Posts Tagged ‘ Repent ’
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-14, ESV
We are born with darkened understanding and must turn to God who can truly enlighten us and change our thinking. This starts by acknowledging our sin against God and receiving Hos forgiveness in Christ.
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:4, ESV
We cannot get through this life alone, and we must change our thinking to acknowledge our need for God. He is the foundation of Creation, especially our life, so may we seek and trust in Him.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1, ESV
To find eternal life, we must change our way of thinking, believe in Jesus Christ as our God who saves us, and give our lives to Him. There is no other way.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16, ESV
We like to think we are basically good or can earn a place in heaven, but it is only by faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that we get there.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Proverbs 3:7, ESV
We are very limited in our knowledge of life, the universe, and everything.
Once we acknowledge this, we can seek the One who knows all things and has told us what is good.
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
Joel 2:12-13, ESV
We may fail and fall away, but the Spirit of God draws us back into repentance, faith, and love.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:11-12, ESV
We may stumble and even fall away for a time from God’s perfect standard, but as Christians we can never lose the Holy Spirit, only the fruit of the Spirit. May we quickly repent and be restored to peace and joy.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalm 139:23-24, ESV
Our God lives in us by the Holy Spirit, so He knows us intimately and more than we know ourselves. He works in us to make us more Christ-like, revealing our sinfulness and leading us in repentance.
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out
Acts 3:19, ESV
We know God loves us because of His forgiveness when we begin thinking about our need for salvation in Christ and desire to change. He is faithful.
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
Matthew 2:16, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came, and the first powerful person to hear about him reacted … violently
Have things really changed?
We still react to God in violent and nasty ways, usually against each other. When we get upset, we attack God by attacking His image found in each of us.
We demean each other, mock and ridicule and belittle each other. We kill and mutilate ourselves and each other, our children, our elderly and infirm.
All of this is our attempt to push away and destroy God from in our lives.
And we all do it.
Herod wanted to destroy Christ, but he was only fulfilling prophecy.
Christ came to save us, and it meant living in this fallen world with all of its dangers and temptations.
But He did not give in, and turned our anger and violence into the tools to save us.
Let us respect the image of God in each other, turning to the One who took on our image to redeem us.
May we seek the Lord who works in the midst of our sin to redeem us from sin.
a simple man of God 