acts 3:20]. Now isn’t that refreshing?