ການກັບໃຈເປັນບາດກ້າວທຳອິດຫລັງຈາກໄດ້ຍິນພຣະຄຳຂອງພຣະເຈົ້າ ແລະ ການເຊື່ອໃນພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດ (ພຣະບຸດຂອງພຣະເຈົ້າ) ແລະເລືອດຂອງລາວ. The regenerated life of a Christian begins with repentance. Without repentance you can’t become born again in Christ. But what is repentance according to the Bible and what does repentance mean for a person’s life?
Can you live the same life as before your repentance?
Many Christians say they believe in Jesus Christ and repented and are born again, while their lives remain unchanged. They confess Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, meanwhile they live the same lives as they lived before their repentance. But if a person doesn’t change and persevere in sin, has the person truly repented? ຖ້າເປັນແນວນັ້ນ, what did the person repent of?
ການກັບໃຈແມ່ນຫຍັງ?
Repentance is a short process and not a lifelong proces. Repentance is a change of mind and a turning away from the live you lived.
In order to understand the process of repentance, we must look at what the Bible says about repentance instead of what theologians, ນັກເທດ, ຄໍານາມ, and findings and opinions of Christians say about repentance. What happens when someone repents?
What does the word repentance mean?
The word repentance is translated, from the Greek word ‘metanoéõ', and means to think differently or afterward, i.e. reconsider (ໂດຍຊອບທັມ, feel compunction):—repent.
What does the Bible say about repentance in the Old Testament?
ໃນສັນຍາເກົ່າ, we read many times about God’s call to repentance. The people of God often went their own way, ແທນທີ່ ວິທີການຂອງພຣະເຈົ້າ. They tried to keep God’s law, but they also adopted the Gentile’s culture, ພາສີ, and conduct. Their heart was not totally committed to God.
ພວກເຂົາບໍ່ໄດ້ love God with all of their heart but their heart was divided. A part of their heart was devoted to God’s Law and precepts, and the other part was devoted to the will, lusts and desires of their flesh and the desire to be and to walk as the Gentiles.
ທັງຫມົດເທົ່າຫລາຍເທື່ອ, God spoke through the prophets to His people to reveal and confront them with their trespasses. God revealed the heart of His people to the prophets and showed them the state of His people.
The prophets confronted the people with their sinful behaviour. The people had a choice to take the word of the Lord seriously and repent and to remove the sins,, ຮູບປັ້ນ, and all the abominations from their lives and return and submit to God or not.
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, ດັ່ງນັ້ນກ່າວວ່າອົງພຣະຜູ້ເປັນເຈົ້າ; ສໍານຶກ, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations (ເອເຊກຽນ 14:6)
God called His people to repentance out of love
All God wanted was to have a relationship with His people. God didn’t want to make their lives miserable. But God didn’t want to lose any of His children. He didn’t want any of His children to be lost forever. ເພາະສະນັ້ນ, ອອກຈາກ ຄວາມຮັກທີ່ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ຂອງລາວ, God called His people to repentance.
But His people were often stubborn and didn’t want to listen to their God. They thought it would be sufficient to go to the temple, keep the rituals, ແລະການເສຍສະລະ, ທີ່ພຣະເຈົ້າໄດ້ມອບໃຫ້ໂມເຊ. But God wasn’t interested in their sacrifices for their sins, but their obedience to His will.
The people of the house of Israel wanted to live their own lives; doing what they wanted to do. Although they confessed that they followed and obeyed God’s commandments, their heart didn’t belong to God. They lived just like the Gentiles lived. There was hardly any difference between God’s people and the pagan nations.
But throughout the Old Testament, we read about God’s love and the forgiveness He provided to His people when they repented of their sins
ທຸກເວລາ, God gave His people the ability to repent of their walk (way of living) and return to Him.
