Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. -- Acts 2:38 (KJV)
Peter's sermon did not end with applause. It landed in the chest. The people heard that God had made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ, and the crowd could no longer stand at a distance from the message.
They asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
A Clear Answer
Peter did not answer with a mood, a religious label, or a private interpretation. He gave them words they could obey. Repent. Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:38 is plain enough for a child and deep enough to carry a life. Repentance turns the heart toward God. Baptism calls on the saving name of Jesus. The Holy Ghost brings the promise from the upper room into the person who obeys.
The crowd came under conviction, and Peter opened the door.
The Promise Reaches Here
The next verse keeps that door from closing in the first century: "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off." Peter did not describe a short season of mercy. He announced a promise with reach.
That reach includes the child listening in a Sunday school room. It includes the adult who has heard pieces of the gospel for years and now feels the question press against the heart. It includes the person who wonders whether distance, time, or failure has placed them outside the invitation.
Ask how you would answer if someone you love asked, "What shall we do?" Say it with the courage Peter used and the mercy Jesus purchased.
The promise has a door, and Jesus put His name over it.
