What is Repentance?

 

What is Repent?

Repent means, “to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins” (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). It is from the Hebrew word "shuv" which means "to turn."

We can change our mind, deciding to live right, in a moment. When we have repented, we not only have a changed mind about sin; the change can be seen in our actions.

We regret our sinful life, and tell Jesus through prayer that we are sorry for our sins.

As we praise and thank Jesus for His mercy and His love, He can fill us with His Spirit. When we totally surrender to Him, He can change our words of praise and adoration into another language, speaking through us.

This is the sign that we have given Jesus full control, putting aside our pride and trusting Him totally. Tongues is another word for languages.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 KJV

When we have repented, we can get baptized in the name of Jesus so that His blood can wash away our sins. By the name of Jesus in water baptism, we have remission of sins. We can be water baptized before or after we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

When we have been baptized in the name of Jesus and filled with His Spirit, we have a new life and a clean slate!

What is the Gospel?

 

What is the Gospel?

Apostle Paul wrote:

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL which I PREACHED unto you, which also ye have RECEIVED, and wherein ye STAND; By which also ye are SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed IN VAIN.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the scriptures; and that he was BURIED, and that he ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the scriptures:" - 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV [My emphasis with CAPS]

We hear the gospel preached, we receive it, we stand in it. We are saved by the gospel, unless we believe in vain. It is in vain if we believe it and then do not obey it. We obey the gospel by baptism. Jesus made this clear in His great commission in the book of Mark.

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16:15-16 KJV

On the Day of Pentecost, Apostle Peter preached the gospel – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" - Acts 2:37 KJV

The people BELIEVED the gospel. Peter then answered their question and preached to them how to OBEY the gospel:

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

Then the people OBEYED the gospel!

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." - Acts 2:41 KJV

REPENTANCE is DEATH to sin, WATER BAPTISM in the name of Jesus is BURIAL of old nature, HOLY GHOST infilling is RESURRECTION to new life.

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." - Acts 2:42, 47 KJV

There is only One God - Jesus is His Name!

 

Our Heavenly Father robed Himself in flesh to pay the price of death for our sins. It took a man without sin to pay this price, which only God, who is without sin, could pay. (Luke 1:35, Hebrews 2:14-15, Hebrews 9:22, Acts 20:28). God did this so that we could be reconciled to Him, having our sins washed away by water baptism in His name Jesus. (Colossians 1:19-23).

The flesh/body that our Heavenly Father robed Himself in is called the Son of God. God came in His name of salvation, which is Jesus.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 KJV

All the fullness of God is within this human body. (Colossians 2:8-9, Isaiah 9:6). At the same time, God fills the universe. (2 Chronicles 6:18).

Jesus told His disciples,

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." - John 14:16-18

The Comforter is the Holy Ghost, which Jesus poured out on the Day of Pentecost. When we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we receive the Spirit of Jesus in us.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." - John 14:26

Jesus promises the gift of His Spirit to all those that obey the gospel. This is what Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39

Church! The Power of the Holy Ghost

 Church!

Get refueled with the anointed preaching of the Word of God. Get filled/refilled with the Holy Ghost. Worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." - John 4:23

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." - Hebrews 10:25

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" - Ephesians 4:11-12

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Holy Ghost.

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." - Acts 1:8.

On the Day of Pentecost, the 120 disciples in the upper room were all filled with the Holy Ghost.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 KJV

That day, Peter preached the gospel to all those that had gathered.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

“And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:38-42

To them gave He power to become sons of God

"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die." - Genesis 30:1

To Rachel, to give birth to a child meant everything to her.

It is by the gospel that souls are born into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5, Acts 2:38).

Paul the Apostle travailed in prayer for souls to be born. (Galatians 4:19).

With the same attitude and deep desire for children that Rachel had, our travailing prayers can affect the birth process of souls into the kingdom of God.

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." - Psalm 126:5-6

"And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: and she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son." - Genesis 30:22-24

Rachel’s first-born son Joseph is a type of Christ. The name Joseph means “adding.” While Christ is the only begotten Son of God (born the Son of God from birth), we become sons of God when we are born again of water and of the Spirit. (John 3:5, Acts 2:38, Romans 8:29).

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12-13 (Philippians 2:15, 1 John 3:1-2, Galatians 4:4-7, Hebrews 2:10).

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." - Acts 2:41 KJV

"…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." - Acts 2:47 KJV

Burning Bridges

What does the expression, “Burn your bridges” mean?

One definition is, “When you burn a bridge you can't cross it again. To burn a bridge means to be completely done with something.”

A preacher once said, “You need to burn your bridges.” He was speaking about destroying everything that could bring us back to sin and death.

When we first come to God, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:37-38).

It has been said, “What is repentance? It is a change of mind, that leads to a change of heart, that leads to a change in actions. This change involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God.”

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon includes this in definition of “repent”: “…heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins…”

It is feeling deeply sorry for our sins, truly hating sin and wanting to please God with our whole heart.

It is getting rid of everything that has to do with that sin, so it won’t be easy to begin it again.

It all needs to be “burned up” so that we are truly done forever with it.

The Bible says,

"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." - Galatians 5:9 KJV

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon includes in its definition of leaven:

"It is applied to that which, though small in quantity, yet by its influence thoroughly pervades a thing:"

Leaven is another word for yeast that multiplies in dough until it has taken over the dough.

We need to get rid of the smallest things in our life that have to do with sin that can multiply and take over again.

All must be eliminated.

To please God, we need to leave sin behind, “burning our bridges,” with no regrets and no ways of returning to it.