ພຣະເຈົ້າບໍ່ໄດ້ເວົ້າ: “And now I’ve had it with all of you! You cannot repent anymore, I won’t forgive you anymore!" ບໍ່, every time God called His people to repentance. But it was up to the people, what they decided to do. They decided to give heed to His call and repent and remove the sins and iniquities from their lives and submit to God and His Law or to reject His call and keep walking in sins and iniquities.
What does the Bible say about repentance in the New Testament?
The first person in the New Testament, ຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກສົ່ງໂດຍພຣະເຈົ້າ, to call God’s people to repentance was ໂຢຮັນບັບຕິສະໂຕ. During John’s circumcision, ໃນມື້ທີແປດ, his father Zachariah was filled with the Holy Ghost, and spoke the following words:
ແລະເຈົ້າ, ລູກ, ທ່ານຈະຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າສາດສະດາຂອງສູງສຸດ: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; ເພື່ອໃຫ້ຄວາມຮູ້ຄວາມຈໍາເປັນແກ່ຜູ້ຄົນຂອງລາວໂດຍການປົດບາບຂອງບາບຂອງພວກເຂົາ, ໂດຍຜ່ານຄວາມເມດຕາຂອງພຣະເຈົ້າຂອງພວກເຮົາ; ໂດຍທີ່ກໍາລັງເກີດຊ່ວງເວລາສູງທີ່ໄດ້ໄປຢ້ຽມຢາມພວກເຮົາ, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (ລູກາ 1:76-79)
God had separated John the Baptist for a special mission and secluded John in the wilderness.
John the Baptist didn’t grow up in ‘the world’ among the people. But John the Baptist grew up in the deserts and waxed strong in spirit. He grew up with the pure Word of God and knew the Kingdom of God.
John the Baptist was not affected and defiled by the world system; by religion, ຄວາມຄິດເຫັນ, ຜົນການຄົ້ນພົບ, doctrines and philosophies of people.
When John the Baptist was about 29/30 ປີ, the word of God came to him.
When the word of God came to him, John the Baptist began to preach the call to repentance and ການບັບຕິສະມາ of repentance for the remission of sin. ແລະດັ່ງນັ້ນ, John the Baptist went and prepared the way of the Lord.
ສຽງຄົນໜຶ່ງທີ່ຮ້ອງໄຫ້ຢູ່ໃນຖິ່ນແຫ້ງແລ້ງກັນດານ, ຈົ່ງຕຽມທາງຂອງພຣະຜູ້ເປັນເຈົ້າ, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God (ລູກາ 3:4-6)
ຈົ່ງກັບໃຈ, ເພາະວ່າອານາຈັກສະຫວັນຢູ່ໃກ້ແລ້ວ
John the Baptist began to preach in the whole country of Jordan. He was making a public proclamation, with that formality, ແຮງໂນ້ມຖ່ວງ, ແລະສິດອໍານາດ, that people were drawn to his speech and they had to obey his words.
John the Baptist didn’t speak gentle and kind words in order to please the people. He didn’t speak what the people wanted to hear. But John the Baptist spoke the true words of God, to please God.
Through his message and the baptism of repentance, John gave God’s people the opportunity to repent, to have a change of mind, and to turn away from sin, by removing the sins from their lives. (ອ່ານນຳ: ‘ໂຢຮັນບັບຕິສະໂຕ, ຜູ້ຊາຍທີ່ບໍ່ໄດ້ກົ້ມ‘).
The baptism of John was in view of the fact, that sins were put away. While John baptized the people in the Jordan river, the people confessed their sins and were immersed in the water.
What is the fruit of repentance?
How did John the Baptist know that the people had not repented? By the fruit of their walk; ວຽກງານຂອງເຂົາເຈົ້າ. The fruit of their walk was not weighing as much as the repentance they professed. In other words, their works didn’t correspond with what they were saying.
Repentance means, having a change of mind relative to the previous life. It means a change of mind regarding your former life, which result in sorrow, regret, and a change of conduct, ໂດຍສະເພາະໂດຍສະເພາະ, and the putting away of sins.
