A Poem 7/19/13

A Poem 7/19/13

(Rev 15:8, 1 Tim 6:16, Heb 12:15, Ps 97:2, Rev 21:5, Jer 2:13, Jon 2:8, Hos 11:10, 2 Cor 13:5, Hos 11:4, Col 3:1, 1 John 3:1-3, Ps 51:11, James 4:8, Luke 8:15, Zech 13:1, Rev 22:14, Heb 10:14, Luke 12:40, Luke 18:8, 2 Cor 10:5, Ps 27:4, 1 Thess 5:23-24, Heb 10:21)

All glorious art Thou, my King, within Thy temple; blazing with infinite splendor and unapproachable light.

O rid me Lord, of all bitter roots that rise up to defile many, that cast me into the night.

I bow before Thee, even in my ignorance, for thick clouds and darkness surround Thee.

Thy throne is founded by righteousness and justice; behold Thou makest all things new in Thy sovereignty.

May I not dig broken cisterns Lord and offer my soul unto vanity, unto another.

For they that observe lying vanities forsake Thy mercy, O Father.

Thou roarest like a lion and Thy children come trembling from the west.

Do I not see that Christ Jesus is in me, lest I fail the test.

Thou hast drawn me with cords of a man, with bands of love.

O Lord, I am risen with Christ; help me to set my mind on things above.

Behold what manner of love Thou hast shown me that I should be called Thy child.

May I cast my hope fully on the grace that is to be brought when I see Thee face to face in a short while.

For when Thou appearest, I shalt be like Thee, for I shall see Thee as Thou art.

Thus, Lord cast me not away from Thy Presence nor take Thy Spirit from me; may we ne’er be apart!

Help me to draw nigh to Thee that Thou might draw nigh to me.

Thy love, the glory of my Redeemer poured out as He was crucified, is all I long to see.

May my heart be good and honest, that I may keep Thy Word and bear fruit with patience.

For on this day, yes, today, a fountain is opened for the sin and uncleanness of Thy holy nation.

Blessed are them that do Thy commandments, who wash their robes in the blood of Thy Son.

For by one sacrifice Thou hast perfected for ever them that are sanctified; yes Thy work is done.

Please, O Father, make me ready to stand before the Son of Man, and may I be in faith when Thou return.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, O help us to discern.

I desire to dwell in Thy house, Father, all the days of my life, to behold Thy beauty, and enquire in Thy temple.

Preserve me: body, soul, and spirit, blameless at Thy coming for Thou who hast called me is faithful; Jesus, my High Priest over Thy house, Thou art my example.

When Teachers of Truth Turn Aside

When Teachers of Truth Turn Aside

     He had spoken to us words which were as precious morsels to comfort and refine our souls. He had led many to the way of righteousness. We had put our hope in him. We had loved him. We had cherished his presence among us. We had seen similitudes of the working of the Spirit in and through him. And now, he has turned aside. He has forsaken the way of Truth. His ‘love’ has gone cold. Our hearts would be shattered. His prior proclamations of Truth had built up the reserves of our souls and now his apostasy has resulted from his inner rejection of Christ. Shall we be shattered? Shall we faint? Shall we be scattered, torn, and slain? Are we, the sheep, now ruined?

“For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it; nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend; we who had sweet fellowship together walked in the house of God in the throng” (Ps 55:12-14)

     Dear saints, doctrinal apostasy prevails in our midst. And yet I feel convicted that even when doctrine is sound and within the confines of Truth, the apostasy of the soul may linger. We, the saints, have categorized teachers according to their doctrines. And we have set apart within our hearts those teachers who proclaim Truth to us. We invest our time in hearing from them. Indeed, we have little time to waste hearing those who are not yet brought into the full understanding of the sovereignty of God, His Gospel, and His work of regenerating souls. And yet, we must understand that knowledge of these core things is not enough. It is possible to speak in the tongues of men and of angels and to have no love (1 Cor 13:1). It is possible to have been enlightened, to have tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the Holy Spirit in some sense and to yet be worthless, yielding only thistles and thorns, and eventually cursed (Heb 6:1-8). The saints who know their God will display strength and take action. Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and MANY WILL JOIN THEM IN HYPRCRISY. (Dan 11:32-34). Perhaps those who join us in hypocrisy do not teach the Truth. Or perhaps they do teach the Truth, but they are devoid of the Spirit…

