History does not need to keep repeating itself…

And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” 
And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 
And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel. (Judges 10:9–16)

For months I’ve been thinking that the Lord is saying to this world the same thing He said to His OT people. They turned from His care and did their own thing, then ran into trouble and cried out to Him. He said they thought they had ways and means to live well without Him so He refused to bail them out.

Many in this era have ignored God, even insist that He does not exist. And as we watch things fall apart, it seems God is saying a similar thing: “You want to run your own lives? Let’s see how that works for you.”

The Israelites were distressed, but at least they recognized why they were having problems. They confessed their sin and begged God to deliver them. Were they sincere? Or were they trying to manipulate God? Only God knows motivations and the heart, but He took pity on them and sent a deliverer. However, the narrative of Judges revealed how this scenario kept repeating itself as the people “did what was right in their own eyes.”

And this history keeps repeating itself. The only way to have a genuine change of this cycle is true repentance which involves a change of mind and heart regarding sin. It is not merely saying I’m sorry because I got caught or was facing the consequences. However, it is also a gift from God, not something I can do apart from His mercy.

When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

While God tells us to repent, I know from personal experience that I might feel sorry for sinning, but any change of life is not a “work” that I can do to earn favor with God. If I could turn from sin, I would not need Jesus. He said, "Repent and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15), indicating that recognizing my need for a Savior is the first step toward receiving God's mercy. This requires faith in what Jesus has done to secure my redemption.

Repentance is also a lifestyle and the key to spiritual growth. The NT makes clear that Christians are delivered from the penalty of sin, yet all our lives God is at work to deliver us from the power of sin — and repentance is part of that process.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 1:7–2:1)

When first saved, my mentor had me do a Bible study on sin. God revealed so much of it, and keeps revealing it. I am not fully like Jesus, yet that is His goal. If I sin and merely make excuses, or ignore it, or try to explain it away, then I am throwing a monkey wrench into the transformation process.

Jesus, You died to save me from the biggest sin of trying to live my own life without You. You live to transform me into Your image (Romans 8:28-29) and repentance is so vital to make that transformation possible. Help me to always be honest with You regarding sin and thankful to You for the gift of repentance.

Two kinds of repentance?

 Most evangelicals believe “turn or burn” is not the right way to preach the gospel even though there is truth in these unfortunate choice of words. Burn is a crude way of describing the fate of those who reject God, and turn is another way to define repentance, another word that confuses many.

The OT describes repentance as changing one’s course of action. The NT suggests a change of mind, specifically to turn from sin and put faith in Jesus Christ. However, the definition is further clarified by what follows godly repentance. The contrast is a mere emotional regret that does not produce anything much more than sorrow that I got caught and further separation from God.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:10–11)

Today’s devotional says that all temporary repentance is false repentance and quotes a verse that indicates true repentance is not humanly produced but is a gift from God:

When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)

Another verse adds that I should never take for granted God’s forgiveness for my sin, because that would be presuming “on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4) In other words, when He kindly forgives, He also intends that I should change my ways and turn from the sin that He forgave.

A few weeks ago, I confessed a bad attitude and action to a few of my Christian friends. One of them made a remark that I’d likely do it again. She was describing false repentance without realizing that was not why I’d confessed the sin, nor was it the result. God cleansed that attitude and action — and it has not plagued me since God also granted a change of heart.

Another passage describes the will of God concerning how I’m to live:

Each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, (1 Thessalonians 4:4–10)

The Holy Spirit does this, just as Jesus said in John 16:8-14 and just as 1 Thessalonians 1:9 describes one result of genuine repentance. Other verses say that when my “turn from sin” is a true desire, it will result in a deeper commitment to Christ that continues. If the sin returns, this indicates to me that I’d not fully recognized it or not confessed the root of it. That is, it is possible to confess only the actions and retain the selfish attitude that produced them. Once the Spirit gets me to the bottom of what I am guilty of and I see it and agree with Him, He sets me free of it and grants perseverance to move forward in seeking and trusting Christ.

PRAY: Jesus, it is good to be reminded not to take lightly the need of confession and repentance. You have made 1 John 1:9 a strong life-changing verse in my life. I’m so grateful for the gift and the power of repentance.

Noun or Verb?

 

My dreams are often nonsense and I wake up laughing. The dream I had last night was like that. A woman kept asking people to answer a riddle with a verb instead of a noun. This dream ran through my mind when I read several hundred words in my devotional about the blood of Christ, ending with this statement: “Nothing is more practical, more important, or more delightful to the people of God than the blood, the precious, effectual, cleansing, redeeming blood of Christ.”