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance (ລູກາ 3:8)
What did Jesus say about repentance?
When Jesus came out of the wilderness, Jesus began to preach, ການເວົ້າ, “ສໍານຶກ, because the Kingdom of God has come near.” Jesus preached the same message as John the Baptist. He carried the same message of repentance.
Jesus also spoke with a formality, ແຮງໂນ້ມຖ່ວງ, ແລະສິດອໍານາດ, that people were drawn to His speech and had to obey His words.
Jesus didn’t preach what the people wanted to hear, nor did Jesus preach messages to please and to win the people and gain more followers. But Jesus preached the truth, which often contained hard words.
ຍ້ອນພະເຍຊູ’ hard confrontational words, almost all His disciples turned away from Him and left Jesus, ຍົກເວັ້ນສິບສອງ (ຈອນ 6:60-69).
Jesus began to upbraid the cities of Bethsaida, ໂຄຣາຊິນ, and Capernaum, where Jesus performed most of His miracles; the demonstrations of the power of God, but the people didn’t repent.
ດ້ວຍເຫດນັ້ນ ພະເຍຊູກ່າວ, ວ່າໃນວັນພິພາກສາ, it would be more endurable for the cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, then it would be for them. ພະເຍຊູກ່າວ, they would descend to hell; the depths of misery and disgrace in the unseen world (ມັດທາຍ 11:20-23).
Didn’t they believe in Jesus? They saw the miracles and powers of the Kingdom of God, so they did believe, ແຕ່ວ່າ… they didn’t repent.
ບໍ່, they didn’t turn away from their sins and their lives as sinners. They loved their lives. ເພາະສະນັ້ນ, they couldn’t remove the sins from their lives, because they loved doing what they did. They couldn’t give up their own lives and die to ‘self’. That’s why they didn’t repent.
ພະເຍຊູກ່າວ, that unless people repent, they will all perish (ລູກາ 13:5)
What did Jesus say about repentance after His resurrection?
ບາງທີທ່ານອາດຈະຄິດ, “ແມ່ນແລ້ວ, but that was before the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. ດຽວນີ້, we have forgiveness of all our sins, ໂດຍພຣະໂລຫິດຂອງພຣະເຢຊູ. ດຽວນີ້, we live under grace.”
ແທ້ໆ? ໃນປື້ມບັນທຶກຂອງການເປີດເຜີຍ, Jesus still spoke the same words and the same message about repentance and putting away sin.
ສໍານຶກ; ຫຼືອີກອັນຫນຶ່ງຂ້ອຍຈະມາຫາເຈົ້າໂດຍໄວ, ແລະຈະຕໍ່ສູ້ກັບພວກເຂົາດ້ວຍດາບປາກຂອງເຮົາ (ການເປີດເຜີຢ 2:16 KJV)
ເພາະສະນັ້ນ, have a change of mind at once. But if you do not, I am coming to you quickly and will war against them with the sword of my mouth. (ການເປີດເຜີຢ 2:16 KWT)
Jesus spoke these words after His crucifixion, ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງລາວ, ແລະ His ascension to heaven.
ເພາະສະນັ້ນ, ຄົນ, who persevere in sin and are don’t remove the sins from their lives are not saved. ບໍ່ວ່າຄົນໃດ, who call themselves Christians say or think. Their works will be judged by the Word on the Day of Judgment. (ການເປີດເຜີຢ 20:12-13 (ອ່ານນຳ: ທ່ານສາມາດຢູ່ໃນຄວາມບາບແລະໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມລອດ?).
What did the disciples of Jesus say about repentance?
The disciples and followers of Jesus Christ also preached the call to repentance. They not only preached the call to repentance before His crucifixion during His life on earth, but also after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. They called the people to repent, so that their sins would be blotted out.
