Repentance
GOD COMMANDS ALL TO REPENT: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent” Acts 17:30 Thus, to really believe God is to do it.
REPENTANCE IS ESSENTIAL TO HAVE GOD’S FORGIVENESS: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3 The Bible offers no salvation from sin that is not accompanied by repentance on the part of the guilty sinner.
“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:47 Repentance is turning from our sin condition unto God for forgiveness. Remission of sins is God forgiving us of the sin condition we have turned from in turning to God for salvation.
REPENTANCE IS AVAILABLE TO ALL, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WHO CHOOSE IT.“Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31 “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” Acts 11:18Repentance is not a work, it is a gift. It is something available to man from the grace of God. Apart from this gift of God’s grace, repentance would be beyond man.
However, the very nature of what repentance is, means it cannot be an irresistible work of God upon man. “But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit” Isaiah 63:10 “And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man” Genesis 6:3 “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” Acts 7:31Repentance is what God makes possible for a sinner who believes God’s Word that he is a lost sinner, who accepts the Holy Spirit’s work of convicting him of his guilt as a sinner before God, and who is willing to trust Christ to save him from his sins. Since repentance is the gift of God’s grace to all who will accept it, it can never be regarded as a work of man whereby he merits God’s salvation. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
REPENTANCE IS WHAT ENABLES THE SINNER TO HAVE A COMPLETE CHANGE OF MIND ABOUT THEMSELVES, UNTO A COMPLETE TURNING FROM THEIR SIN CONDITION UNTO THE LORD FOR HIS SALVATION: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55;7 “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” Luke 18:13
HAVE YOU REPENTED? IF NOT, WILL YOU – LEST YOU PERISH?
SHARINGThe Reviving Of Our Spirit
“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:17
“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” Romans 3:27 Human pride and the work of the Holy Spirit have always been distinctly different, of different origins and ultimately, with different results. God dwells with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, and revives the spirit of the humble and contrite ones. All man made religion has it’s foundation on self. It’s hope of salvation rests on the merits of self. It’s religious expression is a zealousness in proclaiming what one’s own self is and does. It’s spirit is in respect of that which is a demonstration and projection of it’s participants.
But in the exercise of that which has the consciousness of the Holy Spirit, there is a carefulness – “That no flesh should glory in his presence. That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:29,31 Thus, we know that the spirit of the humble, unassuming, has more sanction from heaven than those who are burning their own religious fires.
What man respects is different than what God respects. Man discredits him that is of a contrite and humble spirit. Man takes pleasure in that which is showy, boisterous, lofty, judgmental, assertive, loud, egotistical, sensational, preeminent, and self vindicated. Man criticizes the contrite and humble as being too dull, too poor, and too inferior, With God, however, those that exalt themselves shall be abased, and those that humble themselves shall be exalted.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth they praise.” Psalm 51:17,15The need today is not for self assertiveness, but for prayerfulness unto being led and enabled by the Holy Spirit to both recognize when and what we are to do. We don’t need to try to make a name for ourselves. We don’t need to try to gain the admiration of others. We need to beware of reaching for positions wherein we think we are standing tall. Rather, we need a conviction of sin unto a belief that without Christ, we are nothing and can do nothing.
It is such a blessed release to reach the end of ourselves unto reaching forth for the grace of God to lift us up. It is turning from filthy rags unto beholding the glory of God. Only when we turn away from ourselves are we turned unto the Lord. This God will bless.
SHARINGDiligence
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, wither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Proverbs 22:29
Diligent = persevering and careful in work; hard working. Done with careful, steady effort; painstaking.
There are many right actions and thoughts that go into personal success, with diligence being the work ethic governing all.
For example, people who know how to do things are those who have undertaken their tasks with diligence. Through careful, steady effort, they are able to discover what works and what doesn’t work.
People who are skillful at what they do, proceed at the painstaking pace that allows them to get it right. Their principle to produce the finest product, employs the patience and determination to make it happen.
