Repentance
We hear a lot about it but…
What does it really mean?
repent
re·pent | \ ri-ˈpent \
repented; repenting; repents
Definition of repent (Entry 1 of 2)
intransitive verb1: to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life
2 a: to feel regret or contrition
b: to change one’s mind
transitive verb1: to cause to feel regret or contrition
2: to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition for
What does repentance consist of?
The act of turning from sin and turning to God is powerful in and of itself, in the Old Testament we see how the Lord dealt with sin and constantly reached out to Israel to repent of their actions and come back to him and restore fellowship with him. it is a clear choice between death and life and the Lord always calls for us his children to choose life!
Ezekiel 18:21-23
21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Isaiah 55:6-76 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
2 Chronicles 7:13-1413 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
We see repentance so much around the events leading up to and around the time of the crucifixion of Christ.
We see Judas when he finally came to himself – trying to repent over his actions of betraying the Lord to the authorities – but he wouldn’t allow repentance to have it’s perfect work and went out and hung himself feeling that giving in to horrific act of suicide was his answer rather than truthfully facing himself and the Lord…it lead not just to physical death but spiritual death.
We see Peter – so full of pride and fleshly self confidence declaring he would fight and stand with the Lord, in fact all the disciples claimed they would do that… but Peter went on to see himself betray the Lord through fear – totally destroying his pride and fleshly confidence but thankfully we see repentance in Peter’s life resulting in beautiful fruit and Peter was not just restored but made stronger through his repentance, never again trusting in his flesh,
Repentance is so powerful and when done properly produces an incredible change in lifestyle, attitude and brings us into a right relationship with the Lord.
But even more than turning from sin and turning to God there is yet a deeper level that the Lord himself showed to us the night he was betrayed,
One step beyond – Lordship
Jesus Christ, as Almighty God come in the flesh, was completely sinless, so there was no need of repentance, but as a man he also prayed, he was hungry, he slept, all the things that humans do, he was both perfect man and perfect God. the Word tells us he was tempted on all points like we are…but without sin.
Heb.4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
To truly do the Lord’s will, Christ left us a powerful example of choosing to place his human will into the hands of the divine will to go far beyond repentance to the place of complete obedience through bringing his own human will into complete submission to the divine will
The powerful example Christ gave us in the garden showed the intense powerful struggle between the human will and the will of God.
Going beyond traditional repentance – involves giving your will over, making the Lord – Lord of your life… so like Jesus you pray – “nevertheless, not my will but thine be done”
This is where the power of going beyond the act of traditional repentance is made clear.
Repentance involves saying, I’m sorry and determining with the help of the Lord not to repeat an offence or lifestyle. It may involve crying out to the Lord for deliverance from sin filled habits and actions, it may involve recognizing the sin, feeling shame over the sin and may involve regret and weeping over the past and then turning to the Lord and trusting the Lord for the future…but repentance in and of itself is incomplete with out going beyond the right and wrong of a situation to the place of bringing your will in perfect submission to the Lord’s will.
This was the example the Lord gave to us all. To put our whole will into the hands of the Lord – so our lives become one with his.
To know God’s will, to obey God’s will, to follow God’s will for our life.
Making the Lord – our true Master, King and Lord involves something powerful, something deep within our spirit, it involves the giving of ourselves to the point that our own will becomes one with God’s will.
We see Jesus at this place in the garden, praying with such emotional agony and such depth that the stress is literally breaking his blood vessels through out his body and he is sweating as it were drops of blood.
I, myself have prayed to the point of breaking my blood vessels around my eyes, during times of great stress.. a very small tiny taste of what Jesus must have felt.. but his was beyond anything many of us could even imagine…
We see many Christians today when they begin their walk with the Lord start with a form of repentance; as part of the new birth experience it is the beginning of coming into the kingdom of God.
Mark 1:14-15
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.
The Gospel is the Death, Burial and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and we obey that gospel through – dying out to our old man and all his sin filled habits and lifestyle, burying the old man in a watery grave of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and rising to walk a new life as a new man in Christ by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues.
Today we want to encourage all to go that one step further, to follow in the steps of the man Christ Jesus to pray that Almighty God maker of heaven and earth becomes your Lord, your Master, your Savior, bringing your will to him and giving him all… wrestling with your flesh till submission comes. praying to the point of sweating as it were great drops of blood to ensure the will of God is done in your life.
Let us pray…
&
;
Views: 229
