Repentance is a foundational key to the Christian life, but in many places it has been a neglected doctrine. In countless churches today, preachers have watered down their message so that it does not bear much resemblance to the gospel as outlined in the Scriptures.
Instead of people hearing that God’s kingdom is available to all those who are willing to forsake the world and wholeheartedly follow Jesus, thousands of sermons are preached every Sunday where Jesus is presented as a Savior only, but not as Lord and Master. People are told “Jesus will help you, bless you, forgive you and empower you.” But very little is said about “repentance, humility and sacrifice.”
You see, we are all called to run a race for Jesus, and repentance is the start line of that race. It’s futile to try to run the race if you never made it to the start line to begin with! This is the problem with many believers today. They are trying to follow the Lord, but they have never truly repented and surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. The result of the false gospel so prevalent today can be seen in churches full of half-hearted Christians whose lives are still centered on selfishness and the principles of the world.
Jesus came to bring the kingdom of God to the earth. He came to completely transform individuals, families and nations from the inside out—a radical revolution that would change the world through obedient, blood-bought servants who are willing to bow their knee and say, “Lord, after all you have done for me, what would you have me do for you?”
Jesus wants us to either be with him or against him. He told the church in Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16) This message from the resurrected Lord must have been an awful shock to the Laodicean Christians! They were well off, comfortable and self-sufficient. They probably thought that Jesus was proud of their achievements, and appreciative of their pious acts. Instead of patting them on the back, however, Jesus exposed the reality of their spiritually diseased condition: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Revelation 3:17-18).
Why did Jesus say these harsh words? Did He hate the Laodicean believers? Certainly not! In fact, His motivation—as always—was one of love, tough love. He loved the Laodiceans so much that he could not sit idly and let them perish in their sin and selfishness. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” (Revelation 3:19).
Repentance is both the first step to walking in the kingdom of God, and the key to continuing in a place of obedience and submission to the Lord. The very first message Jesus proclaimed in his ministry was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17). Without a deep experience of repentance in our lives we will continually struggle with basic sin and never mature as believers.
The devil doesn’t care if you have served the Lord in the past. What makes him frightened is if you are living for Jesus Christ today, relying and trusting Him right now, and being willing to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. We may look like we belong in the kingdom of God, and we may be successful in tricking other people, but the all knowing God cannot be fooled. We have to submit to Jesus as Lord and King if we want to dwell in His kingdom. We cannot trick God, whose “solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and, Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (2Timothy 2:19)
Jesus longs to have us all at His wedding banquet, but we cannot enter if we continue to live according to the principles of the world. The parable of the wedding banquet says: “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:11-14)
God knows who is a citizen of His kingdom and who is an impostor. If we have received an invitation to the wedding feast of the kingdom of God, we must wear the clothes that He tells us to, and not our own. We must accept His Word and live by it, aligning our lifestyle and choices to match the commands of the King. This is repentance. Repentance is such an integral part of Christian life. In fact, without repentance it is impossible to live in the kingdom of God. Living with one foot in God’s kingdom and one foot in the world is no different than an unfaithful spouse with two lovers. James put it quite bluntly, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” (James 4:4-5)
John similarly wrote, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)
One day we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and be required to account for our lives. Now is the time to repent, before it is too late! “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
If you sense the conviction of the Holy Spirit tugging at your conscience, then fall on your knees and cry out to God from a repentant heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to take full control of your life and to help you daily walk in humility and dependence on Him.
China - in His image 