Jesus and John both came declaring, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. In a previous post, ‘Call To Repentance‘, we see salvation doesn’t come about through a belief in God and a confession of sins. Neither does it come through the popular, yet unbiblical, “sinners prayer“. In scripture, we begin to find clarity to the process to the path of salvation. Although we ‘believe that God is, and confess Jesus as Lord’, these are the initial steps to this journey. However, it is a step towards ‘repentance’ that must take place. It’s a ‘turning away, a change in direction, thoughts and nature must occur.
We see the ministry of Jesus establishing a theme on which He focuses. In the book of Matthew he begins with ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’. When He speaks to Nicodemus in John 3, He says, “you cannot see, nor enter the Kingdom of God unless you are born again”. We can discard the notion, that the reason for us being born again is centered on going to Heaven, or not going to Hell. It to see and enter a Kingdom. Therefore, it is not believing and confessing which brings us to see and enter the Kingdom, but repentance!
What are we to repent of?
Each and every one of us are born into sin, into the kingdom of darkness, the rule of this world. We are caught in the snare and entrapment of it’s systems, cultures and beliefs. The nature and character of every person is formed by what we experience through our senses and the world around us. We naturally end up becoming a result of the culture and tribe we are a part of. The cultures and beliefs of this world, belong to the systems of the kingdom of darkness.
The reason believing and confessing cannot completely save us, is because it does not free us from the beliefs and standards which the kingdom of darkness has imposed on us. See, I can believe in God and confess my sins, and still not have a change in nature, character or behavior. We begin to relate to God out of our natural understanding of things, our carnal mind. Our understanding is still shaped by the world’s system we were a part of, and we’re unable to be transformed until repentance takes place. Everything concerning the things of God, we bring down low to our carnal reasoning, and relate to and express it out of that mindset.
We can attend church, read the word, spend time in prayer, fast, and still not be transformed. Christians are made to believe they’re righteous because they ‘do‘ these things. I can do all these things, and not have ever repented. Righteousness and salvation does not come by works! Because God did not require me to do these things(only). God, evident through Jesus, John, the disciples and His word has called us to repentance!
Only the message of repentance can bring complete deliverance
This “message of salvation”, as it’s currently preached, produces believers who still walk in darkness. That manner of this message does not bring about the deliverance needed. You can acknowledge yourself as a sinner, acknowledge the cross, ask Jesus into your heart, and still be attached to the Kingdom of darkness. Because we confuse confession with repentance! This is metamellomai, a false sense of repentance. No true turning of the heart has taken place. It’s only the message of repentance, and repentance to the Kingdom of God, that’s able to sever the connection between your soul and the evil one.
Along with you believing and confessing, you now have to repent. You have to turn from your old ways, old beliefs, your old nature and character, and turn towards God and His Kingdom.
The call for repentance is a call for us to turn from being enslaved and entrapped by the Kingdom of darkness. There has to be an acknowledgement that we were under the rule and control of the evil one, the king of the kingdom of darkness. Repentance is a turning away from the rule of darkness, the control it has on our souls. We need to turn from what has shaped us to this point. It’s not only a turning from our sinful nature and the things we used to do. We must turn from old mindsets, old understandings and way of reasoning. This is what we ought to repent of.
We must become completely new. A new creature in Christ Jesus. A simple confession of sins does not make you a new creation. Repentance, a turning of the heart, is evidence that you are becoming a new creation.
Matthew 6:21 – “for where your treasure is, there your heart will will be also“.
The evidence of repentance is when your heart has turned from the things of this world and it’s pleasures, towards God and pleasing Him.
How are we rescued from the kingdom of darkness and translated to the Kingdom of God?
Colossians 1:13
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves“
Luke 24:47
“and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Repentance is the first step. Jesus tells His disciples that ‘repentance and the forgiveness of sins will be preached’. There needs to be a turning away from the dominion of darkness, and a turning towards the Kingdom of God. And, their sins are forgiven!
Authority over the kingdom of darkness
Matthew 28:18
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.“
Jesus told the disciples He has ALL authority, in heaven and on earth. He sent them out with the same authority given to Him. The death of Jesus was for more than our sins and for us to go to Heaven. Jesus died to reconcile us back to God the Father. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says anyone in Christ is a NEW creation, the OLD way has gone, the NEW has come. He then goes further to say God reconciled us to Himself through Christ.
The message of repentance is that a way has been made for us back to God, back into His Kingdom. This is what Jesus accomplished at His death. Through His death, burial and resurrection He took all power and authority from the kingdom of darkness and the evil one. He overthrew the kingdom of darkness, that when we are translated to the Kingdom of God, the darkness will have no hold over us.
Free In Christ
John 8:36
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
“I’m just a sinner saved by Grace”. You’ll hear many “Christians” confess this. It may sound humble and sincere, but it’s far removed from what the true gospel teaches us. This is no better than someone who’s been sober for 20 years, still confess they an addict. Because most Christians have not understood, that confession of their sins still kept them going down the same path. It was merely acknowledging their sinful nature. But repentance, translates them to another Kingdom, where they are a complete new creation. Who they use to be is dead, and no longer has a hold over them(lest they resurrect that old nature).
So if we come to a place of repentance, God, through the result of the death and resurrection of Jesus, rescues us from the kingdom of darkness and it’s control, and sets us into the Kingdom of His Son. And because the kingdom of darkness has been overthrown, it no longer controls or claims any right to us. God, whom we now put our trust in, by His word and promises, is able to keep us completely safe and sustained.
1 Peter 2:16
“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.”
In essence, to simply ‘believe and confess’ does not make you part of the Kingdom. Only ‘Repentance’ does!
In the book of Romans it refers to being ‘slaves of righteousness‘. Because we were freed from the kingdom of darkness, doesn’t make us free to do what we want. We are slaves to Christ. Being free from the bondage of the kingdom of darkness doesn’t afford us the right to live as we please. There is no liberty to live according to what gives us pleasure and satisfaction. We live to serve at the pleasure of the King, of whose Kingdom we are now citizens.