30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 24 36-49 COMMISSIONED TO BE HIS WITNESSES 18 04May2022 Luke 24 47 Repentance
📖 Luke 24:36-49
18 – 04May2022 – Repentance - Luke 24:36-49 - COMMISSIONED TO BE HIS WITNESSES - Bible reading: Mark 1:14-15
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that you call us to repent and be converted so that our sins are blotted out. Everyone is guaranteed this miracle of their sin be blotted out when they repent and are converted. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
I thank all of you for your care and prayers for me. I thank the Lord for the healing.
Luke 24:46-49 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, (47) and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And you are witnesses of these things. (49) Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
The Lord was showing the disciples that the good news, which they must deliver to the people of the world, is a message of repentance and remission of sins.
Matthew 9:12-13 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. (13) But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
A person who thinks that he has no need to repent of anything can never receive the gospel. The gospel is only for those who repent.
Some people will counter this statement and say, “Why do I need to repent? What wickedness have I done?”
We must realise that all of humanity has fallen short of the righteousness of God. Our measurement of good and evil is not by human quantifications but against the holiness of God.
Romans 3:21-23 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
No one can meet the righteousness of God by keeping the law. Now the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is revealed, which is being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
(22) even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
Anyone who does not receive and experiences righteousness by faith in Jesus is a sinner, who does not meet the righteousness of God. Whereas, those who receive and experience righteousness by faith in Jesus, are sinners but considered righteous before God.
(23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The gospel message is for sinners, seeking to be made whole. They are asked to repent and believe the gospel. The gospel is the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God , (15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Why is repentance necessary to enter into the gospel of the kingdom of God?
To enter the kingdom of Jesus, we must repent, which is to turn our back to our previous kingdom. We were once under the regime of the devil. He dictated his evil plans through each of us and over the world system.
Repentance is to refuse and reject the rule of the kingdom of the devil, turn to Jesus and surrender to His rule and authority over us. This is repentance.
Many have not understood repentance. We experience confusion because the ways of the regime of darkness, still stay, but we claim to have come into a relationship with Jesus. If we have not turned our back to the previous kingdom of the devil, we cannot enter into the kingdom of Jesus.
For example, to become a citizen of the United States of America, a person must first sign the Declaration of Intention (also called "First Papers")
What is the Declaration of Intention?
“The record by which an applicant for US citizenship declared their intent to become a citizen and renounced their allegiance to a foreign government.”
When a person decides to become a citizen of the US, they must turn their backs on the country, from which they come. It is only when a person renounces his or her allegiance to their previous country, that they can become a citizen of the US.
When we come into the kingdom of Jesus, we accept to come under His authority over our lives. We surrender and submit to His will over us, willingly. In the kingdom of Jesus, we cannot live by our own will and still claim citizenship in His kingdom.
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
We were sinners because we went our own way and in doing so came into the captivity of the kingdom of the devil. We now repent and come into the kingdom of Jesus by rejecting the authority of the devil over us and surrendering our will to Jesus.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Repentance leads to conversion.
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
This is the gospel, the good news, that the disciples were to deliver to the people of the world.
Thought to ponder
When repentance is not correctly applied, conversion becomes questionable.