21st March 2010
These words summarize the response to Himself and His ministry which Jesus sought.
We see here that it is a command, not an option. The gospel doesn’t come out to us with a great idea but with a clear demand. There is only one response that is suitable. No other response is acceptable.
We see here that it is universal, not selective – all – even the most righteous by human standards stands in need to repent and believe just as much as the most wicked in our assessment.
We see that it is immediate, not gradual – yes there will be ongoing expression and development in reality – but it is to be real in the now, not in the eventual.
We see that it is to be ongoing, not merely initial. It is a present tense imperative indicating a continual reality of daily life as Jesus’ followers, as Kingdom citizens living in this present world.
‘In convicting us of sin, God is calling on us to recognize that the change we must make is not simply good advice; it is an imperative. He is telling us that what we have done is not merely inconvenient, counterproductive or undesirable; it is flat wrong and must be changed.’ (Jay Adams)
Scripture portrays repentance as a radical of change of heart that results in a radically different way of living – God’s way of living, Kingdom Living.
But if repentance is genuine, it will be partnered by Faith – faith in Jesus Christ as God’s instrument of salvation, the bringer of peace through His death of our sin; faith that trusts Him to save and continues to trust Him in life as we await the fullness of that salvation, regardless of circumstances.
At its core our worship as Christians is an expression of repentance and faith, and is an expression of Kingdom Living, to which Jesus Christ is central and crucial.