What is the call to repentance? The call to repentance is the message that is preached throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, the message of the call to repentance was preached through the mouth of the prophets. And in the New Testament, the message of the call to repentance was preached through Jesus Christ and the apostles. Repentance is, besides the hearing of God’s Word, the beginning of salvation. But where did the call to repentance go? Is the call to repentance still preached today? Does this message fit into the western lifestyle and the time we live in? Does the call to repentance fit into the modern gospel of (hyper) grace?
What is the call to repentance?
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus confronted the seven churches with their walk. Jesus not only told the churches what they did well, but Jesus also confronted the churches with the things they didn’t do well. Jesus called the churches to repentance.
Therefore you see, that the call to repentance was still preached after Jesus’ resurrection.
In today’s world, the call to repentance is still crucial and is still needed. Unfortunately, not many church leaders preach this message anymore. Because it is not a popular message that people want to hear (Read also: The message that nobody wants to hear).
What is repentance?
When you believe in Jesus Christ; the Word, and accept Him as your Saviour and Lord, you shall repent. True repentance means, that:
- You shall remove the sins out of your life,
- You’ll have a change of mind regarding your former life, which issues in regret
- You will have a change of (moral) behavior, a change of conduct
When you repent, a change of mind, behavior, and life takes place. It is impossible to remain the same old person you were, before your repentance (Read also: What is repentance?)
Hearing the Word of God
Salvation begins by hearing the Word of God. When you hear God’s Word, you will hear the truth and the Holy Spirit will confront you with your sins and your sinful nature. The Holy Spirit will show you, how God sees your life as a sinner.
At that moment, when you hear the truth and the Holy Spirits confronts you with your sins, you can do two things:
- You can repent of your sins and your life as a sinner and remove the sins from your life. Because you hate your life as a sinner and want to serve Jesus Christ instead of yourself and follow Jesus
- Or you can reject the Word of God. Because you love your current life as a sinner and you are not willing to say goodbye to your life and your lifestyle.
You can only repent if you ‘hate’ your life and your sins and see that you live in darkness and do things that go against the will of God, which separates you from Him.
When you are not aware of the fact, that you live in darkness and live in sin, it is impossible to repent. Because of what, do you need to repent of?
You think that you live a good life, according to the standards, morals, and values of the world. Therefore, you consider your works as good works and don’t see the need to change anything. Because you don’t see that you do something wrong.
As a matter of fact, you think that you are a good person, who does good works. You think highly of yourself and think that you are a good example for others. But you are blinded by yourself and you don’t see, that you need to change, let alone, to repent of your lifestyle.
No man is good, except God
And He said unto him, Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17)
But the truth is, that no man is good, but God. Even Jesus Christ didn’t call Himself good. Instead, Jesus said that God is good.
Every person, who is born in the flesh, is born as a sinner in the kingdom of darkness. Death reigns in the life of a sinner, causing the sinner to bear the fruit of death, which is sin. Therefore, every sinner must repent of his life as a sinner and crucify the flesh and become born again in the spirit in order to become righteous.
Only through Jesus Christ and by His blood, it is possible to become righteous (Read also: Jesus restored the position of fallen man).
The flesh can’t please God
Every person, who is born in the flesh is born in sin and has the character and nature of the devil. The nature of the devil is present in everyone’s flesh, there’s no one excluded. The Word says, that the flesh including a carnal mind can’t please God. You can do so many ‘good’ works, but if these ‘good’ works are done out of the flesh, then they are carnal works; dead works. These dead works do not please God.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:6-8)
As long as people keep living after the flesh and don’t repent of their sinful life, a person is not saved but lost.
Only when a person repents of his life as a sinner, put his sins away, lay down his life through the baptism in water, and becomes born in the spirit a person is saved.
When a person is born again, the person shall receive God’s nature by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and shall walk after the Spirit doing the will of God.
But repentance starts by hearing the message of God; His Word. Only by hearing the Truth; the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit, a person is confronted with the lies (s)he lives in. On that basis, a person makes a decision, to repent and follow the Word or reject the Word.
The goodness of God leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4)
Changing the words of God and twisting the Truth of God
Over the past 100 years, the Word, which is the Truth, has been slowly changed and twisted. Bit by bit, the devil has unnoticeably mixed the Word with the world and the philosophies of man. The gospel has been adjusting to the lifestyle of people, instead of that, the lifestyle of people has been adjusted to the Word. Therefore the message that is preached today has been watered-down and has become weak and because of that, the salt has lost its savor.