“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall alike be good.” Ecclesiastes 11:6 Diligence dismisses reluctance, excuses, and all other attitudes that prevent and disable undertakings. This is described well in Proverbs 31:13-27, which sets forth the characteristics of a virtuous woman. Mothers, who fill their roles well, develop a mindset to perceive what needs to be done, and they just do it the best they can without hesitation or delay.
“By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.” Ecclesiastes 10:18 To be successful, individuals must accept the responsibility to think and apply themselves diligently in the business of life. No one is entitled to a free ride. “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” 1 Timothy 5:8 “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11
SHARINGFighting The Battle Against Sin
James 1:12-16: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.
WE DETERMINE WHAT PART SIN PLAYS IN OUR LIFE, James 1:12-14. Things get out of control by our taking liberties, rather than mortifying the flesh.
JUST AS SIN HAS A BEGINNING, IT ALSO HAS A FINALITY, James 1:15. Sin allows none to be a player, without making them a victim. Sin plays for keeps: there are no harmless sins; all sins are evil. Sin is what is wrong with the human race. All the things going wrong are due to sin.
THE NATURAL MAN IS DEAD IN SIN, THUS IT NEVER AWAKES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. Thus, we see the same sins repeated over and over. Sin is due to the sinful lusts that lie deep within our natural man, James 1:14. Not being due to ignorance, it will not be prevented by knowledge. Adam and Eve had knowledge and good morals before they sinned. Sin is not due to deficient circumstances either, as sin conceived and brought forth in Eden’s utopia.
Neither is the answer to sin’s problem found in isolating ourselves from other men, to live in our own world. We would have to be able to first shed our own human nature. If we were the only person in the world, the problem of sin would still be with us, as we are sinners by nature, rather than by contagion. Even though God started the human race over again with Noah, it still had the inherent depravity of Adam.
The only answer to the sin problem, is the victories that are found in Jesus Christ, Romans 7:24-25.
THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW WHERE ONE STANDS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST SIN APART FROM HEARKENING TO GOD’S WORD. “…Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law…” Romans 7:7 NOTE: “by the law.” To set the law aside as the right standard, is to not know sin! What made the act of eating of the forbidden fruit to be sin, was not in how they saw it, not in how they picked it, not in how it looked or how they felt about eating it, but what made it sin was that it was the transgression of God’s law. Today, people are still judging things by how they see it, rather than according to what God’s law says, thus sin abounds!
WE MUST ACCEPT THE AUTHORITY OF GOD’S WORD IF WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT SIN. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” John 3:4 Beware of sinning against the law by rejecting it as being God’s definition of sin! There is no remedy for this wilful sin!
SHARINGThe Disappearance Of Truth
“None calleth for justice, neither any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.” Isaiah 59:4 People are choosing to trust in lofty human ideology (unproven promises) while rejecting the truth of God that never fails.
“They hatch cockatrice eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.” Isaiah 59:5-6 That which claims to be for the benefit of all, is designed to be the catch that will benefit a few.
“Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.” Isaiah 59:7-8 Human life is not considered in the context of that which is to be regarded as sacred. The killing of the innocent unborn is subsidized to allow for the unlimited subsidizing for the corrupt and violent. The door is wide open for perversion, while cracking down on those who stand for uprightness is being called for.
“Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.” Isaiah 59:9 Rather than uphold the intended tenets of the law, the law is being interpreted in ways to favor what is deemed to be politically correct.
“In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.” Isaiah 59:13 Denying the authority of God’s Word, while granting legal status to sin and moral perversion has been standardized.
“And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yeah, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.” Isaiah 59:14-15 THE CONSEQUENCE: when there is no place left for truth, all that is left are lies and deceits. Without the presence of the light of truth, spiritual darkness prevails. Without the knowledge of the truth, there is nothing left for men to see, to think and be, except that which is contrary to the truth. And without the acknowledging of the truth, there will be no repentance unto salvation, just perishing!
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19 “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
IT IS TRUE – MAN DOES NOT NEED THE TRUTH TO PERISH!
SHARING