Repentance - what is it?
When many of us believers think of the word Repentance, we think "feeling really bad because we sinned," "promising God that we will stop sinning," and "making the decision to live a holy life from now on." But did you notice that there is no Saviour Jesus in this equation? It all rests on you. Jesus does not do anything here. This is a Judas kind of repentance - towards self and not towards God. This is repentance to death and not repentance to life. The Parable of the Lost Sheep shows us what true repentance is - a gift from God.
Luke 15: 4 - 7 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."
Let's note five things that happened in this passage:
1. The sheep got lost (it left the flock either by mistake or on purpose; bottomline is it got separated from the Shepherd)
2. The Shepherd went to look for the sheep and found the sheep
3. The Shepherd was not mad at the sheep when he found it. He didn't care if it was dirty, smoking, fornicating, gay, stealing, bleeding, sick, whatever. He didn't tell the sheep "stop all the bad things you are doing or else I will not save you. In fact, I will punish you." Rather, He was ecstatic! He was just very happy to have found it.
4. After the sheep was found, the Shepherd carried it home, on His shoulders, rejoicing. He never asked it to walk by itself or do anything to make up for its bad behaviour or earn the right to be carried.
5. We know the sheep repented because Jesus said "likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."
Just in case you were wondering, we (believers in Christ) are the sheep and Christ, the Lord, is our Shepherd.
If you look closely, you'll find out that the sheep did only two things in the passage. The first is it got LOST. The second, it ALLOWED ITSELF TO BE CARRIED when it was found by the Shepherd. Neither involved determining to put an end to being bad or doing good works. The sheep knew that it was helpless and could do nothing by itself, as Christ said in John 15:5-
“...for without Me you can do nothing."
Did you also notice that the sheep did not find its way to the Shepherd by itself, as it is written in John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." And there we were thinking that we, in our good sense, decided to forsake sin and follow Jesus when in reality, it was our heavenly Father that made it happen! Knowing this makes it hard for one to condemn others who are yet to receive their invite to God's table:) Rather, you extend an invite to them.
The Shepherd did everything, as He is offering to carry you today. This level of love and compassion aka the "goodness of God" shown to someone who has gone astray is what leads to true repentance. In order for repentance to take place, you need to see how helpless you are without Christ and even this takes God’s grace as we see in the story of Cornelius' repentance to life in Acts 10-11. Peter's sermon did not even hint at "repentance" as the world knows it yet the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard him. But some Jews were aghast at this. How could Peter associate with this Gentile sinner Cornelius? Peter explained what happened and "When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”" Acts 11:18
Repentance is a gift!
Repentance to life is not beating your breast in regret for your sins, doing restitution to assuage your guilt and promising God that you will be good. This kind of Judas repentance smacks of self-righteousness (how could "I" have done this?) and leads to death. It also usually comes when a person is suffering the consequences of particular actions, like the prodigal son who went back home because he was hungry and not because he was sorry or loved and missed the Father. Suffering does not lead to true repentance. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Romans 2:4 "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"
The kind of unconditional love that the Father showed to the returnee prodigal son is what leads to repentance. Just think what would have happened to the son if the Father had kicked him out or told him to go and do restitution before coming to Him.
Pastors and leaders, standing at the pulpit and threatening people with curses and judgment for their inability to be righteous by the Ten Commandments (which no one can) does not lead to repentance. It leads to more sin and death! The letter kills. Preach God's grace and Grace in the person of our Saviour Jesus will teach the people to repent to life and live right.
The kind of unconditional love that the Father showed to the returnee prodigal son is what leads to repentance. Just think what would have happened to the son if the Father had kicked him out or told him to go and do restitution before coming to Him.
Pastors and leaders, standing at the pulpit and threatening people with curses and judgment for their inability to be righteous by the Ten Commandments (which no one can) does not lead to repentance. It leads to more sin and death! The letter kills. Preach God's grace and Grace in the person of our Saviour Jesus will teach the people to repent to life and live right.
Repentance to life is a gift that only God can grant. But many of us believers do not see how helpless we are and how much we need God's gift of repentance because His mercy in our lives is so supernaturally natural that we think that we "did good all by ourselves." We don't watch porn/steal/fornicate, etc so we look down on others who do and tell them to "repent, or else...!," not realising the log in our own eye.
