Repent is a good Bible word. It essentially means to have a change of mind. In Scripture, a changed mind always results in a change of actions. For that reason, repentance has come to mean not only a change of mind, but a turning away from sin and turning toward God.
Repentance has other ramifications as well. When the Holy Spirit fell on them, the disciples of the risen Christ began acting so radically different that they attracted a crowd. Peter took this opportunity to preach the gospel to them and when they heard that Jesus was their Messiah and they had crucified Him, thousands were “cut to the heart” and asked what they should do.
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39)
He told them first to change their mind, then do something to show that had happened; be baptized. As my commentary points out, faith and baptism are integrally connected. Baptism comes after faith and is a public declaration that a person’s sins have been forgiven because of Christ’s work on the Cross. No one is saved by baptism, as seen in many other passages. We are justified by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, etc.), but in the New Testament, all believers were also baptized.
Of course, this is not the only change that happened in their behavior. Since repentance includes a change of mind about Christ and about sin, they began to live differently. I experienced the same thing when Christ revealed His true identity to me. Immediately I realized that He is indeed the Savior of the world, and that I am indeed a sinner. At that, my sins were forgiven and the Holy Spirit came into my life. From that point, my life began to change.
I’ve seen how this principle repeats itself after that initial salvation event. As Scripture and the Holy Spirit reveal to me the thinking behind my clinging old habits, I see them for what they truly are — sin. Then God changes my mind about them (repentance) and I want to stop doing those things. As I confess this to God in agreement with Him about them, He forgives me and I experience more of the power of the Holy Spirit in my life. With His enabling, the old habits die and new life replaces them.
Since salvation, that new life has been there all along. It was given to me with faith and initial repentance, and demonstrated by my response — I was baptized — and my life changed in many ways at that point. However, as I walk with Him, Jesus shows me how those old ways of thinking keep trying to block that new life. Of course Satan is involved, yet God holds me responsible to continually obey Him and turn from all sinful behavior. He tells me to “put off the old” life and “put on the new.”
Another thing that jumps out at me from these two verses in Acts is that the whole process is initiated by God, not by me. Peter says that this promise of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit is available to me, my children, and others — “as many as the Lord our God will call.”
I may have read this verse many times and thought it said, “as many as call on the Lord our God” because that is how most people think. This is an error. We cannot call on God because sinners do not want Him to take charge of our lives. That is the essence of sin; I will go my own way.
Salvation is the work of God. New life and faith in Christ are something He gives, which makes me realized how helpless I am in regard to my own destiny. I’m overjoyed that He is willing to do such a thing as save sinners, and agree totally that this is something I will not and cannot do by myself.
John Piper, in his book Finally Alive, says that if anyone remains living as they always did but claims to be a Christian, they have reason to question whether their salvation is genuine. My devotional reading today says the same thing. Those who do not make a conscious effort to cut themselves off from this world when they come to Christ may not be truly reborn.
The world as a created entity is not evil; it is the prevailing attitudes and value systems that are not of God. 1 John 2:15-17 describes it like this:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.
Before I became a Christian, my desires were mostly about avoiding pain and discomfort, having lots of possessions, and making myself look good to others. Salvation changed those desires. I understand the purpose of pain, the temporal nature of stuff, and am more concerned how I look to God than what people see. The world continues to tempt me from time to time, but I know what to avoid and know when I am being tempted.
My commentary says that the difference between the world and God is so vast that anytime I move toward the world I alienate myself from God. For one thing, the world considers sin as acceptable and its pleasures are worth any possible consequences. Someone told me of some crazy stunt another person pulled and asked, “Why would anyone do anything so stupid?” My answer was one word, “Sin.”
The Bible warns me about the sin of loving the world because this not only has terrible consequences but sin dulls the spirit. The more it sucks me in, the less I am aware of its danger or even that I am doing it. When sin becomes a habit, I am not even thinking of God, much less able to rely on Him for what I need.
That is another danger of loving the world. Instead of going to God, I’m depending on resources that will not satisfy my longings or my needs. When James warns about the lure of the world, he also offers the way to break free from its temptation.
