Repentance is a part of every Christian’s life and understanding what that truly means is vital to our spiritual growth and relationship with God. The definition of Repent in the dictionary is to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. The biblical definition of Repentance is changing or turning your mind away from sin. You may have acted or thought some way before but now you have decided to change for God. You reject Satan and the sin in your life. You accept Christ and now believe with faith. You have turned your back on sin so that you may walk the path towards God. It is a 180 degree turn from sin and we never look back. Acts 20:21, I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. Faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin and it must be integrated into our lives. Repentance can’t happen without faith. To be saved, you must place faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and that decision requires changing or turning your mind away from your sinful life. It is not just about regret or remorse but changing and turning away from the old you.
Jesus spoke about repentance, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32).” Matthew 4:17, From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Mark 1:14-15, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news. Jesus was telling the sinners to “Repent,” he was talking about a change of heart toward sin, the world, and God; an inner change that gives rise to new ways of living that exalt Christ and give evidence of the truth of the gospel.
Repentance is not only possible for everyone but it is a command and the emphasis that their needs to be change within us. No one is exempt and we are all sinners. From the day we are born, we are born into sin. John the Baptist preached a message of repentance and prepared the way for Jesus. Acts 19:4, Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, this is, in Jesus.” Matthew 3:7-8, When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of Vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. Jesus was telling them that they needed to change and repent for their sins. This was the message that John was preaching and the message Jesus was preaching at the very start of his ministry. After Jesus’s death and resurrection in Luke 24:46-47, This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Jesus commands us to be his witness and preach about repentance to the world. Only when we repent can we continue to build our relationship with God. 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away and see, the new has come.
The issue now more than ever is that the world and many churches have twisted the real meaning of repentance. It is a false understanding by the word and this correction must be made. We can’t serve two masters, Jesus and the World/Satan. We can’t say we are saved and have repented if we continue to live in the life of sin. What does that mean exactly? You can’t be saved or say you have truly repented if you are still sinning against God. Examples we see in society and acceptable: Sex before marriage which leads to abortion or having children before marriage, addictions to pornography, addiction to alcohol/drugs, adultery, lust, glorifying yourself/pride etc. The world may accept these things but God does not. Repentance turns away from all these sins and glorifies God and his truth. If we continue to live with sin from our old lives, than we have truly not repented. Don’t get me wrong, this is a daily battle and will never end till our last breath on earth. We must continue to pray, fast, read and practice the truths of God. Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). We must look at Jesus and his truth to live a holy life. The world does not determine what is true, holy, good or righteous, but only our God! We won’t know the truth unless we read the Bible so that we may not be deceived by wolves. We can’t follow Jesus and yet live in our old sin and call it repentance. True repentance means we have turned from our old ways and now live under Christ’s authority. It is not a one-time thing but a lifestyle change forever and daily.
Hosea 14:2, Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: Forgive all our iniquity and accept what is good, so that we may repay you with praise from our lips. So many times in Israel’s and the Jewish history God punishes them because of their sinful ways until they repent. Repentance is for everyone, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles (Acts 11:18).” We can see examples of people who did not repent, like Lucifer and Judas. Also we can see at the end of days in Revelations many who did not repent.
Lucifer rebelled against God and convinced other angels to follow his plan. Yet we know they failed, thrown out of heaven down to the earth and Hell was created as their punishment. Lucifer was so close to God that he was able to speak and walk with the creator yet he became full or pride thinking he could become greater than God. Lucifer never repented for his sin and because of that pride his eternity will be spent in Hell. To this very day, Lucifer will never repent and ask for forgiveness, because his sinful pride will never allow him. Isaiah 14:13-14, You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the god’s assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” This shows the pride and sinful nature of Lucifer, who knew God and yet thought he could be greater than him.
We can see such pride also in Revelation chapter 8 and 9. There are seven angles that are preparing to blow 7 trumpets that will release God’s punishment on the earth. First Trumpet hail and fire, mixed with blood so the third of the earth, trees and green grass were burned up. The Second Trumpet, a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died and a third of the ships destroyed. The Third Trumpet, a great start blazing like a torch fell from heaven and a third of the rivers and springs of water became wormwood and so many died. The Fourth Trumpet, a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. An eagle is noted flying overhead crying out in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to sound (Revelation 8:13)!” Living through the 4 trumpets already sounded by the angels seems horrific. Now we get a warning that the last three are going to be even worse!