We forget James 2:10 which shows us that all it takes to be guilty of breaking the whole law is to slip up in one area: without God's gift of righteousness by faith through Christ, the one who feels relief to learn that it is his neighbour's house that is on fire afterall and not his own house is in the same boat of unrighteousness as the one who fornicates or molests children- this one does not "love thy neighbour as thyself," the second greatest commandment under the Law.
This lack of true repentance is why many Christians are quick to judge and condemn others for the things they do instead of encouraging them in Christ and unveiling His love to them as shown in the Parable of the Lost Sheep. We tend to forget that if it wasn't for God's grace in our lives, we would do worse than these beloved people!
Repentance to death is being ashamed of sins committed because we think they are beneath us; it is making the decision to be "righteous from now on" on our own, forgetting what Paul said in Romans 7:18-
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find."
Repentance to death is trying to set things right with God by our own efforts (like Judas trying to return the money with which he betrayed our Saviour.) It is rejecting the gifts of righteousness and no condemnation that we have in Christ Jesus and looking to ourselves for our righteousness by trying to keep the Ten Commandments in order to get right with God. Believers here only succeed in cutting themselves off from Christ, as it is written in Galatians 5:4 -
"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."
There is no Jesus here. No one can sustain that kind of lifestyle on their own. If we could, there would have been no need for Jesus to come and save us.
Repentance to life is a gift from God. It is having a change of heart about God and it comes from knowing the love of Christ. True repentance comes from realising just how much God loves us and that He gave Jesus to die for our sins. It comes from knowing that there is no condemnation for you when you are in Christ; even when you sin and go astray like the sheep, He will carry you and help you with no questions asked, so you get to live right.
It is knowing God as "Abba, Father" whose desire is for you to "prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers."- 3 John 1:2.
In essence, repentance to life is changing your mind towards God- seeing that we have in Him a loving Father who gives us all things freely (Romans 8:32) and not a Taskmaster who is waiting intently to catch us when we mess things up so He can let the devil have a go at us!
1 John 4: 19 says "We love because He first loved us." When you start to realise just how much you are loved by our heavenly Father, not only will you have this change of heart to love God, you will also have no desire to return to your vomit! It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Romans 2:4.
Notice that the only way the sheep got home was by being carried on the shepherd's shoulders. Our good works and various fasts can't take us to heaven or help us fully enjoy God's blessings here on earth. Only God's grace can. And all who are in Christ can have it. "...much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Romans 5:17.
Also, no one can snatch the sheep away while it is with the Shepherd - John 10:29-30 - "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
You can't lose your salvation when our Abba Father is the one holding you. He will never let you fall. No matter what you do, He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will help you and uphold you with His victorious right Hand. If your salvation depends on how well you keep the Ten Commandments - on you - and not on Christ's finished work, you've already failed!
A little further down in Luke 15 we find the Parable of the Lost Son, aka The Parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son didn't remember his father when he still had his inheritance. He did not repent/return home to his father because he was sorry. He returned because he was hungry!
I like to think that he was dirty, hungry and smelling of pigs, an unclean thing to the Jews, when he returned home. Everyone would have done SMH at him. Yet, his Father embraced and kissed him in his 'pigfully' unclean state, treating him to the best clothes and the fatted calf. This is the treatment you get when you come to Jesus just the way you are, sins and all! No effort. No trying. He will clean you up and set you up after you have messed everything up.
Why don't you give up trying to get right with God on your own (repentance to death like Judas!) and just ask our Saviour Jesus for help? In fact, that is why He came - to bear your sins, burdens and judgment. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." See, it says ALL and not just people who have managed to not "do bad things". In fact, if you can manage, then you don't need Jesus.
John 6:37 says "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." I believe that you who are reading this and desire to know more about our wonderful Saviour are being called right now.