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:4-8)
James is not talking about occasional sins but the attitude of heart that draws me away from God to walk in the manner of an unbelieving person. I don’t need to do that — I have new life. Also, I don’t need to experience worldly desires to know their danger. God gives the ability to discern good from evil so I can avoid it, not taste it.
These verses seem to say that God is jealous for His people, a good kind of jealousy that desires the best for us — which is total fidelity to Him. If I begin to be envious of those who are worldly, God will pour out grace to draw me back to Himself. If my response to His grace is humility, I will “overcome the world” but If I respond in stubborn pride, I am in danger of the world overcoming me.
There is more to it than this, however. When I am drawn away from God, the devil jumps right in with his destructive lies and deception. Apart from God, there is no way to fight him or his techniques to trap me. I am on a slippery slope. I cannot resist sin or sin’s greatest promoter.
The only out is being determined not to be a friend of the world and by instead being humbly yielded to God. Although that means that the world will not understand me, and may even mock and persecute me, the tremendous result is that devil must flee and I will find myself standing close to God. Without new life, His life, this could never happen.
Last night after supper we drove from Banff to Lake Louise. The late day sun put a glorious reflection on the farthest surface of the lake, reflecting the light from the sky above and clearly marking the horizon line. It was lovely.
We didn’t do a light meter test, but that reflection was almost as bright as the sky, or it seemed that way in contrast to the dark trees in deep shadow at the base of the distant mountain range behind it.
Interesting that my devotional reading this morning is about the importance of light and reflected light, and the contrast of light against the darkness. The Scripture reading says:
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world,” but Jesus is no longer in this world. He leaves His people to be light in this dark place. I do not have inherent light. That is, I cannot shine as He commands on my own. I’m not a light source. However, since He is transforming me into His image, I have reflective light. As the Bible says, when I behold the glory of the Lord and when I walk in obedience to Him, I will reflect that light or glory that comes from Him.
That makes it important to prevent anything from coming between me and the Lord’s light. It doesn’t take very much. Even in the natural realm, light is easily diffused, refracted, or interrupted from making a clear reflection. Little ripples on the lake break up the reflection of moonlight. The glass of a prism changes clear light into colors. While these results are often lovely in themselves, whenever something alters or disrupts the light of Christ so I am no longer reflecting it, whatever does it is always sinful and usually ugly. To illustrate, Paul wrote:
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world . . . (Philippians 2:14-15)
As this passage suggests, complaining or arguing spoils my reflective qualities. Complaining is considered a right in our culture. Our newspaper runs venting columns almost every day so readers can publically voice their protests. However, complaining is an expression of displeasure in the choices and will of my sovereign God. He is in charge of this world and all that happens. Dare I be critical of Him?
Arguing is also a public pastime. Behind this one is pride. If I think I am right, then I will argue with others because they must be wrong. This flies in the face of what God says of all of us. We know very little, and if it is His truth that I’m right about, arguing will never convince anyone else that this is right. Only the Holy Spirit can do that kind of convincing.
No doubt that the Lord picked these two sins to show me that even ordinary stuff — that most other people do not think twice about — can mar the Christlike reflection of His people. In fact, like mud on a mirror, all sin messes up the reflection.
People cannot see Jesus in me unless I am acting like Jesus. He did not complain, nor did He enter into disputes with others. He was without fault in a sinful world and was not afraid to let His light shine. He wants me to also be without fault and shine for Him, a bright and appealing contrast to the deepest darkness that is around me.
It seems to be a terrible pride to compare myself favorably to others who do not have the same spiritual understanding and Christian way of thinking that I have, but today I am reminded that God does the comparison. However, His version is a bit different than mine would be. Instead of letting me think more highly of myself than I ought, He reminds me that anything I have as a Christian is because He opened my mind and taught it to me. Otherwise, I would be blind to His truths just as anyone else who does not know Jesus.
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus . . . (Ephesians 4:17-21)
My devotional reading says that salvation is first and foremost a change of mind. I tend to agree. This passage speaks of learning Christ, and of ignorance and blindness regarding Him. Somewhere between the dark and the light is the power of God who opens eyes and minds and hearts. Otherwise, sin would keep everyone in the dark for all have sinned.
Yet Jesus changes all that. He gives new life and translates people from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Along with that comes a new way of thinking and a new understanding of righteousness and of what sin is and does. I began to think differently about sin and wanted to turn away from it. This is called repentance. The Greek word for “repentance” means “to change one’s mind.”
