This week Micheal, one of the Lay-Teachers from our Wednesday Night Bible Study group, writes on the changed life in Christ through "repentance. He writes: The old man of the flesh raises his ugly head at times we least expect him to
attack us. Even Jonathan Edwards, often hailed as America's
greatest preacher, after having delivered an inspired message calling thousands
back to God, had to battle his own ego by lying prostrate on the floor. Sanctification
is setting our heart before God according to His purpose, not ours, and to
allow God to work within us to will and to do of His good pleasure when we
delight ourselves in Him. To set ourselves apart from this world, we must
remind ourselves that, without Him, we are empty jars of clay... we are
earthen vessels molded by the Master to allow His light to shine in us and
through us and around us.
People are divided into four categories after having heard the gospel of
God. The first category is those who reject of the message. The
second category is those who come forward, but lack assurance. The third is
those who think they are saved but they are not. The fourth category is those
who know whom they have believed and are persuaded that He is able to keep that
which He's committed unto them against the Day of Judgment. Repentance is
the key to entering into the fourth category. Repentance is to turn from myself
and unto God. In the book: "The Narrow Way", William Nichols says
that when Paul spoke to the Greeks on Mars Hill, he warned them, "unless
you repent, you will perish according to the judgment of the righteous
judge." Repentance begins with seeing and understanding the significance
of “the fork in the road” of life. It is the personal recognition of the
wickedness of the “fallen” nature of our own heart. Repentance means to
turn around 180 degrees from walking away from the Lord and change direction towards
God ... to change our mind from our own will to see, to seek, and to follow
His will, not ours. The voice that convicts us is the "hound of
heaven" who relentlessly pursues us and will never leave us or forsake us.
Isaiah 55:7 says, "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."
Repentance is to change priority from the life of my flesh to His life in the Spirit.
To repent is to right the wrongs that we have done, our cleansing is forgiveness
according to the payment of our debt of sin by our Savior Jesus Christ. When we
repented and confessed unto salvation, He
who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him – 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Michael finishes his message on the repented life in tomorrow's post.
In Christ, Brian
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