Repentance

by Pastor Fred Z. BFC Founder & Senior Pastor

AFTER YOU ACCEPT CHRIST, SOME WELL MEANING FRIENDS MAY SAY SOMETHING LIKE: “HEY MAN - NOW THAT YOU GOT RELIGION, DOES THAT MEAN YOU HAVE TO REPENT?" (MEANING: SO NOW – YOU’RE A JESUS FREAK, AND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING, OR HAVE ANY FUN ANYMORE?)”.

IT'S USUALLY THOUGHT OF, AS A NEGATIVE - INSTEAD OF AS A POSITIVE THING... ACTUALLY, AS THE WORD "REPENT" IS USED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IT COMES FROM THE HEBREW WORD: SHUWB=SHOOB. IT MEANS: TO TURN AWAY FROM SOMETHING. THIS WORD, IS USED IN THE VERSE: [EZEKIEL 18:30-32] HERE, WE SEE GOD DEALING WITH THE NATION OF ISRAEL, AND WARNING THEM TO TURN BACK FROM THEIR SINS. TO RID THEMSELVES OF THE OFFENSES THAT THEY HAVE COMMITTED. TO GET A NEW HEART & A NEW SPIRIT. AND LOOK AT WHAT IT SAYS HERE... TO REPENT & LIVE! SO THE OPPOSITE OF THAT MUST BE, TO CONTINUE IN YOUR SINS - AND DIE!

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE GREEKS HAD ANOTHER WORD FOR REPENT. THE GREEK WORD: MET-AN-O-EH'O. IT MEANS: TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT SOMETHING-TO CHANGE OR REVERSE ONE'S MORAL DECISIONS. IT IS FOUND THE FIRST TIME IN: [MATTHEW 3:1-6] WHEN JOHN THE BAPTIST IS TELLING PEOPLE TO REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR! THE PEOPLE CONFESSED THEIR SINS, AND WERE BAPTIZED.

THEY CHANGED THEIR HEARTS, AND ALLOWED GOD TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES.

IT'S FUNNY, BUT AFTER I ACCEPTED THE LORD - HE BEGAN TO CHANGE MY HEART ABOUT MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. BEFORE, I COULD WATCH A LEWD MOVIE, AND NOT THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT - BUT AFTER I STARTED WALKING WITH THE LORD - I BEGAN TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT I VIEWED THAT TYPE OF THING, AND IT BEGAN BEING OFFENSIVE.

*** TRUE REPENTANCE IS: COMING TO GOD, AND ADMITTING YOUR MORAL FAILURES TO HIM. AGREEING TO TURN FROM THESE THINGS (TO "SHOOB" OR TURN AWAY FROM OUR SINS. AND TO "METAN-O-EH'O"= THINK DIFFERENTLY OR REVERSE OUR MORAL DECISION'S ABOUT SOMETHING.

WHY SHOULD WE WANT TO REPENT, OR EVEN CARE ABOUT SUCH THINGS? II PETER 3:9 THE LORD DOES NOT WANT ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT THAT ALL WOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.

[JOHN 6:44] NO ONE CAN COME TO ME, UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME DRAWS HIM... SO, HERE WE SEE THAT IT IS GOD THE FATHER - WHO DRAWS PEOPLE BY HIS HOLY SPIRIT - TO COME TO CHRIST. IF GOD'S SPIRIT WASN'T DRAWING YOU - YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST IN A MILLION YEARS. BUT GOD CARES FOR EACH OF US - WE ARE IMPORTANT TO HIM... AND SO HE TENDERLY DRAWS US TO HIMSELF. [EPHESIANS 1:3-10] THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HE CHOSE US BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, TO BE HIS PEOPLE. THIS IS REALLY INTENSE! DON'T THINK THAT IN YOUR DIVINE WISDOM, THAT ONE DAY, YOU THOUGHT- "GEE, I THINK I'LL ACCEPT CHRIST- I'M BORED AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE THING TO DO." NO WAY JOSE', GOD HAD THIS ALL LAID OUT BEFORE HE EVEN CREATED THE EARTH! GOD SOFTENED YOUR HEART TO JESUS, AND THE GOSPEL - AND PUT PEOPLE IN YOUR PATH (WHO ALSO KNOW HIM).

HE WORKED OVERTIME ON SOME OF OUR HEARTS - AMEN - UNTIL WE CAME TO THE REALIZATION- GEE IT'S REALLY TRUE- I DO NEED GOD IN MY LIFE-I'M INCOMPLETE WITHOUT HIM, AND EITHER YOU ACCEPTED CHRIST-OR YOU'VE BEEN FIGHTING IT!

AGAIN-TO REPENT-IS TO AGREE WITH GOD: I HAVE NOT BEEN A MORAL SAINT- I HAVE SIN IN MY LIFE- I NEED TO BE CLEANSED FROM MY SINS- PLEASE GOD - HELP ME! HELP ME TO TURN FROM MY WICKED WAYS!

*** NOW WE NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION: IS REPENTANCE A ONE-TIME-SHOT? DO WE JUST PRAY THIS ONE TIME, AND THEN EVERYTHING IS ROSEY? NO WAY!!!

