Repent?!

"Repent" doesn't quite sound like a "nice" word, it challenges us to

"take fearless moral inventory" and at times is the last thing we want

to do, let's be honest!

The Bible term re. the Greek of the New Testament defines it on several

levels, all important. You can dig into that here:

https://biblehub.com/greek/3340.htm

In the middle of the night I remembered the many blessings of Jesus'

call for me to repent, to grow closer to Him, to learn from Him and

become a genuine disciple rather than merely a convert.

I recalled the fact His first sermon included "Repent, the kingdom of

heaven is at hand", "Repent and believe the Good News" -not simply

"believe". This reality became very clear unfolded for me in my earliest

days walking with God. The issue was not what I thought but what HE

thought and meant by this term!

In the Book of Acts, the historical account tells us Peter's first

sermon after being filled with the Holy Spirit included that message to

his hearers.

Paul continually called people to repent -and I'm surely no Paul but by

God's grace have right through my life been called myself and reminding

others to repent, not simply believe and live as they had before.

In the practical, to repent means 1. changing one's mind 2. changing

one's heart 3.changing one's life -and these all with focus to love,

respect, honor and obey God -Father/Son/Spirit in one's daily attitudes,

thoughts, words and actions. It is deep behavioral change that is He is

worthy of and which brings us before Him in dependence for the ongoing

ability (and our need!) to become more like Jesus and less like

rebellious naysayers toward God. Repentance brings changes that reveal

Jesus in and working through us toward loving and serving others -not

merely serving ourselves and selfish interests.

Imagine if more professing Christians moved beyond one-off repentance

for salvation and grew into Jesus' call to be His disciples, God's sons

and daughters by the power of the Spirit (see John chapter 15 for

details)?!

To say it's always simple, easy, fun, a picnic is to deny self-denial and the cost

of discipleship -which is why so many professing Christians avoid it as a

regular matter of confession and part of true accountability.

To repent means to move beyond nickel-in-the-slot/feet-in-cement-church

into a deeper and maturing relationship with God HIMSELF as the focus

and goal of our thinking and actions. Note- REthinking, REnovation,

REcovery, REnewal... this is a snapshot of what REPENT means as the Lord

calls each and all of us to do it!

Finding peace with God and friendship with Jesus Christ involves this

term and our responsive actions. To truly repent is neither passive, nor

optional.

And as always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn