Repentance, The Way In, Out, and Back.
As a new, young, and immature Christian I did not hear a lot about repentance. I heard much about confessing sins and remember saying “I’m sorry” a lot in my prayer time. When I did begin to hear of repentance, I would shy away, never understanding its importance. Growing some in the Word I began to gain revelation and saw it as a lifeline in relationship with God. This word repentance is defined several ways but the one that I like is “to change direction.” And it is a change that starts in the heart.
Acts 2:36
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this; God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
When the people saw and heard Peter, a former gruff and salty fisherman, stand up and deliver a powerful Spirit anointed message it cut them deep. Why? Well one it was still fresh on the minds of these people. The crucifixion was recent, and still the talk of the town. And two there was an empty tomb. This was the bigger talking point since the religious leaders could not produce a body, and there were a bunch of formerly dead people, now alive, walking around the city. (Matt. 27:53) The Holy Spirit through Peter brought correction to the hearts of the people, and put an exclamation point in his final words.
Acts 2:37 NIV
When the people herd this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers what shall we do?”
Peter’s words were Truth, which penetrated the hearts of those that heard them. (Hebrews 4:12) This changed their hearts which changed their thinking and caused them to want mercy. In an earlier article I wrote,
“In our lives, our gracious, loving, merciful God has given us lifelines. One of these is Correction.”
I know I wrote myself, but it is good anyway. I encourage you to read “Who Wants to be Corrected?” After receiving God’s correction, what do you do next? You put your nose in the carpet and REPENT! It is what Peter told the crowd that day, it was John the Baptist’s message, and it was what Jesus taught. For those that heard and received Peter’s words, it brought them to the way in.
The Way In.
When John the Baptist came on the scene, he spoke boldly. He made it clear that the time was near when the Kingdom of God would be set up. He preached an urgent message that would leave all with no escape. When the religious leaders showed up, he let them know quickly that their facades and rituals would not cut it. He told them to produce fruit that showed that they were truly changing their hearts. (Matt. 3:2)
After John had been thrown into prison, Jesus began preaching. Many in the devil’s kingdom would suggest that Jesus taught love and acceptance. We hear claim this in the media, on talk shows, and even in some of Hollywood’s television and movies. But looking at the Word, we see that Jesus preached repentance and the Kingdom of God.
In the Old Testament we have an example in the life of Manasseh, a king of Israel. Manasseh was evil and lived in rebellion to God who made him a king, Manasseh knew of the mistakes of the kings before him, and his actions suggest that he made the choice to be worse than any of them. While the LORD tried to speak to Manasseh and the people, he would not listen. But when things went south for him, he prayed, he repented. (2 Chron. 33:10-16)
Looking through the four gospels, there are two examples of repentance I noticed, that brings one into the Kingdom of God. The first was Zacchaeus. (Luke 19:8,9) The other was the thief next to Jesus on the cross. One had everything to lose, the other had nothing. One showed fruit meet for repentance, the other could only humble his heart. It is interesting to me that Zacchaeus, whom Jesus called “a son of Abraham” the father of faith, repaid the requirement of a thief under the law. But the thief could only offer faith and ask that Jesus remember him when He entered His kingdom.
The Way Back
After David’s sin with Bathsheba, and the prophet called him out, “You the man.” David repented at once with no excuses. That to me is a sign of a truly repentant heart, make no excuse. Admit it, quit it, forget it. (Psalm 51)
The parable of the prodigal son is often referred to when teaching on getting back to or getting right with God after blowing it. While the actions of the son show the progression of a Christian that leaves the Father for the pleasures of the world, finds that the world is not all it seemed, then decides to return. It is the Father’s desire that is seen more than anything. Backed up by the context of two other parables, the lost sheep, and the lost coin, we see that the repentant sinner is more pleasing than the ceremonial or religious “pharisee.”
Jesus’s parable of the two sons in Matt. 21 gives us more understanding. The first son told his father, “I ain’t doing it!” But later changed and went. We see that we may not start out right, but repentance causes the Father to throw our sins so far west, the east can no longer be seen. The Father’s arm is accurate, He always hits the deepest part of the sea. (Psalm 103:12, Micah 7:19)
The Way Out
Time is moving quickly to the day when justice will come to all people.
Acts 17:30, 31 NKJV
“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
It is the Father’s desire that everyone meet this day as a sheep and not a goat. The Holy Spirit through Peter gives us both the desire and the answer.
2 Peter 3:9 KJV
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.