Of course that change in my thinking resulted in a change of behavior. In the above verses, Paul says unsaved, unregenerate people live “in the futility of their mind.” Proverbs 23:7 says, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” So when I think differently, I act differently.
One of my favorite verses, Romans 12:2, says: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
My mind is renewed by reading the Bible, meditation of the truths God gives me, and staying away from any corrupting influences that tend to undo His “education” of my life. This isn’t about living in a bubble though. It means that whenever any ideas present themselves, I compare them with what Jesus says and with what God has taught me, not blindly or ignorantly accepting them simply because that is easier, or worse yet, because those old thoughts will allow me to sin.
Thinking spiritual truth (and acting accordingly) brings peace of mind and a blessing, but it is also humbling to remember that apart from Christ, I would not be able to do it.
Sunday’s sermon was about enjoying all that God gives us. Afterwards, we had lunch with friends that included a Mile High Mud Pie chocolate dessert. We joked that we would blame the five pounds we no doubt gained on the pastor’s sermon.
Of course the Holy Spirit would never let me get away with that. Any indulgence in food, particularly a dessert that I don’t need, goes beyond borderline. Even though the Bible does say that God blesses us, it also says that we are not to use His blessings in a sinful way. Today’s devotional reading makes that clear.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
The cravings of sinful man refers to desires for sinful pleasure. This is not about being hungry and eating good food. Instead, it is indulging in that second helping, or that chocolate pie that I do not need. These cravings can be for other things, all excesses included.
The lust of the eyes refers to covetousness or materialism. This is about wanting everything that I can see. This year, a friend and I are holding each other accountable concerning how we spend our money. Necessities are okay; unneeded extras are not. I report to her when I cave in (about three times so far), but also think of her every time I am tempted. This has been good for both of us. Sometimes it helps to have the Holy Spirit with skin on.
The pride of life refers to being proud about one’s position in this world, about having stuff as well as having a good reputation, being popular, achievements, etc. While it is not wrong to rejoice when good things happen, it is wrong to pridefully think that “I did it” without giving God the glory. Apart from Him, I cannot do anything.
These are good reminders. God wants me to love Him as a demonstration of the eternal life He has given me. Life in this world is temporary and all that I know and do will one day pass away. At the same time, He does say to enjoy His blessings.
However, this isn’t about balance or walking a fine line or even priorities. The Bible is clear that loving God is a black and white issue. My heart belongs to Him, or not. That means I need to watch my attitude toward things like food, possessions, and pride.
This is practical. I want to lose weight, but it isn’t going to happen if I give in to the desires of my sinful flesh. I want to clear the extras out of my house, but that isn’t going to happen if I yield to materialism and the desire to have or hoard all my stuff. I also want to do well in every endeavor, but if I abuse success with sinful pride, those goals may be thwarted by my loving God who would rather I didn’t sin. I can depend on His help to obey this command. At the same time I need to be determined to love Him totally, rather than love the world or anything in it.
I have an evil twin, or at least I thought this was so. After reading some verses and comments about those verses, I’m not sure what to think.
My devotions again lead me to Scripture about the new birth. This new life is produced by Jesus Christ in the heart of those who believe in Him. As the following verses say, this new life is evidenced by sincere love for other Christians.
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:22-23)
The term ‘born again’ is not used often in the Bible. Jesus talked to a Pharisee in John 3:3-8 about his need for new life and used this phrase. Other passages use terms like being “dead in sin” and the need for life to be “renewed” by the Holy Spirit, or “the washing of regeneration” which convey the idea of how a Christian experiences a remaking of who they are, or a birth or entrance into the family of God and thus becoming the “children of God” and “new creations” as described in yesterday’s post.
My reading today again emphasizes that when I became a Christian, I was not remodeled nor added to, but transformed. Then it says, “Christians don’t have two different natures; we have one new nature, the new nature in Christ.”
The author goes on to say that our old self dies and the new self lives; they do not coexist. That stumped me. I know that Romans 6 says that I died to sin and need to consider myself to be dead to sin and alive to God. However, it also says to not let sin rule my life or have dominion over me. Romans 7 describes the struggle of the sin nature to rule as if it is alive, and yet says we have died to sin.