The Fifth Trumpet, a star that had fallen from heaven to earth was given the key for the shaft to the abyss. The smoke that came up from the abyss darkened the sun. Locusts came out and was given to them like the power that scorpions have on the earth. They can only harm those who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads and can’t harm grass, green plants or trees. They were not allowed to kill those people but will torment them for five months. Those who are tormented will seek death but God will not allow them to die. You can read the scary description of them in 9:7-10. The Sixth Trumpet, four angels who were prepared for the hour, day, month and year were released to kill a third of the human race. An army of two hundred million. 9:17-19, This is how I saw the horses and their riders in the vision: They had breastplates that were fiery red, hyacinth blue and sulfur yellow. The heads of the horses were like the head of lions and from their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. A third of the human race was killed by these three plagues – by fire, the smoke and the sulfur that came from their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and their tails, because their tails, which resemble snakes, have head that inflict injury. Yet, yet after 6 Trumpets of God’s wrath poured out on the world in verse 20 and 21, The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshipping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, which cannot see, hear or walk. And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts. They are being punished right in front of their eyes by a true and living God, yet they did not repent for their sins. How could that even be true after the horrendous things they witnessed and saw? Just look at the world around you today, the truths that many believe are not God’s truth and the devil will continue to blind their eyes till it is too late.
When the Seventh Trumpet blows it will be too late. Revelation 11:15, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. The dead will be judged and the saints will get their reward. The temple of God in heaven will be opened and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple. Flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, and an earthquake and severe hail occur. I can’t even imagine the pride of those who don’t repent after seeing the true God release his wrath upon them. Christ is not coming back to make peace, but to claim his kingdom, now and forever. There will be so many calamities that will occur and it is better to repent and live a life with God. We can’t let pride or any other sin rule over us or we will lose paradise. Eternity is a lot longer than the short amount of time we spend here on earth. Repentance is for all and we must only ask with a true heart and have faith in Christ.
Matthew 27:3, Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full or remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. If we read on, he threw the silver into the temple and then hanged himself. Matthew 26:24, The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born. I don’t know or can’t imagine what if Judas did repent? If he had faith, believed and knew the truth, then would he have realized that Christ would rise again on the third day as he did? Could he have asked for forgiveness and repented at that moment? We can see in John 6:64, Jesus is saying to his disciples, “But there are some among you who don’t believe. (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and the one who would betray him.) Jesus chose the twelve, well aware that he knew who would betray him because of his unbelief (John 6:70-71). Judas did not believe and that is why the devil was able to enter his heart and he betrayed Jesus. Even though he was full of remorse and probably wept with bitter tears after the fact. But his remorse from what the Bible says is not true repentance and it led him to suicide. He did not believe even though he witnessed first-hand the power of Christ. Revelation 2:5, Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Those who do not truly repent will not enter the Kingdom of God and your light will be extinguished.
Repentance is a command and all must repent, be baptized and become a new creation in Christ. 2 Peter 3:9, The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all come to repentance. We must all come to repentance before it is too late. It is too late for Lucifer and those who did not repent in Revelation. God is patiently waiting but the time can be at any moment. Revelation 3:3, Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you. So many lives have been lost in this Pandemic and none of us know the moment of our last breath. If you are reading this that means God has given the blessing of another day. Don’t waste your chance and repent of your sins, turn and change the course of your life. Hell is a much easier path to end up in compared to the narrow path of trying to reach Heaven. But we must endure till the end to enter the Kingdom of God and repentance is a command for entry.
As the world celebrates Easter this Sunday, don’t forget what the true meaning is and we must remember it every single day in our lives. He died on the cross not for himself but for us. He was perfection and the Son of God. The world must know the truth of Christ and we are chosen as his messengers. Repentance is not perfection. Repentance is the attitude that says, “I hate the things that killed the One who died for me.” Repent before it is too late!
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