Repentance, From Mom

Before we get all the wonderful  benefits of the verses from Tuesday...we need to repent of our sins.  We need to realize the necessity of a Savior.  Heaven and Hell are real.  There are only two options.  Accept Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf and step into the glories and joy of Heaven for eternity, or deny our need, deny His sacrifice, deny Who He is and what He has done and fall into the eternal suffering of Hell.  Blunt?  Yes.  True?  Yes.  Repentance brings a change of heart...brings us into the kingdom of Christ.  Repentance brings a turning away from our own ways and into obedience to God...we grow, we mature, we shine.

Matthew 3:1-2  In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Matthew 4:17  17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Repentance is a decision that results in a change of mind, which in turn leads to a change of purpose and action.  There is no birth into the kingdom without the salvation that comes from turning from sin to Christ.  Acts 3:19  Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

There is no growth in the kingdom without obedience to Jesus' commandments and a childlike responsiveness that yields to the teaching of God's Word.  James 1:21-25  21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.  22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

There is no lifelong increase of fruit as a citizen of the kingdom without a willingness to accept the Holy Spirit's correction and guidance.  Ephesians 4:30   And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Mark 1:14-15  Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. 15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

John 3:1   There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”  3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,  you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”  9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.  10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Mans, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

2 Chronicles 7:14  14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

Acts 2:38-41  38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”


From me.

Repentance is the start of our Christian life.  It also reflects our walk with the Lord, in that we agree with Him when we sin and we confess that sin as wrong.  It is part of the "working out our salvation with fear and trembling" mentioned in Philippians 2:12.  We work with the Holy Spirit to learn what pleases God and we walk in obedience to His leading.  Not only does this glorify God, but it brings us joy, peace and growth.  And I'm all for joy, peace and growth in my life.  Repentance is a good thing.  It's not something to fear, and it's not something to weight us down with guilt and condemnation.  It's meant to turn us to a beautiful freedom that only comes with obedience to Jesus.

Thank You Lord for working repentance out in our hearts!  We pray for our friends and families, and all who read this who need to make the first step in repentance....accepting You as Lord and Savior.  Help us to be a light by leading lives that show the fruit of repentance.  In Jesus' saving Name.  Amen.

Repent!