I have been meditating on that last assignment I gave myself – “to start laying out what I believe God asks of us – first individually, then corporately as churches”. A tall order indeed – and what follows will be some opening salvos. I am hoping maybe a few of you lurkers will be tempted to give me your two cents worth – I know I always need to grow and be challenged…
I think one of the first things we are asked to do in the Bible is repent. God’s words to us often begin with an invitation to change our course and a promise of restoration, redemption, and reconciliation (hey ma – I used a big word!).Â
Mr. Dictonary says to repent is:
- to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc. (often fol. by of): He repented after his thoughtless act.Â
- to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one’s life for the better; be penitent. Â
It is no mistake that John the Baptist and Jesus’ main message was repentance…
Mark 1:4
And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
…and that Peter’s message to the crowd at Pentecost was first to repent, then be baptized…
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, a dominant message of the early church throughout the book of Acts is the call to repent. The early church taught that salvation began with a change of heart and actions, then was followed by a public declaration of faith (“repent and be baptized” – the order was important). And Jesus last recorded words to the churches of John’s day were extended calls to repentance…
- Revelation 2:5
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Revelation 2:4-6 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter) - Revelation 2:16
Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:15-17 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter) - Revelation 2:21
I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
Revelation 2:20-22 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter) - Revelation 2:22
So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
Revelation 2:21-23 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter) - Revelation 3:3
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Revelation 3:2-4 (in Context) Revelation 3 (Whole Chapter) - Revelation 3:19
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
Revelation 3:18-20 (in Context) Revelation 3 (Whole Chapter)
And your point is?
The call to follow Jesus begins with a call to repent – and the evidence is strong that this is not a one-time event. We are, in fact, taught to live a lifestyle of repentance, to be people that are continually aware of our sinfulness and are quick to turn from wrong when it is recognized.
We live in a culture that barely recognizes the concepts of right and wrong, and we are certainly not quick to accept responsibility for our wrongs. Imagine the imapct that humble repentance has on a world obsessed with shifting blame.
It would be gratuitous (and self-aggrandizing in a weird backwards way) for me to list the things that have come to mind I am in need of repenting of just while researching and writing this post. Suffice it to say that there are lots of things to repent of…lots and lots…
I think the Bible says to repent so many times because our core issue is breaking God’s law, and only in humilty and repentance do we find the proper perspective on who we are and who He is and begin to understand to amazingness of His grace. If we live lives of humility and repentance, we walk a path 180 degress from our culture. Without changing our clothes, hair, or body art, we make a powerful statement.
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IÂ have to DO something…
That is, of course, if our sorrowfulness is accompanied by action – we not only have to recognize the wrong, but make it right. As Paul told King Agrippa he had preached…
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.
Acts 26:19-21 (in Context) Acts 26 (Whole Chapter)
Proving repentance by our deeds is harder than just realizing our wrong. It requires a physical change. If I treat a co-worker poorly, I have to not only admit it, but change the way I treat that person. If I realize I am prayerless, I have to begin to pray. If I do nothing to love the people Jesus loved the most (those outside the mainstream, “in crowd” of society), I have to begin to DO something differently.
To follow Jesus begins with the simple admission – “you are God, I am not.” We begin by facing the ugliness that is our true selves, and we keep facing it, day be day repenting of what we see and living differently.
I’m not sure I live a life of repentance right now. So I think I’ll begin by repenting of that :-).
