March 19, 2025 - Acts 3:26 - Sent to Bless

Acts 3:26

"Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."

This verse highlights the gracious, sovereign, eternal purpose of God in sending His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, into the world to save wretched, iniquitous sinners. It emphasizes that God, in His sovereign will, exalted the LORD Jesus, not only as the promised Savior of Israel but also as the One Who blesses by turning sinners from their sins. The idea of "turning away" suggests the active work of God first in the putting away of their sins at the cross, but also in granting them repentance toward God, even faith in the LORD Jesus (Acts 20:21). Salvation is the work of righteousness initiated by God the Father before the foundation of the world and carried out by Christ alone to satisfy His law and justice— for God to be just and justify each of His elected ones.

The doctrine of God's sovereign grace in Christ teaches us that salvation is entirely the work of God—from His choosing to His redeeming and justifying to calling and transforming them as objects of His grace—and not based on human effort or merit in any way (Titus 3:3).

Who are those God sent His Son to bless?

It is those for whom He paid the debt at Calvary, shedding His precious blood, and because of the perfection of His work, raising Him from the dead and receiving Him back into glory, where He ever lives to intercede for those for whom He paid the debt. "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25). “To you first...” Those of Jewish descent who were the chosen seed in Christ, not all, but the remnant according to the grace of God, elect in Christ before the foundation of the world , and for whom Christ came, lived, died, and rose again, Romans 1:16, 9:6, 11:5. "To you FIRST” signifies others who would follow. Just as those that God called out first, who were chosen by God in His grace, so others would follow, not just of the Jewish fold, but of the Gentiles, sinners from every tribe nation, and tongue for whom Christ paid their sin debt. "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16).

How has He blessed those for whom He came and paid the debt?

The answer is clear! In turning away every one of them from their iniquities. Blessed Redeemer! There is, therefore, NOW, no more condemnation for sin. So complete was the work of the LORD Jesus, that upon completion of His death, and God raising Him from the dead, His people were once for all and forever redeemed, justified, and sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:30,31). So complete was His work in turning away their sin from them, and laying it upon His Son, that there remained nothing but righteousness to impute to their account.

Titus 2:14

"Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works"