Peter’s words mirror Christ’s life model to the first converts at the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost.
Christ - Us
Death - Repentance
Burial - Water Baptism in Jesus Name
Resurrection - New Life filled with the Spirit of Christ, evidenced by speaking in a new language.
In order to bring salvation to men, Jesus died, was buried and rose again. When we come to Him, we come through the same process that he brought salvation to us. Peter preached it in the first sermon of the New Testament church on the day of Pentecost, when the New Testament church was born. In response to the question “What must we do?”, he preached in Acts chapter 2, verse 38 “Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Repentance is dying out to your old life. The British use the term repent like the US Army uses “about face.” It is a turning from your old life bound by sin to a new life of following Christ and His example. The scripture declares that we should “bring forth fruit meet for repentance.”
The apostles baptized new converts in Jesus name for remission of sins. Romans says we are “baptizedinto Christ.”
Acts 2:38 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 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 8:15-16 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Jesus told his disciples to “receive the Spirit” as he breathed on them, signifying the Spirit in Him was to be the Spirit in them, and it was the Spirit of God.
This promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2 when the church was born. Peter preached this was prophesied by Joel, in Joel 2:28. God wanted to pour out His spirit on all flesh, and they would speak with new tongues. Peter then laid out salvations plan to the gathered multitude when they asked: “what must we do?”. Peter told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, and they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise was unto them and to their children and unto all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord would call. The only promise contained in the promise of salvation was the promise of the Holy Spirit infilling them, as it had just filled the apostles and the 120 gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.
Living in Holiness
Hebrews 12: 14-16 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
