“But Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.’” Acts 16:37

Open Repentance

Perhaps you experienced a time when someone wronged you or said some hurtful words to you. Another person comes to you and says, “Oh, they didn’t mean anything by it. Don’t be so sensitive.” Or they make excuses: “She was just having a bad day. Can’t you just forget about it?” How does that make you feel? If the “apology” comes from someone else, do you believe it?

This is the scene in today’s reading. Paul and Silas have been beaten and imprisoned; an earthquake sent by God has released them from their chains, and the jailer, seeing God’s power and mercy in stopping him from taking his own life, has taken them into his own home, washed their wounds, and fed them. Now the ruling authorities have sent someone in their stead to tell Paul and Silas to leave town quietly.

Paul won’t have it. He has been wronged, jailed on trumped-up charges, beaten and bound even though he is a Roman citizen, which was against the law. He insists on a personal apology.

This is such a picture of how the kingdom of God operates! No one can repent for us; we must individually go to God and tell Him what we’ve done, and ask forgiveness. No one can take our place in interpreting the meaning of our sins before God. Nobody else can go to Him on our behalf and say, “She didn’t mean anything by it. Can’t You just forget about it? She’s not usually like that.” We have wronged Him, and we must own it. 

“Father, we pray that You would so convict our hearts that we voluntarily come and fall at Your feet asking forgiveness. We know that no one else can properly interpret our own heart and motives. Thank You for Your patience with us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”