    How then shall we deal with the bewildering apostasy of leaders who have proclaimed the Truth of the Scriptures to us? How shall we resolve our anguish? Such apostasy may not have happened yet from our standpoint, but if and when it happens, how shall we abide in Him confidently and with full joy? The Spirit teaches me today that we are not to be shattered, because we know our Christ and His Gospel. We know that we are led by one Shepherd. He never fails. He never changes. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us (2 Cor 1:20). Whatever Truth which we had been taught in the past by these now apostate leaders is from this immutable Shepherd of love. The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd (Ecc 12:11). All the Truth that has nourished our souls is from our good Shepherd. He remains the same. He has arisen from the grave and shepherds His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the Name of the Lord His God. And we, His true people, will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth (Mic 5:4). He is our only Rabbi, our only Father, our only Shepherd (Matt 23:8-9). We were never following any other man. We were never called by any other Name than His Name. He is our banner. And though some teachers of His Word have turned aside, may we ever cling to Him and to His Word, yes even His true Word that had been stored up and treasured within us from the moment we had been taught in the past from these false teachers of Truth. These teachers are false in the sense that though they had taught the Truth, the outcome of their lives, that is, their evidenced apostasy, revealed that they were false (1 John 2:19). Our Lord’s sovereignty and constancy persists throughout all time, and into eternity. He is the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev 22:13). Although the apostasy of endeared leaders is as the bread of privation and the water of oppression, He, our Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but our eyes will behold Him (Is 30:20). We will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for we will all know Him, from the least of us to the greatest of us. This is what the Lord has declared to us because He has forgiven our iniquity through the blood of the Lamb and remembers our sin no more. (Jer 31:34) Since these teachers of Truth have turned aside, had they truly taught the Truth? The Spirit of God within us will bear witness with the Truth. For the anointing which we received from Him abides in us, and we have no need for anyone to teach us; but as His anointing teaches us about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught us, we abide in Him. (1 John 2:27)

    Dear saints, when teachers of Truth turn aside, we will cling to our Christ and to His Truth. May we not be shaken! We will not be ruined. His love will keep us.

No one go with me, still I will follow. No turning back. No turning back.

A Minor Defense of the Sovereignty of God

A Minor Defense of the Sovereignty of God

Dear Father,

     You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; they will perish, but You remain; and they all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end. (Heb 1:10-12) As for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand; deliver us from the hand of our enemies and from those who persecute us. Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; save us in Your lovingkindness. (Ps 31:14-16) May Your grace grant us power to see a glimpse of Your true sovereignty here.

In Jesus Christ’s Name,

Amen

Dear Beloved,

     The repute of the sovereignty of our God has been compromised. Countless false notions of the nature of God reside in our midst. These notions take away from the full sovereignty of God and portray a god who is both impotent and less than omniscient. The true worship of such individuals is greatly inhibited, if not absent, for the Father is seeking worshippers who worship in spirit and in TRUTH (John 4:23). Our greatest authority on the nature of God is His Holy Word. Our God is the only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim 6:15). May the Lord open our eyes with His Word to His full sovereignty as we proceed.

1.     His Undefeatable Purpose

     God speaks to us saying, “Remember this, and be assured; recall it to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.” (Is 46:8-11) As God prophesied imminent judgment upon the nation of Israel He devised a plan against the whole earth; for His is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back? (Is 14:26-27)

He has spoken, He has purposed, and He has planned. His purpose will be established. He will accomplish all His good pleasure. No one can stop His purpose.

2.     The Mystery of His Sovereign Will in Christ

     Our God has power to subject all things to Himself (Phil 3:21). He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to the administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth (Eph 1:9-10) For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Pet 1:20-21). The mystery of God, that is, His predestined purpose for mankind resulting in His glory, is fulfilled in Christ. We do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Cor 2:6-8) As Peter preached to the audience on the day of Pentecost, he proclaimed that this Man was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, and was nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men who put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. (Acts 2:23-24). Grace was given to the apostle Paul to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. (Eph 3:8-12). Of this church, Paul was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on him for the benefit of the saints, so that he might fully carry out the preaching of the Word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1:25-27). For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (Phil 3:20-21) In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preaches to His servants the prophets (Rev 10:7)

3.     The Preordained Mystery of Lawlessness

     In His sovereignty, our God has predestined the presence of wickedness and those who practice such until the time of His final judgment. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all those who would believe in Him (Rom 11:32). For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the Truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they may be judged who did not believe the Truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Thess 2:7-12) The great woman of wickedness: on her forehead a name is written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev 17:5)

4.     His Sovereignty over Human Souls

    Our God is not only able to effect His chosen state of every soul, but He has predestined some for wrath and appointed some for eternal life. What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharoah, “For this purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth”. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. (Rom 9:14-18) His sovereignty over the souls of His people is complete. He works in them that which is pleasing to His will and He works in them to will and to act according to His good purpose (Heb 13:21, Phil 2:13). He directs their hearts into God’s love and the steadfastness of Christ, puts His Spirit within them, and causes them to walk in His statutes so that they will be careful to observe His ordinances (2 Thess 3:5, Ez 26:27). Though they were continually straying like sheep, now they have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of their souls (1 Pet 2:25). The sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him (Dan 7:27).

