God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.
Repentance: One day Becky and I were driving near the intersection of Barrett Parkway and Cobb Parkway. I realized I was in the wrong lane of traffic and if I didn’t move to the correct lane, I’d be heading in the wrong direction. I said out loud to Becky that I needed to get over a lane. Without hesitation, Becky replied, “Alright. Who’s Elaine?” I assured her that if I didn’t get over into the correct lane, we would be going in the wrong direction and I would need to turn around! In other words, I needed to go in a different direction. Especially in Becky’s mind!
It seems like we’ve heard a lot about repentance from John the Baptist and Jesus. We don’t hear a lot of people talk about repentance today. Here’s a definition of repentance from the Blue Letter Bible. If you don’t have this app, you should download it today!
Repent “to Change the Mind”: The word metanoeo, expresses the true New Testament idea of the spiritual change implied in a sinner’s return to God. The term signifies “to have another mind,” to change the opinion or purpose with regard to sin. It is equivalent to the Old Testament word “turn.” Thus, it is employed by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles (Mt 3:2; Mr 1:15; Ac 2:38). The idea expressed by the word is intimately associated with different aspects of spiritual transformation and of the Christian life, with the process in which the agency of man is prominent, as faith (Ac 20:21), and as conversion (Ac 3:19); also with those experiences and blessings of which God alone is the author, as remission and forgiveness of sin (Lu 24:47; Ac 5:31). It is sometimes conjoined with baptism, which as an overt public act proclaims a changed relation to sin and God (Mr 1:4; Lu 3:3; Ac 13:24; 19:4). As a vital experience, repentance is to manifest its reality by producing good fruits appropriate to the new spiritual life (Mt 3:8).
Repentance. From one direction to another. From death to life. A life without God to a life with God! A change of mind. From having a mind of our own to having the mind of Christ. In every one of these things, we see hesed! The Father’s lovingkindness through the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
For you.
For me.
Reflection:
- When was a time you realized you needed to change direction?
- I could probably fill volumes of books on this question…
- How has God’s lovingkindness brought you to a true change of direction?
- Can you recall the time, or the season, when you passed from death to life in Jesus?
Pray through Romans 8:1-11. His lovingkindness brings us to life in Jesus!
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
