Key Principle #4: Repentance (part 4)
Repentance is one of the most positive words. God urges us to repent when the path we are taking leads to destruction. Repentance will save us from disastrous results. What a wonderful Word. How comforting that the Creator loves us enough to warn us from impending danger! Our problem is that we think of repentance as something negative.
Henry Blackaby
Repentance Is Foundational to the Christian Faith
You may have heard it said that
repentance is a change of mind. Like some whimsical carefree fanciful choice we
make, like “Oops I’ve changed my mind.”
Better said that it a change of the
mind. A brain transplant, or in Biblical language, it is a "renewing of your mindset" (Romans 12:1-2).
Even better, repentance is a change
of heart which results in a change in behavior. The entire basis of the "New Covenant" or the "New Testament" is found in Hebrews 10:16, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them."
Repentance could be defined in this way: Repentance is a
work initiated by God, participated in by us, demonstrated by Christ, explained
by the Scriptures, and performed by the Holy Spirit resulting in the ongoing
changing of our attitude, affections and actions in all things.
If you have ever received a $100
bill with a Ben Franklin on one side and a totally blank reverse side, you would have to say something was wrong. More than
likely, it would be a counterfeit rather than a real $100 bill. Or even if it was a
collector’s item, it would have been due to a defect. Worse of all, it could even be a
counterfeit for a collector’s item. At any rate, it would be taken out of
circulation.
In the same way, some people think
of salvation as being like a one-sided currency. They have faith on one side,
but never realize that in order to be put into circulation; that is, in order to be
legitimate, it needs to have the other side: Repentance. Here are some Biblical reasons we should see that Repentance is just as much a part of our salvation as Independence Hall needs to be on the reverse of Ben Franklin.
John’s message: Mark 1:4 (First
Gospel written) 4 And so John came, baptizing in the
desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for
the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus’ first recorded
message (11 verses into Mark 1) 14bJesus
went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15“The time has
come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent
and believe the good news!"
Peter’s first sermon (Acts 2:37-38) 37 When the people
heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other
apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38b Peter
replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you…
Peter’s
second sermon (Acts 3:19-20) 19 Repent, then, and turn
to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing
may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has
been appointed for you
--even Jesus.
Proof
of Gentiles’ salvation (Acts 11:17-18) 17 So if God gave
them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who
was I to think that I could oppose God?" 18 When
they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying,
"So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto
life."
Paul’s major sermon in Athens
(Acts 17:30-31) 30 In
the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people
everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will
judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of
this to all men by raising him from the dead."
The only letters we have
dictated from the lips of Jesus (Revelation 2 and 3) Repentance
is the most often repeated command in the letters written to the seven churches
of Revelation.
From the first recorded entrance of the New
Testament to the last recorded message from Christ, repentance is at the very
essence of the church’s beginning.
