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A weekly column of the Robison Street Church of Christ, 301 Robison Street. Send your questions to P.O. Box 846, Edna, Texas 77957. website - ednachurchofchrist.org We encourage your questions.
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Repentance in the New Testament
“ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
(Luke 13:3, ESV) Repentance wasn’t only central to the Old Testament. It was central to the preaching of Jesus.
From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus called people to repent because God’s Kingdom had finally come near (Matt. 4:17).
The Greek word for “repent” means a radical change of mind that results in a change of action. Repentance is not just feeling sorry or even just saying “I’m sorry.” It is a decisive turning away from sin, toward God.
This was the call of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Acts 2:38). And when people repented, the results were unmistakable.
Zacchaeus gave back more than he had stolen (Luke 19:8).
Paul went from persecuting Christians to preaching Christ (Gal.
1:23). Onesimus returned to face the master he had wronged (Philem. 8-16). In Ephesus, believers burned their books of magic, choosing Christ over their past practices (Acts 19:1819).
These stories remind us that repentance is both inward and outward. It begins in the heart and mind, but it always bears fruit in action (Matt.
3:8; Acts 26:20).
Without that change, it is not repentance at all.
The call to repent is not ancient history.
Jesus’ words still stand: “U nless you repent,
you will all likewise perish.” If people needed repentance then, we need it just as much today. God is patient, but He still calls all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).
The question is not whether you need to repent, but where?
What in your life needs to turn from sin and turn to God?
– Phillip Stuckey – philstuckey@gmail.
com
“Come and see.
Come and hear the good news of the Gospel. We meet at the corner of Robison and Church Streets on Sunday at 9:30 AM for Bible classes for all ages and 10:30 AM for worship and again at 6 PM for worship. We also meet on Wednesday at 7 PM for Bible classes for all ages.”