     The saints understand the sovereignty of God over souls. And thus they pray on behalf of the spiritual poverty around them, “You, O Lord, rule forever; Your throne is from generation to generation. Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long? Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us and are exceedingly angry with us” (Lam 5:19-22). On the basis of the blood of Christ they pray, “The Lord bless you because He was cursed, and keep you because was forsaken; The Lord make His face shine on you because the Father turned His face away from Him, and be gracious to us because He suffered our condemnation; the Lord lift up His countenance on you because He underwent His Father’s just wrath, and give you peace because He underwent agony.” (Num 6:24-26)

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Rom 8

Why is this a “Minor” Defense

     I have called this writing as a “minor” defense of His sovereignty. This defense is minor in comparison to the full Scriptural defense of His sovereignty. It is minor in comparison to the full outpouring of the riches of His power and majesty to the inhabitants of the world. His judgments, His salvation, and His signs and wonders display and authenticate His Sovereignty. In addition to the inerrant, infallible, inspired, all-sufficient Holy Scriptures, there are several means by which God can and will authenticate His sovereignty. The great miracle is His work of regeneration: removing the heart of stone, placing in the man the heart of flesh and His own Holy Spirit…the changing of the very nature of a man into the image of Christ by the power of His eternal Gospel!

“He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens" Rev 3:7 

Ways that He Authenticates His Sovereignty:

1.     The Love and Unity of the Saints

     Christ has given His people a new command, that they love one another, even as He has loved them, that they also love one another. By this all men will know that they are His disciples, if they have love for one another. (John 13:34-35). Christ prayed that the glory which the Father has given Him He has given to them, that they may be one, just as the Father and He are One; He is us, and the Father in Him, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that the Father sent Him, and loved His people, even as He has loved Him. (John 17:22-23)

2.     The Judgment of the Lord

     When the earth experiences His judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Is 26:9). At the time of the end, another angel flies in midheaven, having an eternal Gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters” (Rev 14:6-7).

3.     The Signs and Wonders of the Lord

    One of the magnificent wonders of God is His creation. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, having been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Rom 1:20). As Elihu tells Job, “Stand and consider the wonders of God. Do you know how God establishes them, and makes the lightning of His cloud to shine? Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds, the wonders of one perfect in knowledge, you whose garments are hot, when the land is still because of the south wind? Can you, with Him, spread out the skies, strong as a molten mirror? Teach us what we shall say to Him; we cannot arrange our case because of darkness. Shall it be told Him that I would speak? Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?...” (Job 37:14-20)

     Similarly, God performs signs and wonders through His people. Moses led the Israelites out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for 40 years (Acts 7:36). The people of God keep feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles (Acts 2:43, 5:12). For example, Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8). And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in Christ’s name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. (Mark 16:17-18) Tongues are a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe (1 Cor 14:22). For if the saints prophecy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among them. (1 Cor 14:24-25). He performs these signs and wonders in His own time and by His own will.

4.     The Steadfastness of the Saints in the Midst of Persecution

    The saints are to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that they may stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel; in no way alarmed by their opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for them, and that too, from God. (Phil 1:27-28) For the time already past is sufficient for them to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that the saints do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation and they malign them; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. (1 Pet 4:3-5) The saints have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for them, leaving them an example for them to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously (1 Pet 2:21-23) They are to do all things without grumbling and disputing, so that they will prove themselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of the crooked and perverse generation, among whom they appears as lights in the world (Phil 2:14-15). When they are arrested and handed over, they do not worry beforehand about what they are to say, but say whatever is given to them in that hour; for it is not them who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit (Mark 13:11)

    Their faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one toward one another grows ever greater; therefore they are spoken of among the churches of God for their perseverance and faith in the midst of all their persecutions and afflictions which they endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that they will be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which indeed they are suffering. For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict them, and to give relief to those who are afflicted when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing our retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for the testimony of Christ spoken to them was believed by them. (2 Thess 1:3-10)

