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The Joy of Repentance |
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“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15) It is interesting that the Lord began His ministry on the earth with this exhortation. At that time, when so few people had the knowledge of the signs of the times and the imminent ushering in of the Kingdom of God, Christ Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God was at hand and that his hearers were called to repent and believe. Jesus’ preaching on repentance followed the groundwork laid by John the Baptist, who preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Note that John’s message was that sins were removed from our charge by our repentance. John pointed the way to the new covenant, and Christ obviously fulfilled the ministry of John. What is Repentance? It is sad that in today’s society, repentance has a rather negative connotation. We hear people say that others need to repent or face the judgment of God, but how rarely do we hear someone say that they have been blessed by a deep repentance? In the Hebrew scriptures, the word repent means to regret something. The Hebrew word naw-kham’ (Strong’s 5162) is derived from roots meaning to sigh or breathe heavily. When it “repented the Lord that He had made man” (Gen. 6:6), God was asking Himself why he had gone to the trouble. The word is used in several other instances, including Ezekiel 24:14, where God stated that Jerusalem had rejected Him for so long that “I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent…” The situation was so bad that Israel had to face the consequences. The common understanding that repentance involves regret for mistakes comes from naw-kham’. A second Hebrew word is translated repent in a few instances. This word is shube (Strong’s 7725); it means to turn back. Spiritually speaking, shube means to stop going in a particular direction, turn around, and go in the other direction. In Ezekiel 18:30, God warns the house of Israel to “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” In the Greek, the word for repent is met-an-o-eh’-o (Strong’s 3340). Like shube, it means to reverse a previous decision or to think differently (mentally turn around). John the Baptist preached the remission of sins through repentance (Mark 1:4). Jesus preached “Repent: for the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) Peter preached “Repent ye therefore, and be converted.” (Acts 3:19) Paul wrote that an earlier letter helped the Corinthians to gain a godly repentance.(2 Cor. 7:10). These and many other instances in the scriptures indicate that God expects His people to repent when we are led astray or otherwise commit sin. When is Repentance Necessary? We were born into a world in which the forces of light and darkness struggle each day to influence human activity. As humans, we are sometimes influenced to do the wrong thing even though at the time it seems like the right thing to do. On other occasions, we know the right thing to do, but we choose to do something else. In either case, we can sense that we have placed a blot on our soul and made it a little less easy to receive the spiritual nurture that God has for us. The normal terminology for this state is having a weight on our conscience or sometimes having a guilty conscience. The latter term is used more often when a sin we have committed wronged another person. It is not possible to overstate the insidiousness of sin. A single sin (or a pattern of sinfulness) is much like a copperhead fixed onto our hand. The fangs continue to pump venom into our bloodstream, gradually darkening our spiritual understanding. We find that we are unable to do the right thing because of the snake. While in this state, we usually have a limited number of options. The most common option is to wait out the snake. This option involves hoping that time will take care of whatever the problem is. She will forget what I did to her. Better people have done worse things. Some people use a false spiritual analogy to wave off the problem. A relative of mine once said that because he had been sanctified, God did not care that he had committed a serious (and public) sin. The venom is working. The advantage of this option is that it requires no action on our part. The disadvantage, which is usually overlooked, is that the root cause of the problem remains in place in our innermost beings – making it more likely that we will repeat the same mistake in the future. The less common choice is victory over the snake. Just as Paul cast off the snake that bit him on Melita, we have a way to stop the influx of venom into our souls. At first glance this option sounds compelling, but it involves walking the narrow path which few people find. It involves repentance. Why Repentance? In order to fully understand repentance, we first must understand the nature of sin. God created thee in His image (Gen. 1:27 Note “both male and female”). The adversary seeks to separate thee and keep thee separated from God. Satan does this through sin, especially through a pattern of repeated sin. The presence of sin in our lives makes it less likely that we have communion with God and experience His continuing revelation of Himself to us. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) The works of the devil include those things in thy life which keep thee separated from God. The devil is responsible for the sin in thy life, whether he tricked thee into it or whether thee chose it in a moment of weakness. Jesus wants to destroy those things and make thee a new creature in Him. Jesus wants thee to repent because the power of His resurrection has provided thee with the strength to obtain this victory. Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Mt. 4:17). Repentance is one of the key means used by Christ to bring thee back to the narrow path. Through repentance, He baptizes thee afresh, eradicates the blots on thy soul, and restores thee to full communion with the Father. Some repentance is more of a searching, persevering trial than others; if it were easy, it would involve self-control rather than temperance As is often heard, repentance includes a rejection of past erroneous decisions, a conviction not to walk in that way again, and a dedication to “walk as children of Light” (Eph. 5:8). It also involves the subjugation of the self and the ego, the willingness to admit serious wrongdoing to the Lord or to others as appropriate, the need to ask for or give forgiveness, and the willingness to make amends if the situation warrants. The inward transformation we experience through repentance leads us to the everlasting life we receive from Jesus. Those who know about this inward transformation know that it takes special assistance to maintain this life. Paul wrote to the Philippians that he sought to “be found” in Christ, “that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death.” (Phil. 3:8-10) If we truly know Christ Jesus, we also know that without the power of His resurrection, we cannot find the victory over the sin and troubles of our lives. His offer of repentance gives thee opportunity to be made conformable to His death. The Joy of Repentance Repentance is a prerequisite of sanctification. No person can attain a high degree of holiness without purposefully casting off sins (or patterns of sinfulness), which paralyze spiritual growth. God wants thee to experience sanctification – the process through which we, ever learning from the indwelling Holy Spirit, are schooled in Kingdom living and become holy people (see 1Thes. 4:3). Repentance is not a matter of opinion; but of experience. God seeks to create in thee a new person to bring glory to Him. Jesus uses repentance to get thee back to new life and reinforce thy dedication to Him. Repentance makes it possible for thee to know the joy of leading a life pleasing in God’s sight and to recognize that He is with thee in each moment, guiding thee away from the snares of the tempter. Experiencing repentance makes it possible for thee to truly say, “To me, to live is Christ.”
Seth Hinshaw
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