rjones
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- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
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Revelation and Repentance
Acts 2:36-39 "'...God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.' When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said '...what shall we do?' Peter replied, 'Repent...'" .
When Peter preached the Gospel on the day of Pentecost, the response his hearers made was to repent. Repentance was their response to the work of our God in their lives.
First comes revelation
Notice that Peter did not preach repentance. He preached Jesus. The Bible says that his hearers had such a revelation of Jesus (verse 36) that they were "cut to the heart" and asked: "...what must we do?" (verse 37). Then Peter told them: "Repent!" Without a revelation of God, there can be no repentance.
Then comes repentance
Repentance is our response to a revelation from God. Every time we confront a revelation of God's word, our response should be repentance. For example:
Revelation in Romans 6:6-7 leads to repentance in Romans 6:11-13
Romans 6:6-7 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Romans 6:11-13 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
More examples:
Revelation-Repentance
Galatians 6:14 - Romans 12:2
Romans 8:5-8 - Galatians 5:16
Romans 11:36 - 1 Corinthians 8:6
James 1:21-22 "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says".
A Command from God
Acts 17:30 "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent".
Repentance is a decision that we make, a "turning around" away from the world, to face God. There are two kinds of repentance that God requires, pictured in Jesus' parable of two sons (Luke 15:11-32):
Living separate from God
The younger son walked away from his father, just as most of mankind has walked away from God. This son finally "came to his senses" (revelation) and returned to his father (repentance). Like this, our initial repentance is a decision to turn around and come back to God.
Turned away from God
The older son never left his father, yet he was not with his father. The separation he experienced was not physical, but it was just as real. In the same way, many Christians have not left God, but they are facing away from Him. Their eyes are on the world. Repentance, for them, means a turning around to face God, not the world ( Zechariah 1:3; James 4:8).
Repentance means responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, as He pinpoints areas in your life He wants to change (Ephesians 4:30). Repentance is the gateway into the fullness of life God has planned for you! (John 10:10).
Isaiah 30:15 "...In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength...".
Acts 2:36-39 "'...God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.' When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said '...what shall we do?' Peter replied, 'Repent...'" .
When Peter preached the Gospel on the day of Pentecost, the response his hearers made was to repent. Repentance was their response to the work of our God in their lives.
First comes revelation
Notice that Peter did not preach repentance. He preached Jesus. The Bible says that his hearers had such a revelation of Jesus (verse 36) that they were "cut to the heart" and asked: "...what must we do?" (verse 37). Then Peter told them: "Repent!" Without a revelation of God, there can be no repentance.
Then comes repentance
Repentance is our response to a revelation from God. Every time we confront a revelation of God's word, our response should be repentance. For example:
Revelation in Romans 6:6-7 leads to repentance in Romans 6:11-13
Romans 6:6-7 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Romans 6:11-13 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
More examples:
Revelation-Repentance
Galatians 6:14 - Romans 12:2
Romans 8:5-8 - Galatians 5:16
Romans 11:36 - 1 Corinthians 8:6
James 1:21-22 "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says".
A Command from God
Acts 17:30 "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent".
Repentance is a decision that we make, a "turning around" away from the world, to face God. There are two kinds of repentance that God requires, pictured in Jesus' parable of two sons (Luke 15:11-32):
Living separate from God
The younger son walked away from his father, just as most of mankind has walked away from God. This son finally "came to his senses" (revelation) and returned to his father (repentance). Like this, our initial repentance is a decision to turn around and come back to God.
Turned away from God
The older son never left his father, yet he was not with his father. The separation he experienced was not physical, but it was just as real. In the same way, many Christians have not left God, but they are facing away from Him. Their eyes are on the world. Repentance, for them, means a turning around to face God, not the world ( Zechariah 1:3; James 4:8).
Repentance means responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, as He pinpoints areas in your life He wants to change (Ephesians 4:30). Repentance is the gateway into the fullness of life God has planned for you! (John 10:10).
Isaiah 30:15 "...In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength...".