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵ Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? ³⁶ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Rom 9

God's New Covenant with Neethi Faith

Aspects of Genuine Repentance

Aspects of Genuine Repentance

Dear Father,

    You are the Giver of every perfect gift, yes, even the gift of repentance that You grant to Your children again and again. When our affections have temporarily turned aside, we were weak and powerless, and yet You have caused us to see a glimpse of the coming judgment, a glimpse of the old man, and a glimpse of Your Son. And it has caused us to cling to You, to draw near to You, and to know that You have drawn near to us. Yes, the great serpent has flown from us and we have flown to Your Son. We could not repent. We could not repent. But what was impossible for men, You have accomplished by Your Spirit on the basis of the atoning blood of Your Son.

In Jesus Christ’s Name,

Amen

1.     Destruction of Self

     Genuine repentance includes the changing of the mind regarding self, that is, the old self. As the soul of the repentant prophet sees the righteousness of the Lord, he cries out “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Is 6:5). The inherent problem with the unsaved man is that he constantly seeks to justify his soul. Men are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them (Rom 2:14). They seek to justify self, to defend self, to acquit self, to make restitution for self, to exalt self, to give pleasure to self, to preserve self, to protect self, to glorify self…and all this is apart from Christ. But the role of God’s Law is to be the tutor that leads the chosen ones to Christ (Gal 3:24). Once the unsaved man was “alive” according to his own perception of the state of his soul. He thought there was worth and goodness in him for he was apart from the Law. But when the commandment came, sin became alive in him and he died for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived him and through it killed him. (Rom 7:9-11). But acknowledgement of one’s own wretchedness is not equivalent to the destruction of self that is an aspect of genuine repentance unless it includes the sorrow that is according to the will of God which produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation. For the sorrow of the world produces death. (2 Cor 7:10) But true repentance occurs when His people are united with Christ in the likeness of His death (Rom 6:5). Not only do they see their complete moral depravity, but they see the Savior as having borne that very depravity and the guilt, shame, and condemnation that is due it. This is the saving accompanier to the acknowledgement of self-depravity: the uniting with Christ in the likeness of His death. The repentant soul sees his sinful nature as crucified with Christ. At the same time that he cries out “I am lost!”, he sees his very depravity as borne by the perfect Lamb of God. He sanctifies the Name of the Holy One of Jacob and stands in awe of the God of Israel. Though he erred in mind, he will know the Truth. Though he criticized he will accept instruction. (Is 29:23-24) For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Is 30:15) In order to truly repent, the man must see his soul, all of his old nature, or with regard to the converted person, the remnant thereof, as worthy of condemnation. For Christ has not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32).

“Woe is me, for I am ruined”!

2.     Awareness of Blindness

     Likewise, another aspect of genuine repentance is the awareness of one’s own blindness apart from the enlightening by the Son. For though he is blind, the unrepentant lost man claims to have sight. Jesus said that if the people were blind, they would have no sin; but since they say that they see, their sin remains (John 9:41). All unregenerate men are not only blind, but they claim to their own souls and to the world around them that they can see. In their case the god of this world has blinded their minds so that they might not see the Light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor 4:4). To truly repent, one must call out, “I cannot see! Lord that I may receive sight!” Jesus said that for judgment He came into the world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind (Luke 9:39). For those who saw themselves to be worthy in their own eyes did not heed the invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And so He has told His slaves to go at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame (Luke 14:21).

Who is among you that fears the Lord,
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Is 50:10

“Lord that I might see!”

3.     The Warning of Coming Wrath

     Another aspect of true repentance is a heeding of God’s warning concerning the coming judgment. For the Spirit has come and convicts the world concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged (John 16:8, 11). John the Baptist warned the people to flee from the wrath to come, and to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. For the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Luke 3:7-9) Similarly when Peter told the people to repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise for as many as the Lord would call to Himself, he used many other words to solemnly testify and exhort them saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation”. (Acts 2:38-40) This “fleeing from wrath” involves the fleeing from immorality, from idolatry, from the love of money, and from youthful lusts (1 Cor 6:18, 1 Cor 10:14, 1 Tim 6:11, 2 Tim 2:22). For because of these God’s wrath is coming. With regard to the regenerate man who has fallen into sin, the same warning of the coming judgment is effective to lead him forward on the straight way for he acknowledges that the very fleshly desires he faces are waging war against his soul and seek to destroy the very new life that he has been granted (1 Pet 2:11). His Father reminds him that there is a point of no return. For just as afterwards Esau desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears (Heb 12:17). And in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, received a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. (Heb 6:4-8) The fear of God does involve conviction of the coming judgment, and fleeing to take hold of Christ, the refuge and Anchor. But a fear of hell is not enough, the man must take hold of Christ. He must truly repent.

