What is “Repentance”…? Can ‘one’, who is not; Born Again by the Holy Spirit of God… “Repent?” Is Repentance ‘really’ understood by those that call themselves, “Christian?” Can you write out what ‘Repentance’ means or explain what it means to another person, using the Bible? Did Judas really ‘repent’, after he betrayed Christ to those wicked Jews; that had the Romans crucify Him? When you are stopped by a ‘Radar Cop’… and ‘say’ you are Sorry… is that really, “Repentance?”
*** (Luke 13:2-to-5) And answering, Jesus said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things?
(Luke 13:3) I tell you, No. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
(Luke 13:4) Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were sinners above all men who lived in Jerusalem?
(Luke 13:5) I tell you, No. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
*** (Acts 17:30-31-32) Truly, then, God overlooking the times of ignorance, now He strictly commands all men everywhere to “Repent”,
(Acts 17:31) because He has appointed a day in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He appointed, having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.
(Acts 17:32) And hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some indeed mocked; and others said, we will hear you again concerning this.
Knowing ‘about’ Jesus… is “Not” the same as… “Knowing Jesus!” In China with its 2.5 billion people, Christmas is their second largest holiday. Surely most ‘do not’ know Jesus! Knowing about ‘right & wrong’… is ‘not’ the same as doing right. One is ‘only’ a head belief and the other is obedience to God and to His Holy Word. Many of the religious Jews of Jesus’ day, ‘knew about’ God and His Word… but many ‘did not’… live out His Word.
*** (James 1:22) Keep on being doers of the Word, and ‘not’ merely hearers who deceive themselves.
*** (Luke 6:46) And why do you call Me [Jesus] Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?
*** (John 15:9-10-11) As the Father [God] has loved Me [Jesus], so I have loved you; continue in My love.
(John 15:10) If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
(John 15:11) I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.
In the Bible… the NT and the OT, the word Repentance has a different meaning than the common understanding by most. It is a different as ‘really’ knowing God… as ‘knowing about’ God! The word “Repent” in the Greek NT is a word defined by… “Changing one’s mind = with a ‘corresponding’ = change of actions!” IF you steal and repent and steal again, did you really repent… the first time? Absolutely not, for there is “NO” change of …‘Heart & Mind & Actions!’
*** (1Kings 15:11-12-13) And Asa did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, as David his father did.
(1Ki 15:12) And he took away the sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
(1Ki 15:13) And also he even removed his mother Maachah from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove. And Asa destroyed her idol and burned it by the torrent Kidron.
*** (John 8:10-11) And bending back up, and seeing no one but the woman, Jesus said to her, Woman, where are the ones who accused you? Did not one give judgment against you?
(John 8:11) And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I give judgment. Go, and sin no more.
http://truth459.blogspot.com/2009/06/entrapment-101blog.html
Obviously Asa… who had a relationship with God and His Word… demoted his very own mother from being queen. Her heathen idol practices had not part in the Kingdom of Israel. When one really knows and obeys God, there are always some tough choices to be made, even with family members. How serious is your relationship with Jesus? It is enough to obey His Word, no matter what the consequences? That obedience is a demonstration of True Biblical Repentance.
*** (Luke 14:26-27) If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
(Luke 14:27) And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple.
*** (Luke 16:13) "No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!"
*** (2John 1:9-10-11) Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ but goes beyond it does not have God. The person who abides in the teaching of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
(2Jn 1:10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your home or even greet him,
(2Jn 1:11) for the one who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
*** (1Corinthians 5:9-10-11) I wrote to you in my letter to stop associating with people who are sexually immoral-
(1Cor 5:10) not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or greedy people, robbers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
(1Cor 5:11) But now I am writing to you to stop associating with any so-called brother if he is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunk, or a robber. With such a person you must even stop eating.
Whose side are you… really on? You say you ‘Love Jesus’… yet you are torn between… obeying Him and His Word; and ‘some’ family members. Yes, even those that say they are Christian and still practice immorality, greed, stealing, drinking, adultery and idolatry. Yet Jesus is quite ‘emphatic’, as stated in His Word, posted above. About now, someone is saying, “But HOW… will I be a good witness, to those that are without Christ?” Did you notice the Word says… but if one is a “So-Called Brother [Christian]”… and practices ‘those things’.
*** (1Peter 4:1-to-5) Therefore, since Christ suffered in the sphere of the flesh, you, too, must arm yourselves with the same determination. For the person who has suffered in the sphere of the flesh has stopped sinning,
(1Pet 4:2) so that he can live the rest of his time in the flesh guided, not by human desires, but by the will of God.
(1Pet 4:3) For you spent enough time in the past doing what the gentiles like to do, living in sensuality, sinful desires, drunkenness, wild celebrations, drinking parties, and detestable idolatry.
(1Pet 4:4) They insult you now because they are surprised that you are no longer joining them in the same excesses of wild living.
(1Pet 4:5) They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
“Repentance” for the ‘True Believer’… is simply choosing… “Whose Side ‘you’ are On?” If you truly are a ‘Disciple of Christ’, then there is a cost for that “Fellowship / Discipleship!” Do you remember the First Commandment? If Jesus is LORD… serve Him! But if you put your ‘friends’… before ‘Him’ and ‘Obedience’ to His Holy Word… “He is truly ‘Not Lord’ in your life!” That is what the Word says, or do you read something different…? Salvation is pictured in the marriage relationship. That same… ‘Faithfulness’… is expected and requited… by both parties.
*** (Ephesians 5:28-to-33) In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself.
(Eph 5:29) For no one has ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, as Christ does the church.
(Eph 5:30) For we are parts of his body-of his flesh and of his bones.
(Eph 5:31) "That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
(Eph 5:32) This is a great mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the church.
(Eph 5:33) But each individual man among you must love his wife as he loves himself; and may the wife reverence her husband.
*** (Mark 12:28-to-31) And coming up one of the scribes heard them reasoning, knowing that He had answered them well, he asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all?
(Mark 12:29) And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord;
(Mark 12:30) and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." This is the first commandment.
(Mark 12:31) And the second is like this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
*** (Zephaniah 1:4-5-6) I [God] will also stretch out My hand on Judah and on all the people of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the idol-worshipers, with the priests,
(Zeph 1:5) and those bowing to the host of heaven on the housetops, and those bowing, = swearing to Jehovah, = also swearing by Malcham;
(Zeph 1:6) and those drawing back from Jehovah, and who have not sought Jehovah, nor asked for Him.
Knowing first, “WHO”… you love & serve, will help you ‘First’ to understand what “Repentance” is all about. “Repent from What…?” Continued in the following parts…!
... IF you were ‘not’ caught in a Lie… is it ‘the same’… as telling the Truth?
Thanks, In Christ, Roger / “2Corinthians 10:3-to-6”
Ende…!
