Articles
"Repent, or Else"
Repentance is something God commands and requires all men everywhere to do (Acts 17:30). Repentance might be described a change of mind which results in a change of action. Repentance is where the thief quits stealing and instead starts laboring with his hand to give to the person in need (Ephesians 4:28). While God expects us to make such changes, the world around us often tries to convince us repentance is impossible or will be something which cannot take place quickly.
God throughout the Bible did not buy into the concept a person would require decades and years to get over a particular sin. God instead commands us to make a decisive change. Consider the following verses:
- John 5:14; 8:11 - Jesus tells the man he heals at the pool of Bethesda, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (NKJV). Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11, NKJV). Here are people Jesus expects to make a clean break with sin. Why do we think it would be different with us or people today?
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (NKJV). The Corinthians lives before becoming Christians consisted of them engaging in sins many people would think are almost impossible to stop. However, here are people who made a break with sin as evidenced by the statement, “and such were some of you.”
- Titus 3:3 - “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another” (NKJV). As Christians, we have left behind a past which was ugly and messy. However, we did not have to remain in our mess and we need to make sure we do not give others the impression they must remain in their mess for years to come either.
- Think about the instructions given to the seven churches of Asia. Many of these churches had problems and what does Jesus tell them to do. Jesus tells the church at Ephesus, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place - unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5, NKJV). Jesus told the church at Pergamum, “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth” (Revelation 2:16, NKJV). Jesus told the church at Sardis, “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent” (Revelation 3:3, NKJV). Jesus told the church at Laodicea, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19, NKJV). People might have left their first love, be tolerating false doctrine, be dead, and lukewarm yet all these individuals were capable of making the necessary changes and repent.
Let’s not make excuses for ourselves or others as to why we cannot repent. Let’s recognize the serious consequences of failing to repent (Luke 13:3, 5). Let’s take advantage of the longsuffering of God which gives us the opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3:9).