Would you like to enjoy God's Grace and live righteously in Christ Jesus? Please pray this prayer - or even better, just go with your own flow. Like our heavenly Father, we prefer our kids' badly drawn and typo-filled birthday cards to the fanciest Hallmark card in the world:)
In Jesus' name, thank you Father for grace to cast all my problems and worries on Jesus. Thank you for He laid down His life for me and by so doing made my sins - past, present and future - forgiven. Thank you for all my sins have been judged in Him. Thank you for now I am free indeed. I believe that He did all these things for me and I am thankful. Thank you for you give me the willingness and the ability to do your good pleasure. Lord, I ask that you take control of my life from this moment on. In Jesus name, it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me. Thank you Heavenly Father for saving me, in Jesus name. Amen
Believe Right and you will Live Right!
http://rightbelieving101.blogspot.com.ng/2017/02/forever-righteous-even-when-we-sin.html
rightbelieving101.blogspot.com
Great zeal and desire to share God's words. I however discovered that a couple of things are not in place in this write up. The first is the fact that the sheep was in the fold before it strayed. That is to say a Christian that took a walk from the relationship with the father (see the parable of the Prodigal Son). The second is that the Parable of the Lost sheep was was giving to demonstrate the virtue of the Father's (Shepherds) grace to His Children/Christians (sheep) who miss the way occasionally, because we are all fallible. That is not to say sinning or missing the way deliberately is acceptable - as we can not keep on sinning so that grace may abound.To sum it up, Repentance is not the emphasis in this parable, but the virtue of grace that God exhibits. When you juxtapose this parable with that of the Prodigal Son, you see that repentance from the Child who strays is big deal. The emphasis of the Parable of the Prodigal son is on REPENTANCE. That is coming to one's senses and resolving to make a 360 degree turn around back to the fold/home of the Father. Repentance is an effort made by the strayed Child (human in this case) to rethink/stop and re-chart his/her course back to the right part/home. We may have to see and cross pollinate interpretation/understanding of the scriptures to adequately preach the gospel. We can partner together to herald the truth, but with the right doctrine. This will mean using scriptures in context etc. My email is kwekupeyin@hotmail.com, if interested in the partnership, drop me a mail and your number and we take it up from there. Thanks and God bless you.
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DeleteThanks so much for this.
DeleteUnder God's grace, a believer will not continue to sin, and not by his own effort. As the righteousness of God in Christ, we cannot be separated from Him, even when we sin. Our sins were paid in full when Christ hung for us on the cross; put away forever. Our sins are not imputed to us. God does not remember them anymore (Hebrews 8:12)
Many believers think that this will make “other people but not them” go on a sinning spree and so try to introduce the Law, which is not of faith and therefore cannot please God, to keep believers “in check,” much like how Uzzah tried to steady the ark of God when the oxen carrying it stumbled. Grace does not need human effort to keep believers in check. I'll definitely send you an e-mail - one concerning Paul's statement in Romans 6:1 - 'What then shall we say? Shall we sin that grace may abound?" It’s pretty long
The prodigal son did not return home because he repented. He wasn’t sorry. He ran out of money and began to be in want. He was hungry and felt that he could still earn a living as a servant at the Father’s house. There was no “love for the Father” on his mind when he came to himself. Only hunger. See Luke 15 -
14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
This is what many believers do today. Cut off from Christ because they are trying to keep the Ten Commandments in order to be righteous, when they fall into trouble or experience the consequences of their sins, they come to God with this servant mentality, with fasting, seed sowing and restitution so God can help them, when all He wants to do is embrace and love them!
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As the righteousness of God in Christ, depending on His righteousness and not our obedience to the Law, we are not the ones holding onto the Lord. He is the one holding onto us. And He will never leave us nor forsake us. Even when we sin, we will not fall utterly as it is written in Psalm 37:23-24
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Notice that it is the steps of a good (righteous) man that is ordered by the Lord. But Jesus Himself told the rich young ruler in Luke 18:19 that “There is none good but God.” The bible also says “There is none righteous, no, not one” in Romans 3:10. So we know that the good/righteous man here is the one that has the Lord as his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), not righteousness from keeping the Ten Commandments, which Isaiah describes as “filthy rags- ” used women’s sanitary towels in original Hebrew!
If our salvation or getting up when we stumble has anything at all to do with our effort (works), it is no longer grace (Romans 11:6), and we are saved by grace through faith, not of works but it is the gift of God, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This is why in heaven, we will sing “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain” and not “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and me too; I also played my part by doing such and such.” All glory must be to the Lord.
