DAILY BIBLE STUDY - REPENTANCE What Does it Mean to Repent? Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. What were the first words in His message? “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” {Study - Matthew 4:17 KJV}. Jesus was not suggesting repentance here, He was commanding it. Indeed, God commands all people everywhere to repent {Study – Acts 17:30 KJV} because repentance is a prerequisite to seeing and entering the Kingdom of God. those who don’t repent cannot be saved; they will perish in their sins. “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” {Study - Luke 13:3 KJV}. Those who justify their sin by saying they will simply repent afterwards do not understand repentance. Repentance is not a penance for quilt or a quick prayer for forgiveness. Repentance is a complete brokenness, a change of heart, and a detest of one’s sin. “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin” {Study - Ezekiel 18:30 KJV}. Those who sin willfully, knowing the commandment of God, risk enslavement by their sin and the very real possibility that they will not be able to repent {Study – Hebrews 6:4-6 KJV}. We see this in the example of Esau, who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for some bread and a bowl of lentil stew {Study – Genesis 25:34 KJV}. “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” {Study - Hebrews 12:17 KJV}. Judas also, when he had betrayed Jesus regretted his actions but found no way out: “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself” {Study - Matthew 27:3-5 KJV}. Jesus’ words “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” {Study - John 17:12 KJV} tells us that Judas was lost and would not be saved. True repentance means grieving over our sin (which God hates) and coming to the sobering realization that it was our sin that put Jesus on the cross. The KJV Bible calls this godly sorrow, and it leads to salvation. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” {Study - II Corinthians 7:10 KJV}. Godly sorrow must occur before a person is ready to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. Until a person realizes the condemnation of his sin, he will not see the need for a Savior. Jesus told some who were healed by Him to “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” {Study - John 8:11 KJV} and “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” {Study - John 5:14 KJV}. Repentance is a change of mind that involves turning away from idols in the heart and making a complete change of direction (180 degree) toward God. Ezekiel says, “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations” {Study - Ezekiel 14:6 KJV}. When a person changes his mind about sin, a change in behavior will naturally result. For example in the KJV Old Testament often showed outward evidence by tearing down idolatrous statues “And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD” {Study - II Kings 11:18 KJV}. In the KJV New Testament, signs of repentance included water baptism, restitution for theft, and the burning possessions {“Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” Study - Matthew 11:20-21 KJV}; {“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Study - Mark 1:4 KJV}; {“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Study - Luke 19:8 KJV}; {“Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.” Study - Acts 19:19 KJV}. Such deeds are called “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:” {Study - Matthew 3:8 KJV}. The KJV Scripture warn us not to trivialize repentance, for even the ability to repent is a direct result of the goodness of God working in our lives {“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;” Study - Timothy 2:25 KJV}. Don’t you know that “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:” {Study -Romans 2:4-6 KJV}. Thanks be to God that He is longsuffering, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” {Study - II Peter 3:9 KJV}. The result of repentance is freedom from condemnation of sin and joy from a pure conscience before God. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” {Study - Acts 3:19 KJV}. Even now, God is calling both believers and unbelievers to repentance, that they might turn from their sin and experience the riches of His goodness and mercy. THE CIRCUIT RIDER
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 19:01:32 +0000
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