Repentance must come first to the body of Christ, Before True revival will come!
Our Churches cry for revival, and this is what we truly need in this day. Our communities and neighborhoods cry out for true revival! But how can revival come to those who have unrepentant sin in their hearts and lives? How can we preach repentance to the unsaved, if we as believers are still not repenting(to be sorrowful unto the turning away from sin)? We need to be renewed! I don't know about you, but I seek renewal on a daily basis.
Barne's Commentary explains "repentance" as put forth in Acts 2:38( then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ to remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.) in this way:
"Repentance implies sorrow for sin as committed against God, along with a purpose to forsake it. It is not merely a fear of the consequences of sin or of the wrath of God in hell. It is such a view of sin, as evil in itself, as to lead the mind to hate it and forsake it. Laying aside all view of the punishment of sin, the true penitent hates it. Even if sin were the means of procuring him happiness; if it would promote his gratification and be unattended with any future punishment, he would hate it and turn from it. The mere fact that it is evil, and that God hates it, is a sufficient reason why those who are truly penitent hate it and forsake it. False repentance dreads the consequences of sin; true repentance dreads sin itself. These persons whom Peter addressed had been merely alarmed; they were afraid of wrath, and especially of the wrath of the Messiah. They had no true sense of sin as an evil, but were simply afraid of punishment. This alarm Peter did not regard as by any means genuine repentance. Such conviction for sin would soon wear off, unless their repentance became thorough and complete. Hence, he told them to repent, to turn from sin, to exercise sorrow for it as an evil and bitter thing, and to express their sorrow in the proper manner. We may learn here:
(1) That there is no safety in mere conviction for sin: it may soon pass off, and leave the soul as thoughtless as before.
(2) there is no goodness or holiness in mere alarm or conviction. The devils ...tremble. A man may fear who yet has a firm purpose to do evil, if he can do it with impunity.
(3) many are greatly troubled and alarmed who never repent. There is no situation where souls are so easily deceived as here. Alarm is taken for repentance; trembling for godly sorrow; and the fear of wrath is taken to be the true fear of God.
(4) true repentance is the only thing in such a state of mind that can give any relief. An ingenuous confession of sin, a solemn purpose to forsake it, and a true hatred of it, is the only thing that can give the mind composure. Such is the constitution of the mind that nothing else will furnish relief. But the moment we are willing to make an open confession of guilt, the mind is delivered of its burden, and the convicted soul finds peace. Until this is done, and the hold on sin is broken, there can be no peace.
(5) we see here what direction is to be given to a convicted sinner. We are not to direct him to wait; nor to lead him to suppose that he is in a good way; nor to tell him to continue to seek; nor to call him a mourner; nor to take sides with him, as if God were wrong and harsh; nor to advise him to read, and search, and postpone the subject to a future time. We are to direct him to repent; to mourn over his sins, and to forsake them. Religion demands that he should at once surrender himself to God by genuine repentance; by confession that God is right and that he is wrong; and by a firm purpose to live a life of holiness."
-The biblical definition, as well as Barnes comments on repentance, is just as applicable to the believer. As a matter of biblical fact, we have more of a responsibility to repentance than does the non believer!
Luk 12:47-48 And that servant who knew his lord's will and did not prepare, nor did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he not knowing, and doing things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whomever much is given, of him much shall be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
- The state of our churches and community is evidence that we excuse and allow for sinful lifestyles. We need to repent, and turn back to God! We need to pray for repentance in the house of the Lord!
Rev 2:4-5 But I have against you that you left your first love. 5 Then remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works. And if not, I am coming to you quickly, and will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
To read more on True Repentance, see article from our friends at Evangelical Outreach on True Biblical Repentance.
2 Peter 2:1-9, 20
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will privately bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth will be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness they will with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved to judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example to those that afterwards should live ungodly lives. 7 And delivered just Lot, grieved with the habitual lewdness of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, grieved his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
- In these verses, the word of God is speaking about those who know the word and are twisting it for their own gain, leading and taking those of you who follow any doctrine that sounds good and appeals to your flesh!
He is not speaking about the non-believers, but those who have a knowledge of Christ, but would not continue to live holy lives.
Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
We already know what we believe to be the end result for those who do not confess Jesus as Lord and savior. God does not expect righteous actions from the unrighteous! We are not capable of righteousness until we first become righteous.
But we assume that all we have to do to be saved, is make a confession and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord. We need to Repent,
(be sorrowfull,ask forgivness, and Turn from our past life of sin) Be baptized (as the first sign of obedience) Abide in His Spirit, and Grow in the knowledge and Grace of Jesus Christ. God cannot inhabit, nor will He share space with a vessel that is yielded to sin. I am not talking about saints who truly make mistakes(sins of omission), but those who allow their sins and lustful desires dictate their actions.
Do you realize that in the O.T., there was no sacrafice for intentional sin? If you find one please feel free to e-mail me. I am always open to Holy Spirit led correction.
Also, if we were to study the Tabernacle of the OT, we will begin to see and appreciate the reverance that God instilled in the Children of Israel for His presence. His presence and Holiness are to be revered. (Numbers 4:19-20; Lev 10:1-20)
Lev 10:1-2-3 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which He had not commanded them. 2 And there went out fire from Jehovah and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, It is that which Jehovah spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
-In the whole of this chapter we see that the annointing is Holy, the sacrafice is Holy, the clothes are Holy, the priest is Holy, God's Presence and everything that He has determined to come before Him is Holy, and there it is to be feared!
The penalty for someone other than the High Priest entering into the Holy of Holies, was immediate death! Does this sound like a God who would tolerate anything other than holiness to enter into His Presence, let alone His Kingdom?
How is it. then, that we believe that the presence of God (His Holy Spirit) will fall on us, when there is sin in the camp? As my Pastor has said, "We no longer reverence His holiness!", and I agree.
I believe there will always be sin in the camp, when there are the lies of eternal security that abounds in our churches and fellowships!! Eternal security doctrine cannot allow for the teaching of a Holy and just God, that cannot tolerate sin in His presence, just by the sheer fact that He is HOLY!!
I pray that we will come to truly understand the Holiness of God and the deceptiveness of satan and sin. I pray that we would allow God to convict us of our sin, and give us correction. Only then will there be true repentance, and only then will there be a true outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. A true out pouring as evidenced in the book of acts.
Mat 24:13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved.
Pray! Pray! Pray, for His Spirit of Truth and His discernment.
Fellow Servant of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Joh 15:5-6 I am the vine, ye ar the branches: He that abideth in me,and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Phi 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