“I must escape the coming wrath!”

4.     Acknowledgment of Incompetency to Elicit One’s Own Repentance

     There comes a point in the lives of some unregenerate men when they sees that unless they repent they will perish. The rich young ruler wanted to earn eternal life through his good deeds, only to realize by Christ’s Words that in order to follow Christ he needed to have a complete reversal of his mindset and heart condition. He had to repent. His inability to sell all of his wealth and give it to the poor was due to his inherent unwillingness. He went away sad, knowing he required such a deep repentance, and yet knowing he was unable to elicit such repentance within himself. Often lost men come to the point of being condemned by the Law of God within their own souls, and yet find themselves unable to elicit true repentance. For true repentance is not a choice or decision of man. It is impossible for him to repent. But what is impossible for men is possible with God. God brings about repentance. And thus the repentant sinner acknowledges his incompetency to have repented without God’s enablement. He believes Christ’s Words that no one can come to Him unless it has been granted him from the Father (John 6:65). And yet he acknowledges the nature of the Son to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide their feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:79). And his response is to watch expectantly for the Lord, the God of his salvation. He knows that his God will hear him. He tells his enemy not to rejoice over him. For though he falls he will rise; though he dwells in darkness, the Lord is a light for him. He bears the indignation of the Lord because he had sinned against Him, until He pleads his case and executes justice for him. He knows that God will bring him out into the light of Christ, and he will again see His righteousness. (Mic 7:7-9). Even when a converted person falls into sin, he seeks the Lord and waits upon him to grant him the gift of repentance. He knows that his Good Shepherd will capture his heart and that if he did not he would be damned. He knows with his God there is forgiveness and restoration and thus he fears God (Ps 130:4).

“Only He can help me to repent!”

5.     The Allurement in the Desert

     Often there is a desert that the sinner finds himself in where he is parched and in which his soul draws near the grave. The sin that once enthralled his eyes and the objects of the desires of the flesh no longer bring him pleasure. His lovers have turned against him and he dwells in darkness. Even a straying Christian, as he keeps silent about his sin, his body wastes away through his groaning all day long. For day and night God’s hand was heavy upon him; his vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Finally the one who had sinned acknowledged his sin to God, and did not hide his iniquity. He says that he will confess his transgression to the Lord. And God forgives the guilt of his sin. (Ps 32:3-5) For in the desert, God allures His people. He brings her into the wilderness and speaks kindly to her. (Hos 2:14). He betroths her to Himself forever in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness, compassion, and faithfulness. Then they will know the Lord! (Hos 2:18-20) Thus the true sons do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when they are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore they strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for their feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather healed. (Heb 12:7-13) Yes, He Himself brings the one who has sinned into the desert. There in the desert He allures her and speaks kindly to her. This is the kindness that results in repentance (Rom 2:4).

⁶ Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You ^[g]in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
⁷ You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with ^[h]songs of deliverance. Ps 32

“I wasted away, but He came and spoke kindly to me!”

6.     The Inevitable Circumcision of the Heart by the Spirit

     True repentance is a result of the inevitable circumcision of the heart by the Spirit. It is inevitable because all those who God has chosen are objects of His effectual blood and the grace therein. For he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God (Rom 2:29). The changing of the mind and heart that are the essence of genuine repentance occurs not by man’s reasoning or striving, but by the supernatural work of the Spirit. And once He has accomplished the work of bringing about our repentance, our reasoning and striving has become, by His grace, well suited for His purposes. For His New Covenant is that we shall be His people, and He will be our God. He gives us one heart and one way, that we may fear Him always, for our own good and for the good of our children after us. He has made an everlasting covenant with us that He will not turn away from us, to do us good; and He will put the fear of Himself in our hearts so that we will not turn away from Him. (Jer 32:38-40). Once the people of God have repented at the time of conversion, their repentance has not ended, but rather, it grows and deepens. And when he falls into sin, the Spirit elicits the very same repentance through the transformation that occurs by the renewing of the mind with the Truth of the Gospel. For as we walk with the Spirit, we will not carry out the desire of the flesh. But the Spirit will gain the victory in the lives of God’s people. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are in opposition to one another, so that we do not do the desires of the flesh, that which is pleasing to the flesh. (Gal 5:16-17) And so He has enclosed us behind and before, and laid His hand upon us. Such knowledge is too wonderful for us; it is too high, we cannot attain to it. Where can we go from His Spirit? Or where can we flee from His presence? If we ascend to heaven, He is there; if we make our bed in Sheol, behold, He is there. If we take the wings of the dawn, if we dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there His hand will lead us, and His right hand will lay hold of us. If we say that surely the darkness will overwhelm us, and the light around us will be night, even the darkness is not dark to Him, and even night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Him. (Ps 139:5-12) Genuine repentance is inevitable for the true believer, for it is enabled by the Father whose desire is to conform him to the image of His Son through the indwelling Holy Spirit who powerfully opposes the sin of the flesh.