ALL OF US, INCLUDING PASTORS - HAVE AREAS IN OUR LIVES THAT ARE UN-PLEASING TO GOD. HIS SPIRIT WILL SHOW US THESE AREAS, IF WE ARE HONEST ENOUGH TO ASK HIM, TO REVEAL THESE THINGS TO US. "REPENTANCE SHOULD BE A DAILY OR AT LEAST WEEKLY OCCURRENCE IN OUR WALK WITH CHRIST". YET YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY, "OH YOU ONLY HAVE TO REPENT ONCE - AND THEN IT'S ALL BETTER...

IT'S LIKE SAYING, " ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TAKE ONE BATH= AND THEN YOU'RE CLEANSED FOREVER. " OR - " YOU ONLY HAVE TO WASH YOUR CLOTHES ONCE, AND THEY'LL SMELL GREAT FOREVER! HUMANS CAN BE SO SILLY! HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT ONE BATH WON'T KEEP YOU CLEAN ETERNALLY? " BOY, IF YOU STOP TAKIN' BATHS FOR A WEEK, MONTH, OR YEAR " - OR - " DON'T WASH YOUR CLOTHES REGULARLY YOU'LL BE SMELLIN' MAJOR FUNKY!!! "

LIKE BATHING, AND WASHING OUR BODS AND CLOTHES- WE MUST REPENT ON A CONSISTENT BASIS!!! WE MUST COME TO CHRIST EVERY TIME - THE GRIME OF SIN HAS STAINED OUR LIVES. GET OUT THE AJAX-OR WHISK- HEY, SOME OF US BETTER PRE-SOAK THESE PUPPIES!!!

GOD HAS A REALLY SIMPLE SOLUTION TO OUR DILEMNA...[I CORINTHIANS 15:33-34] COME BACK TO YOUR SENSES=STOP SINNING!)

(WHETHER IT BE IN THOUGHT-" WHOA-KNOCK IT OFF PASTOR, I THINK THAT PERSON IS A TOTAL YA-HOO, BUT I REALLY DON'T HATE THEM "- OR, " WHAT A BABE- I WONDER WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER OF THE CLOSE KIND/WITH HER OR HIM? "), OR, IT COULD BE AN ACTION= " NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW THAT I STOLE THIS "- OR, " AS LONG AS WE'RE CAREFUL-NO ONE WILL FIND OUT ABOUT THIS SEXUAL AFFAIR THAT WE'RE HAVING, WE REALLY LOVE ONE ANOTHER-SO IT MUST BE O.K. W/GOD. "

*** WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO NOT, CONTINUALLY REPENT BEFORE GOD FOR OUR SINS?

1. OUR HEARTS BECOME CALLOUSED, AND HARDENED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT'S CONVICTION. [I TIMOTHY 4:1-2]

DECEIVING SPIRITS= THE THINGS THAT HAD A PULL ON YOU, AND USED TO DRAW YOU AWAY FROM GOD... DOCTRINES OF DEMONS= "HEY, IT'S NO BIG DEAL - GOD DOESN'T CARE IF YOU SIN... GOD PROBABLY ISN'T EVEN LOOKING, SO YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU DESIRE." "SEARED WITH A HOT IRON"- HAS ANYONE HERE EVER BURNED THEMSELVES. AFTER SCAR TISSUE FORMS, YOU CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING AT THAT PARTICULAR PLACE ANYMORE. THAT'S WHAT CONTINUAL SIN DOES TO YOU... YOU JUST CAN'T SEE RIGHT FROM WRONG ANYMORE...)

2. WE BECOME ENTANGLED OR ENSLAVED TO THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY CONQUERED IN OUR LIVES. [GALATIANS 5:1]

*** IF WE TURN FROM GOD, AND ALLOW SIN TO BECOME AN ACTIVE PART OF OUR LIVES - THEN WE BECOME TRAITORS TO GOD AND HIS PLAN, AND WE INVITE EVIL TO STORM OUR HOUSEHOLDS - AND THEN WE WONDER WHY WE HAVE PROBLEMS IN OUR LIVES..OR WHY GOD DOESN'T ANSWER OUR PRAYERS.

IT'S KINDA LIKE ROLLING A LARGE SNOWBALL DOWN A BIG HILL. IT GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER, UNTIL IT'S TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL... WELL, AS USUAL = GOD, (LIKE FORD) HAS A BETTER IDEA!

[ISAIAH 1:18-20] COME, LET US REASON TOGETHER. GOD IS A REASONABLE INDIVIDUAL, AND HE ASKS US TO BE REASONABLE-AS WELL. DO YOU WANT TO BE REASONABLE WITH GOD TODAY? OR DO YOU JUST WANT TO DO YOUR OWN THING?, AND IGNORE HIS SPIRIT.

[II CHRONICLES 7:14] HUMBLE THEMSELVES-PRAY-SEEK HIS FACE-TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS] [EPHESIANS 4:6-10] COME NEAR TO GOD-AND HE WILL COME NEAR TO YOU. WASH YOUR HANDS *ACTIVE RESPONSE THAT WE MUST DO! [I JOHN 1:5-10] (IF) WE WALK IN THE LIGHT, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS,-PURIFIES US FROM OUR SINS (IF) WE CONFESS OUR SINS-HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST, AND WILL FORGIVE OUR SINS, AND PURIFY US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.