Repentance: throughout the New Testement -part 1

  The first chapter in the book is called, Repentance: The first word of the Gospel. It's a wonderful chapter because it really shows how repentance is incorporated into what Jesus and the disciples said. It should also be noticed that, of course, Repentance is a huge part of the old testament {Because all they could do was repent} but this chapter focuses on the New Testament! So let's get started!
 
    {From the book, copyrighted-Richard Owen Roberts}

  From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." -Matthew 4:17

  The first word of the gospel is not "love." It is not even "grace." The first word of the gospel is "repent." From Matthew through Revelation, repentance is an urgent and indispensable theme that is kept at the very forefront of the gospel message. 

  Very nicely said, I think. It just shows the importance of Repentance. To continue, I'll talk about Mr. Roberts points on John the Baptist. He dedicates a whole section to John the Baptist, and rightly so. John the Baptist is a man who needs to be respect, and often times we don't think much about him. Nor would he have us think TO much about him, because Jesus was and is the only spotlight. But I do want to point out that Christ said this about John (from the book) "I say to you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."....Luke 7:28. I think that it's a great honor to have the son of God say 'there is no one greater than he'. I mean, John didn't take that and brag about it, no, he wept for his unworthiness to tie Christ's shoes. Also in the book it said, "He was appointed to make a straight way in the wilderness for the Lord." And so we can clearly see that John is well respected in the bible. 
  NOW THAT isn't the point. The point is about REPENTANCE. And this all ties together, if you keep John back round in mind. DO you know what John's first message was? Take a wild GUESS? His first message was Repentance. This respected man's first message, was REPENTANCE. And we ought to take notice of that. In Matthew 3:13, "Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, "make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight" ' ".  That is the point. 
    BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY we must realize this point. It was Jesus' first message to!!! "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.'" {Mark 1:14-15} Is this not wonderful! It's both of their messages. The first message in the New testament, and Jesus' first message! And that is so wonderful. 
    Now why did they both tie their first message to repentance? Mr. Roberts said in his book that it's because there are two kingdoms in the world. The kingdom of Satan {earth} and the kingdom of God {heaven}. And we are born in to the kingdom of Satan, and the only way out is by grace, and being born again. It starts with Repentance. AND not only was Repentance Jesus' first command, IT WAS ALSO HIS LAST. In his book Mr. Roberts said, "Multitudes, including religious leaders, never hear the call to repentance because they have never realized they are sick. Sin-sick sinners are in a much more hopeful situation than those who are sure they are healthy."  And this ties because of this next quote I found on page 31: "Anyone called by God as a follower of Jesus Christ who fails to stress this message of repentance does so in express violation of a final command that Christ gave you." No wonder our Church's don't look any different to the world. You know why? Because we are unrepentant and our preachers have failed that last statement. ANYONE, called by God, WHO FAILS to stress the message of Repentance DOES SO IN EXPRESS violation to the last command that Christ gave you. How many of you have heard the message of Repentance at Church? That is why we have fallen. That is why people fall, because of their failure to REPENT. The Last command of Christ: 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that Repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in HIS name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending forth the promise of the Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high' (Luke 24:45-49) We must strive to proclaim this message for the world, because rarely does it make it to our pulpits, yet it is the most vital thing in our spiritual life. There are THREE details that must be noted {taken from the book} 1. First, this preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins is to be done in Christ's name....All repentance and forgiveness of sins must be in his name. 2. Second, the message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be proclaimed to all the nations, beginning first in Jerusalem, and then Judea, and then to the very ends of the earth. All outreach, each evangelical ministry, every missionary endeavor, must have repentance at the very heart of the message. To fail in this is to violate the Savior Himself and his final command. 3. Third, all messengers of repentance ned to be clothed with power from on high. When power is lacking, it is to be sought as earnestly and faithfully as it was sought by first-century Christians. 

     I'll continue in the next post and finish chapter one, but we must really reflect on what has been said. Have we ever considered the importance of Repentance? Have we ever heard the message of repentance? If you haven't, that's the failings of the pulpit these days. IT IS SO URGENT, and I cannot express the importance and the sorrow that will come if we don't preach REPENTANCE. 
     Repentance makes the path straight between the Lord and the repenting person. Repentance is like clearing the a highway of holiness to and from God. Apart from Repentance, the Lord will not make His way to us. One follows the other: repentance must precede forgiveness; forgiveness does follow repentance. There is something grossly unwise in supposing that a person can enjoy the forgiveness of sin while resisting or merely remaining ignorant or repentance. 
   And so you see, Repentance is such an important thing. So I urge you to tell the message of Repentance to all you meet. It is the most vital thing you can do in your Christian faith. Believing, grace, love, repentance. 
    Repent and be forgiven. 

   ~Hope your day is awesome. 
 {And may everything you do be for His glory} 

---hannah