Because of wrong doctrines, many people don’t see that they live in darkness and live in sin (separated from God). They are blinded, by all the lies that come from the god of this world. And because they are not willing to repent, God has given them up to their desires and the lusts of their flesh (Read also: A reprobate mind delights in sin and takes pleasure in those who practice sin).
Many people say, that they believe in Jesus, but the devil and his demons also believe in Jesus, maybe even more than most believers, and they are not saved.
When do you show Jesus, that you really believe in Him and that you love Him? When you believe what the Word says, and you do what Jesus has commanded you to do and become a doer of the Word (Read also: The Author of eternal salvation).
The Word changed and adjusted to the desire of people
In many families and churches, the Bible has been moved slowly to the background. In most churches, preachers preach according to their own opinion, philosophy, supernatural revelations, and experiences. They preach what people want to hear instead of what God has to say to the people. Therefore many preachers preach after the desires and the itching ears of the people, instead of preaching the Truth and what the Word says.
Messages with a call to repentance, that confront the sinful lifestyles of people are hardly preached anymore.
People want to feel good and experience warm pleasant feelings. They don’t want to be confronted with their lifestyle and their errors.
They don’t want to receive correction, but they want to be pleased, exalted, and praised.
Preachers also want to be liked and be ‘worshipped’ by the people. Therefore they preach what the people want to hear. Because that way they keep the people happy and satisfied and attract more people to their churches. They don’t want to antagonize people but please people. And so many preachers have become people pleasers instead of God pleasers.
In churches where the true message of Jesus Christ is still preached, it often happens that after a while, people become offended and leave the church. Why do people leave the church? Because they love their lives and are not willing to give up their own lives for Jesus.
They are not willing to remove certain things from their lives, because they love doing them. Therefore they will leave the church and look for another church. Many times they go to carnal churches that preach the false love and the false grace of God, so that the people can live after the lusts and desires of their flesh without feeling guilty.
The ‘self’ sits on the throne
We live in an age, where the ‘self’ sits on the throne of people’s lives. Many people want to believe, but they want to believe in their own manner. Many people only believe, because of the blessings of God. Their purpose of becoming a Christian is to live a prosperous, wealthy, and blessed life.
Many Christians are focused on miracles, wonders, powers, feelings, prosperity, blessings, and wealth.
Many use the grace of God to live like the world, to keep doing the things of the flesh, which they love, without feeling condemned. They keep living after the flesh and keep living in sin.
They’re more focused on themselves and the blessings, miracles, and powers, than they are focused on Jesus Christ; the Word, and spend time with Him, and be corrected by Him, so that they will become like Him.
The modern gospel is all about supernatural manifestations, miracles, powers, prosperity, success, wealth, etc.
Man has become the center of the gospel, instead of Jesus Christ being the Center. Many Scriptures are taken out of their context, and applied to the lives of the people, so that they confirm the message of prosperity, wealth, blessings, grace, etc.
What is the true gospel of Jesus Christ?
But is this the true gospel of Jesus Christ? Did Jesus and His apostles (disciples) also preach this message? Is the gospel of Jesus Christ about money, wealth, prosperity, being successful in life, and about gathering (material) treasures on this earth? Is that really written in the Bible? Or do we decide how we want to live and take Scriptures out of context so that it fits into our lives and our lifestyle and approves the way we live after the flesh and approve our sins, and that way get the approval of God?
But applying Scripture to the desires and lusts of the flesh, is not according to the will of God.
Jesus preached the call to repentance. He came to the sinners, who belonged to God’s people (Israel) and preached the call to repentance, which means to turn their lives to God and put their sins away.
Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17)
In these days, the Lord still calls the people, who live in sin, to repentance. Because Jesus wants everyone to be saved. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost forever. He doesn’t want anyone to go down with the many lies that are preached today. Therefore the call to repentance is still relevant today.
That’s why it’s so important, to read and study the Word (the Bible) for yourself. So that you will find out the Truth. Only when you find out the Truth, you will be able to repent of the lies you’ve been living in.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise (His return), as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)
“Be the salt of the earth”
