First Church Charlotte

March 4, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms “Repent,” urged Peter, “and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). These divinely inspired words, spoken on the Day of Pentecost, the annual holy day that became the “birthday” of the New Testament church, show that repentance is the first prerequisite for receiving the Holy Spirit. “Repent” was the first command issued on the day the church was “born,” the first word used to answer the all-important question, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (2:37). The writer of the book of Hebrews places “repentance from acts that lead to death” (Hebrews 6:1, NIV) at the head of a list of six “elementary truths of God’s word” (5:12, NIV). Repentance is a part of the very “foundation” (6:1) of the true Christian faith, so is much too important to be glossed over or neglected to any degree. The importance of this essential doctrine is underscored by the fact that New T