ໃນ Mark 6:7-13, we read about the commission of the twelve disciples. The disciples went out, two by two, and preached the gospel and the call to repentance. They brought the Kingdom of God to God’s people, ໂດຍການຫລໍ່ອອກມາຜີປີສາດ, anointing many that were sick with oil, and healing them.
ໃນກິດຈະການ, after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter ministered to the people in public, and said to them:
Therefore repent at once, instantly changing your attitude, and perform a right- ກ່ຽວກັບ- face in order that your sins may be obliterated, in order that there may come epoch- making periods of spiritual revival and refreshment from the presence of the Lord” (ກິດຈະການ 3:19 KWT)
Peter instructed the people of God to repent ໃນເວລາດຽວ, which means to instantly change their attitude and put away their sins.
Because if they didn’t immediately put away their sins, and kept on walking in sin, then their sins wouldn’t be wiped out, but would be imputed to them.
Paul testified of Jesus the Christ before king Agrippa
When Paul stood before king Agrippa and testified of Jesus the Christ. Paul told the king, that Jesus had appointed him to witness, and to minister to the gentiles; to open their eyes, ແລະເພື່ອໃຫ້ເຂົາເຈົ້າຫັນຈາກຄວາມມືດໄປຫາຄວາມສະຫວ່າງ, and from the power of satan ສໍາລັບພຣະເຈົ້າ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ, they would receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them, which is sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul told king Agrippa, that he went to Damascus, to Jerusalem, and throughout the coasts of Judaea, ແລະຈາກນັ້ນໄປຫາຄົນຕ່າງຊາດ, telling them to repent and turn to God, and do the works that meet the repentance, they confessed. ໃນຄໍາສັບຕ່າງໆອື່ນໆ, they should turn away from ບາບ, turn to God and do what they confessed with their mouths (ກິດຈະການ 26).
Is it possible to repent and remain the same person?
Is there an example in the Bible of a person, who remained the same, after the person repented and was ບັບຕິສະມາ with the baptism of repentance? Yes there is! Let’s go to the Book of Acts, ບົດ 8.
In this chapter, we read about Philip, who went to Samaria, to preach Christ. In the city of Samaria, there was a man called Simon, who before time used sorcery. He practiced his magical arts in the form of charms and incantations, and bewitched the people of Samaria, by giving out that he was some great person.
When Philip came, proclaiming the good news, concerning the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, the people believed him and were baptized. Simon also believed, and was also baptized, with the baptism of repentance. After Simon was baptized, Simon became a follower of Philip
But Simon was more interested in the miracles, then the true message of repentance.
Simon viewed with a critical and interesting eye, both the attesting miracles as the great miracles, which excited wonder as they were being performed. He was being rendered beside himself with amazement.
When the apostles heard, that the people in Samaria received the Word, they went to Samaria to baptize the people with the Holy Spirit.
As soon as they laid their hands on the people, the people received the Holy Spirit.
When Simon, who was focused on miracles and wonders, saw that by the laying on of hands of the apostles, the Holy Spirit was given to the people. Simon offered the apostles money, and asked them, if they could give him this authority. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ, on whomsoever he would lay down his hands, that person would receive the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit revealed what was in Simon’s heart
But Peter knew, what was in Simon’s heart. The Holy Spirit revealed to Peter the wickedness of Simon. Therefore Peter knew, that Simon was not upright with God, and that Simon had not repented of his lifestyle.
Peter said to Simon, “May your money accompany you in your destruction, because the gift of God you thought to acquire with money. You do not have a part nor a lot in this matter concerning which I am speaking, for your heart is not straightforward and sincere in the sight of God. Therefore repent at once of this your wickedness and beseech the Lord if perhaps the purpose of your heart may be forgiven you, for I plainly see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity“
Simon didn’t know Jesus experientially and didn’t know God. Because when Peter confronted Simon with his wickedness, Simon asked Peter to ask forgiveness from God, on his behalf.
Simon believed the message, was even baptized, and followed Philip. ແຕ່ວ່າ… Simon didn’t repent.
