Jesus came preaching one message.
All that Jesus taught, offers and blesses hinges on the acceptance of that one message.
Jesus commanded His disciples and His church to live and preach this one message from beginning to end.
That message is “Repent”
The Good News is repentance.
The offensive message of the cross is this: individuals have need to fully repent because God’s kingdom of holiness is coming.
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Repentance is 3 things.
1. Repenting of lies and returning to the God of Truth.
2. Repenting of hatred and returning to the Living God that is Love.
3. Repenting of sinning and replacing wicked actions with obedience to God’s righteousness.
Most are bribed to accept a false Jesus with promises of authority, prosperity or easy forgiveness because they do not desire to repent.
The way of God’s repentance is total surrender in humility to His will.
Being a servant to others while overflowing with righteous deeds.
Repenting in Jesus is losing oneself and walking in love with the new creation.
The Apostles’ preached a belief in Jesus that stated: prove your daily repentance with deeds.
Acts 26:20
First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
In short, claim The Name of Jesus – then prove it.
Repentance is more than just being sorry about personal mistakes.
Most are just sorry they got caught, not sorrowful about the sins.
There are two kinds of sorry concerning sin.
1. Worldly sorrow
2. Godly sorrow
Worldly sorrow can be spotted by the fact it merely declares it is sorry.
Godly sorrow is seen by the heart-felt actions of everyday repentance that leads to a righteous life.
Worldly sorrow desires to be forgiven without any payment of restitution toward God and man.
Godly sorrow instead repays both God and man many times over for the wrongs committed.
2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Godly sorrow leads to salvation and no one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness regrets repenting over every sin because it leads to eternal life.
Few persevere in godly sorrow because it requires a total giving up of oneself to God every day.
On the other hand worldly sorrow over sin brings death. Eternal death where such unrepentant sinners are justly punished forever.
2 Corinthians 7 gives us the clues to follow when it comes to tracking down godly sorrow.
The clue to follow is the word “See”
See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. 2 Corinthians 7:11
If a Christian does not display earnestness, indignation, alarm, longing, concern, along with an eagerness to live a life of obedience to God’s righteousness then they do not have godly sorrow.
Whole Christian churches will one day be denounced by Jesus because they did not live a life of godly sorrow repentance.
Indeed, complete towns and villages that have experienced God’s miracles will be denounced by Jesus because they did not repent.
It is recorded in the book of Matthew that Jesus denounced unrepentant blessed church members.
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. Matthew 11:20
Unless your life declares the message of repentance in Jesus you will be denounced.
Unless your church is known for one over-riding message of joyful repentance it too will be rebuked.
In the book of Mark it is recorded disciples were sent out with the foundational message of repentance.
The disciples were sent out and preached that people should repent. Mark 6:12
The housewife needs to repent.
The streetwalker needs to repent.
The criminal needs to repent.
The police need to repent.
The good person has need to repent.
The bad person needs to repent.
The foolish need to repent.
The wise need to repent.
I need to repent, am repenting and will keep on repenting until I am safely with Jesus in heaven.
People often ask what is the purpose of life?
The answer is: God is giving time for those who are willing to repent …to repent.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
www.luke1425.org because Jesus commanded all to “sit down” and count the cost.
Timothy Williams
Because Jesus Said “Sit Down”
www.luke1425.org
