Current Events and Repentance
My husband and I follow events around the world closely. You could call us "news hounds" for our dogged interest.
As terrorist developments around the world seem to be more frequent and more bloody, my mind was drawn to this passage from Luke 13:
"There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, 'Do you think that those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (vv. 1-5; ESV).
Jesus makes it clear that there is no distinguishing between those who die in noteworthy ways and those who perish in other ways. Both require repentance before they die, or they will experience eternal consequences.
What is this repentance of which Jesus speaks?
True repentance is
A work of God in and on
A dead heart,
Making it alive to
The seriousness of sin and
The grievousness of sin to
A Holy God,
Comprehending consequences which formerly
Escaped it completely,
Begging, then, for merciful grace,
Receiving the same from that same
Holy God, based on
The completed work of Christ--
Awesome for awful.
Recognize that God is altogether holy and you are a sinner; James 2:10: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."
Express your need for forgiveness in prayer--the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin; 1 John 1:8-10: "If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and the cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and His word is not in us."
Persevere in Bible study and prayer and fellowship with like-minded persons; 1 Peter 2:1-3: "Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord"; Hebrews 10:23-25: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful, and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
Examine yourself regularly (2 Corinthians 13:5)--What do you need to deal with as far as sinning each day?
Never forgetting our need for grace and discernment--we'll never outgrow our need for them; 2 Peter 3:17-18: "You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Turning our eyes upon Jesus constantly, continually, continuing to trust and obey, reading and rereading the Scriptures (see Acts 17:11).
As terrorist developments around the world seem to be more frequent and more bloody, my mind was drawn to this passage from Luke 13:
"There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, 'Do you think that those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (vv. 1-5; ESV).
Jesus makes it clear that there is no distinguishing between those who die in noteworthy ways and those who perish in other ways. Both require repentance before they die, or they will experience eternal consequences.
What is this repentance of which Jesus speaks?
True repentance is
A work of God in and on
A dead heart,
Making it alive to
The seriousness of sin and
The grievousness of sin to
A Holy God,
Comprehending consequences which formerly
Escaped it completely,
Begging, then, for merciful grace,
Receiving the same from that same
Holy God, based on
The completed work of Christ--
Awesome for awful.
Recognize that God is altogether holy and you are a sinner; James 2:10: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."
Express your need for forgiveness in prayer--the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin; 1 John 1:8-10: "If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and the cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and His word is not in us."
Persevere in Bible study and prayer and fellowship with like-minded persons; 1 Peter 2:1-3: "Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord"; Hebrews 10:23-25: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful, and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
Examine yourself regularly (2 Corinthians 13:5)--What do you need to deal with as far as sinning each day?
Never forgetting our need for grace and discernment--we'll never outgrow our need for them; 2 Peter 3:17-18: "You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Turning our eyes upon Jesus constantly, continually, continuing to trust and obey, reading and rereading the Scriptures (see Acts 17:11).
Labels: Luke 13:1-5; James 2:10; 1 John 1:8-10; 1 Peter 2:1-3; Hebrews 10:23-25; 2 Peter 3:17-18
posted by Ebeth | 1:14 PM
2 Comments:
Persevere: 1 Peter "... pure milk of the Word..." I'm confident that was the intended Scripture [minor miss-quote there using "work" instead]. Praying that edifies. In Him :-) TY as always
Good job again!!
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