The entire story of our salvation, from God choosing us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to our being called, justified and glorified in Christ (Romans 8:30) has got nothing to do with what we do or don’t do. This is grace, God’s undeserved, unmerited favour. It is getting the good we don’t deserve and escaping the punishment we do deserve. Without Him, we can do nothing.
There are some who try to replace the grace of our Lord with sheer license to sin. These people are not under grace but under the control of the devil. Their objective is to make believers become lukewarm (neither hot nor cold; neither under law nor under grace; trying to complete Christ's finished work with righteousness from law-keeping which Isaiah describes as filthy rags) - but this is impossible because God's word will not return to Him void. Paul spoke of these scoundrels in Jude 1 and described them as spots in our love feasts, greedy and rebellious. See what he said in Jude 1:3-4
These people are not of Christ and their behaviour should not make pastors and leaders try to “help God” by introducing the law to keep New Covenant believers in check. This is Uzzah trying to right the ark of God when it the oxen stumbled. Sarah (GRACE) did not need Hagar (LAW) to raise Isaac. Grace is enough. Cast out the bondwoman!
Here’s a link to understanding Romans 6:1 “What then shall we say? Shall we sin that grace may abound?” - http://rightbelieving101.blogspot.com.ng/2017/02/if-you-are-son-of-god.html
Thank you for reading and God bless you too!
Again i must say that the zeal is there, but it must be mixed with humility and dispassionately looking at scripture in context. just to quote some verses in the parable like you did '7 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ as you can see, verse 18 to be precise talks about how sorry and remorseful the son was, he was going to return to ask for forgiveness for straying in the first place. His self worth as a son was gone in his eyes, but before God, a Child's worth does not diminish except of course the child refuses to come back to his/her senses until the time of accountability. The father was looking in expectation of the son's returning after realizing his mistakes and repenting from them. Note this, Grace appeared to teach us to say know to Sin (Titus 2:12), to teach means one party - the listener must listen and learn to practice what has been taught. you will agree with me that a lot of efforts/diligence go into practicing what has been taught. Paul told Titus to teach these things - What are these things, read Titus 2:1 to end, you will understand what Paul meant by these things. The fact that one is a christian does not automatically translate one into heaven, for as long as we are on earth, we need to make every effort to not to sin by being transformed by the renewing of our mind. This is an everyday thing. Kindly note that if a righteous man turns away from being righteous and starts being wicked and unrighteous, his righteousness will nt be counted against him any longer (Ezekiel 18:24; 33:18 respectively). If an unrighteous man returns to evil ways and dies before coming back to his senses, it is a sad end. Remember, the fact that Jesus died for us does not automatically make everyone on earth righteous. it is only when one receives the finished work on the cross and puts int practice the requirement of the cross that one is saved and becomes righteous before God. So righteousness is a thing of choice - we are giving the free choice to be righteous or not (to them who received him, He gave the power to become sons and daughters of God - John 1:12). To them who receive, means many others did not and will not receive Him - that is to say it is a thing of CHOICE. So is REPENTANCE, it is a thing of choice when one strays. Note we all whether Christians or not remain in Gods love, but if we continue in wicked (this includes straying after salvation), we will not escape the day of accountability if we do not take the chance to turn around before we die. Do not be deceived, my bible tells me in Revelation 21:7-8, Those who are victorious will inherit all this - what about those who are not victorious? some will be victorious, and others will not be. In Christ, one has to work out his victory/Salvation on a daily basis. If as a christian, you by choice sin and are caught up in it and die before repentance, then i am afraid same faith await you as those who never changed their ways. The reverse is the case, if a supposed eternal wicked man turns from his evils ways and accepts the finished work on the cross and begins to do good before he dies, the Father will receive him with wide open arms. Thanks immensely. please note that there is a need for us to meet and reason together for better propagation of the gospel.
ReplyDeleteWe must realize that it is Christ himself who will take over our actions and will... Using it for his own purpose... He is in us both to will and to do... So repentance is a gradual process of renewing of the mind to comform with that of Christ... Our efforts can never save us... So repentance is not of our efforts..
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