Ephesians 4:24 also tells me to “put on the new man” which I understand is the new behavior that goes with my new life. Christians are also told to “put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness” (Colossians 3:5), also about behaviors that are from the old life.
My question is, if the old nature is dead, what or who performs these sinful behaviors?
Perhaps one key to this puzzle is the definition of dead and death. The typical thought is dead means inanimate, unable to do anything, no life in it. But what if death is more about being separated from God? What if being dead simply means unable to connect with Him?
The Bible talks about people who are “dead in sin” yet they still walk about. These people are separated from God and eternal life by their sin. Unless they repent and God washes away their sin, they will remain dead in it, and when their physical bodies die, they will remain separated from God for eternity. They have physical life, but no spiritual life.
If that definition is used in the above verses, then my old nature is dead but it can still walk about. It can still do things and everything that it does is sinful. That is why it is separated from God and cannot be in harmony with Him. That is also why I must consider it dead and reckon and remember that nothing it does has any eternal value.
In rethinking that statement that “our old self dies and the new self lives; they do not coexist,” I have to disagree, not so much on principle but on terminology. A dead thing can exist beside a living being, but that dead thing is not in the kingdom of God. It is not godly, nor can it do anything of eternal value. It can do harmful things, or useless things at best, but is separate from God and all that God loves and desires. I’m to consider that my old nature is dead in that sense.
Also, I’m to consider myself dead to sin. That means I am separate from it and no longer responsive to it just as a physically dead person can no longer respond to any stimuli. I’m to put off the deeds of that old nature and not allow it to have any input in my life. All those things are useless to God and have no value to Him or to me.
The idea of a new birth is that God did transform who I am. The person left behind in that transformation was dead to God (separated from Him) and still is. It may look like me, and may take actions that seem to be coming from me, but the Bible says I’m to remember that stuff is dead, separated from God.
Instead of paying attention to my evil twin who is merely a shadow, I’m to give all my attention to that new creation, the new life Jesus gave me. That means I must do whatever He asks me to do, be responsive to Him. My obedience will not only reinforce the atrophy in that dead evil twin, but also feed, nourish, encourage, and give strength to the new life He has given me.
In his book Finally Alive, John Piper says that evangelical churches in North America are filled with people who claim to be born again and who know the lingo of Christianity, but the best that could be said about them is that they are cultural Christians. He says these people fall into this category because they can say the words, but they have never shown any evidence in the way they live that verifies that new life described in the Bible.
This morning’s devotional reading offers the same thought:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
This is a powerful New Testament teaching. The idea is repeated over and over, from Jesus’ telling Nicodemus in John 3 that he must be born again, to Paul’s words about regeneration and new life, to John’s epistles where he says that if you claim to be a child of God but do not walk as Jesus walked, you are deceived or lying.
My devotional reading adds that salvation means becoming a totally different individual because God transforms those who believe in Him. That transformation is so dramatic that it is evident that we have been reborn and, as the above verse says, we have become new creatures.
This makes me think about the changes in my life when Christ came in. I recall thinking how differently I felt about other people, and actually loved those that I’d not previously cared about. I began thinking about God. I started to hate sin and my old life. I wanted to be in church and I wanted to worship God. None of these things were true before. I had changed in profound ways.
The reading today reminds me that salvation is more than having Christ “added” to my life. It says that according to the Word of God, “We don’t receive something new—we ourselves become new!”
Perhaps it is because this is the first day of a new month, or perhaps it is because I’ve had a good night’s sleep after four extremely busy days, but I feel renewed today. I can focus on the new life Christ has given me. I can pray for those who obviously do not have that life, and I can pray for those who think they have it but their lives give no evidence.
Even this is an assurance to me. Prior to becoming a Christian, I never prayed anything except by rote and ritual. I had no idea that I could actually talk to God and even enter into conversation with Him and sense His encouragement and guidance.
My life before Christ was not terribly evil, but it was headed downhill. I’m so thankful that God transformed my dead spirit and gave it the life of Christ. From the inside out, that amazing life is changing me so that I can reflect His image and follow Him. This is a wonderful gift, and I praise God for what He has done and is still doing in me.