The dream made me think: is the blood (noun) what is stressed here, or is it the verb — Jesus died that all these benefits would be mine?

The reading begins with telling how those who heard the gospel and “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.’ ” (Acts 11:18)

In English, the dictionaries say ‘repentance’ is a noun. In Greek, the dictionaries affirm it as a verb, an action word. I don’t think this is a riddle. It seems that all the verses quoted about the blood of Christ are using this noun as a euphemism for the verb that Jesus died for my sin, an action that is a riddle to those who are blinded by their sin.

The idea of atoning blood is first suggested in Genesis when God killed an animal to provide skins to cover Adam and Eve. Then His people were commanded to kill a lamb so the angel of death would pass over them when He destroyed the firstborn in Egypt. His law said “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” (Exodus 12:1–14) And the NT often points to the blood of Christ as vital to forgiveness, how God purchased His people and justified them. It says we were bought with a price, brought near to God, and can walk in His light because of the blood that cleanses us from all sin.

While the Bible clearly says that through Christ, God “reconciled to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20) these statements all refer to one action — the death of Jesus Christ which is identified by words about His shed blood. And He did it for us:

He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:12–14)
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10–14)
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh…” (Hebrews 10:19–20)

We have victory over Satan because Jesus took our place: “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11) and because He has cleansed us, we “have washed (our) robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)

PRAY: Jesus, Your actions on my behalf made possible all things: repentance, forgiveness, redemption, justification, cleansing, victory — a page of positives… including the grace and enablement to obey, love, reject self and sin, go out, share, and more action verbs. And You remind me of all this with a silly little dream and the rich language of Your Word. Oh, what a wonder You are!!

Black Holes Happen

Judges 7; Jeremiah 20; Mark 6; Acts 11

I’ve been feeling a little like Elijah when he thought he was the only one who was following God. Even though God is answering prayer in surprising ways, the burdens grow with every news story. All of it is bad news and it seems many Christians have been affected. Part of the problems is the isolation regulations for this Covid-19 thing, but discouragement happens to me the more I pray. I continue yet it has become hard work and I feel like the gates of hell have ganged up on me. When I sat down with my Bible this morning, I asked God to speak to whatever I need and He encouraged me first with the story of Gideon.

Gideon was called to defeat a huge enemy. The enemy outnumbered him yet God told Gideon to send 22,000 home, then a further group. Only 300 were left. I can’t imagine how he felt when God told him that his army was too large. I’d probably be shaking in my shoes.

However, Gideon verified this was the will of God and then pulled off a strategy that sent the enemy packing, at least those who survived. God’s way of doing things does not depend on numbers. This is an encouragement to me today. One person with their hand in God’s hand is a powerful force.

As I was thinking about that, a friend called. She is a strong Christian who told me she is praying from me and wanted to encourage me. Blessing #2!

Then I read Jeremiah and realized why I love this man’s story; I relate to his emotions. He prayed and spoke out concerning the evils he saw and the words of God that he heard, but he was not only ignored but ridiculed. He decided to quit but could not hold back. Even his close friends denounced him and he sometimes wished he had never been born, but in the middle of all that, he said:

But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers. (Jeremiah 20:11–13)

He felt like a loser so many times yet he knew that because of God, he was a winner.

Of course the life of Christ was filled with responses that would defeat an ordinary person but none of it caught Jesus by surprise. He was amazed that people would be like that, but knew it would happen:

On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. (Mark 6:2–6)

I’m nothing compared to Jesus, yet He could have felt like I do on those days when people seem so far from faith, far from recognizing who He is and His power to bring new life to them. He acknowledged their unbelief, even marveled at it, but He was not bent out of shape like I get when in a similar black hole.

I should not feel alone. Jesus is with me and He knows how I feel. So does Peter. He’d just been part of God extending the church to the Gentiles which should have been exciting. However, he met with criticism and had to give a long explanation. At the end, they fell silent. Then “they glorified God saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.’” (Acts 11:18) God brought unity when it looked like a conflict was brewing.

APPLY: Bad news leads to good news. The enemy wants me to forget the power of God and focus on me, and certainly not on the hordes of people unable to pray for themselves. I need to keep on with intercession. The battle is in my head but the important truth is that this is not my battle at all. it is the Lord’s — and He always wins.