Simon wasn’t sorrowful and didn’t put away his sins. He was more drawn to the miracles, ວິຄະຫະ, ອາການ, ແລະສິ່ງມະຫັດສະຈັນ, than he was drawn to Jesus Christ, ກັບພະເຈົ້າ, and even to the Holy Spirit. Because Simon didn’t ask the apostles to lay their hands on him, so that he would receive the Holy Spirit. ບໍ່, Simon asked them to give this authority, so that Simon could give the Holy Spirit to whomsoever asked for it.
Simon wanted power and authority and be exalted and worshiped by the people
Simon wanted to have power and authority, so that he would be exalted and worshiped by the people, ແທນທີ່ຈະຕາຍເພື່ອ "ຕົນເອງ", giving up his own life, and walking after the will of God. Simon remained the same, even after Simon was baptized.
So we can conclude, that if you believe, and even when you are ບັບຕິສະມາ ໃນນ້ໍາ, you are not automatically saved.
Simon was baptized, but he was not saved, according to Peter’s words. Salvation has everything to do with repentance, ການປ່ຽນແປງຂອງຈິດໃຈ, putting away sins, ການປ່ຽນແປງຂອງການປະພຶດ, ແລະການປ່ຽນແປງຂອງຊີວິດ.
When you believe in Jesus; ຄໍາ, ແລະຍອມຮັບພຣະເຢຊູເປັນຜູ້ຊ່ອຍໃຫ້ລອດແລະພຣະຜູ້ເປັນເຈົ້າຂອງເຈົ້າ, ເຈົ້າຈະກັບໃຈ.
What does true repentance mean according to the Bible?
ການກັບໃຈທີ່ແທ້ຈິງຫມາຍຄວາມວ່າ:
- Removing the sins from your life,
- Having a change of mind, relative to your previous life (a change of mind regarding your former life), which issues in regret
- Having a change of conduct, ໂດຍສະເພາະໂດຍສະເພາະ
When someone repents, there shall be a change of mind, ການປ່ຽນແປງຂອງການປະພຶດ, ແລະການປ່ຽນແປງຂອງຊີວິດ. ມັນເປັນໄປບໍ່ໄດ້, to remain the same old person you were before your repentance.
Every person is born in sin and isເປັນບາບ. ບໍ່ມີໃຜຖືກຍົກເວັ້ນ, everyone is a sinner. Therefore everyone needs to repent.
If you repent to Jesus Christ, you shall first remove the sins from your life. You shall die to ‘ຕົນເອງ’ to your former life. Your flesh dies and your spirit shall be raised from the dead, ໂດຍຜ່ານການຟື້ນຟູໃນພຣະຄຣິດ (baptism in water and the baptism with the Holy Spirit).
Only when you repent and become born again in Christ, you will become a new creation. You shall ເອົາຜູ້ຊາຍເກົ່າ ແລະ ໃສ່ຜູ້ຊາຍໃຫມ່ and you shall walk after the Spirit according to the Word and ຂອງພຣະເຈົ້າ.
As long as you keep walking in sins and iniquities, it means you have not repented yet. You’ve not become a new creation and therefore you’re not saved, because the Word says:
ຜູ້ໃດທີ່ເກີດມາຈາກພຣະເຈົ້າບໍ່ໄດ້ກະທໍາບາບ; ສໍາລັບການແຂ່ງຂັນຂອງລາວໃນຕົວລາວ: ແລະລາວບໍ່ສາມາດເຮັດບາບໄດ້, ເພາະວ່າລາວເກີດຈາກພະເຈົ້າ (1 ຈອນ 3:9)
ສະນັ້ນກັບໃຈ, ເພາະວ່າລາຊະອານາຈັກຂອງພະເຈົ້າຢູ່ໃກ້.
‘ຈົ່ງເປັນເກືອຂອງແຜ່ນດິນໂລກ’