“He surely grants the gift of repentance to me!”

7.     The Casting of Hope, Gaze, and Confidence on Christ

     Genuine repentance always involves the casting of hope, gaze, and confidence on Christ, specifically on His finished work. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of man has been lifted up and His people behold Him as being the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Lord has created a new thing in the earth—a woman will encompass a man (Jer 31:22). The Bride of Christ willingly turns to Christ. The ends of the earth turn to the Lord and are saved (Is 45:22). Whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:15-17) The Father’s will is that everyone who behold the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and Christ Himself will raise him up on the last day (John 6:40). In addition to the conviction of coming judgment, the genuine repentance is a willing turning and gazing upon the beauty and incomprehensible love of Christ.

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4

“Behold, the Lamb of God who took away my sin!”

8.     The Healing of Apostasy

     One evidence of genuine conversion is the curing of backsliding and faithlessness. When a person claims to have repented and yet keeps on sinning, it may be questioned whether his heart’s attitude towards his sin has truly changed. For if the heart’s affections have not changed, a man will not be able to maintain a lifestyle against his true heart’s affection. Thus, a man who has not truly repented cannot maintain a life of love and holiness. Similarly a converted man cannot live a life of sin because his heart’s affections have changed away from wickedness and towards Christ. The repentant man takes words with him and returns to the Lord. He asks God to take away all iniquity and receive him graciously, that he may present the fruit of his lips. He acknowledges that his previous idols cannot save him. For only in God the orphans find mercy. And thus God heals their apostasy, and loves them freely. For His anger has turned away from them. (Hos 14:1-4)

²¹ A voice is heard on the bare heights,
The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel;
Because they have perverted their way,
They have forgotten the Lord their God.
²² “Return, O faithless sons,
I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the Lord our God.
²³ “Surely, the hills are a deception,
A tumult on the mountains.
Surely in the Lord our God
Is the salvation of Israel. Jer 3

“Where else can I go Lord, You have the Words of Eternal Life”

9.     Two Reasons to Include Repentance in the Core Gospel Message

-        Scripture teaches us to tell people to repent and believe the Gospel. God tells us to repent and live (Ez 18:32). John the Baptist told the people to repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand and to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matt 3:2,8). When Jesus preached He told people to repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matt 4:17), and He came to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). When the disciples were sent out, they preached that men should repent (Mark 6:12). As Peter preached the Gospel on the day of Pentecost he told the people to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38) and later he preached that people should repent and return that their sins would be wiped out (Acts 3:19). As Paul preached to the men of Athens he said that God is calling all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) and kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance (Acts 26:20).

-        Telling the hearers to bear fruit in keeping with repentance is a gracious means of examining the genuineness of repentance. For an unconverted person cannot maintain the fruit of repentance. And thus if a person who professes to be repenting is unwilling or unable to give up sin to any significant degree, he must examine himself to see if he is in the faith, and if Christ has been formed in him (2 Cor 13:5, Gal 4:19). Though repentance is not perfect, it is genuine and results in the renouncing of known wickedness. It will surely deepen and grow over time resulting with greater measures of holiness and love in the believer.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Rev 3:19

“Yes, it was His grace that my fellow man told me to repent and believe in the Gospel!”

10.  An Excellent Passage on Repentance

¹⁷ “There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord,
“And your children will return to their own territory.
¹⁸ “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained calf;
Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
¹⁹ ‘For after I turned back, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh;
I was ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
²⁰ “Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My ^[j]heart yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.

²¹ “Set up for yourself roadmarks,
Place for yourself guideposts;
Direct your ^[k]mind to the highway,
The way by which you went.
Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities. Jer 31

“He loves me so I will return to Him!”