Prepared And Ready Series

TRUE REPENTANCE HATES THE SIN, AND NOT MERELY THE PENALTY; AND IT HATES THE SIN MOST OF ALL BECAUSE IT HAS DISCOVERED AND HAS FELT GOD'S REDEEMING LOVE.

I THINK BILLY GRAHAM MADE AN INTERESTING COMMENTARY ABOUT SINFULNESS AND HOW SUCH SINFULNESS HAS BEEN LIKE A DISEASE RUNNING RAMPANT IN OUR WORLD TODAY.

HE SAID, "WE'RE SUFFERING FROM ONLY ONE DISEASE IN THE WORLD. OUR BASIC PROBLEM IS NOT A RACE PROBLEM. OUR BASIC PROBLEM IS NOT A POVERTY PROBLEM. OUR BASIC PROBLEM IS NOT A WAR PROBLEM. OUR BASIC PROBLEM IS A HEART PROBLEM. WE NEED TO GET THE HEART CHANGED, THE HEART TRANSFORMED."

I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO KEEP WORKING ON ALLOWING OUR HEARTS TO BECOME TRANSFORMED AND TO HAVE THEM FULLY PREPARED FOR THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST.

THE WORD “PREPARE” MEANS: “TO MAKE ALL THE NECESSARY PREPARATIONS,” “TO GET EVERYTHING READY.”100%, FULLY READY.

ARE WE TRULY READY FOR THE SAME JESUS CHRIST IN WHICH JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARED THE WAY? JOHN'S APPEARANCE WAS 400 VERY LONG YEARS OVERDUE TO THOSE WHO KEPT THE SAYINGS OF THE PROPHETS IN THEIR HEARTS.

JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS THE CRUCIAL FIGURE IN THE HISTORY OF REVELATION AND REDEMPTION THEY HAD BEEN WAITING FOR. THEY CLUNG TIGHTLY TO THE WORDS OF MALACHI 3:1, "SEE, I AM SENDING MY MESSENGER TO PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE ME, AND THE LORD WHOM YOU SEEK WILL SUDDENLY COME TO HIS TEMPLE. THE MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT IN WHOM YOU DELIGHT - INDEED, HE IS COMING, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.

FINALLY, THIRTY YEARS AFTER HIS BIRTH, THE LAST OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS HAD ARRIVED. JOHN THE BAPTIST STANDS IN THE RIVER JORDAN SIGNIFYING THE DECISIVE TURNING POINT IN HISTORY THAT THE DAY OF SALVATION WAS AT HAND.

THE FORGIVENESS JOHN MEANT WAS THE KIND THAT REMOVED OR CANCELLED AN OBLIGATION OR BARRIER OF GUILT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT REFERS TO GOD'S GRACIOUS ACT WHEREBY SINS WOULD BE SEEN AS DEBTS CANCELLED BY CHRIST'S SACRIFICIAL DEATH ON THE CROSS.

WHAT JOHN WAS SAYING WAS THAT FORGIVENESS WILL NOT BE GIVEN WITHOUT CONFESSION OR TRUE REPENTANCE. THEY COULDN’T JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF A CEREMONIAL RITUAL BY WASHING THEMSELVES IN THE WATER.

THEY NEEDED TO KNOW THAT BAPTISM WAS TO BE A VISIBLE WITNESS THAT THEY HAD RADICALLY TURNED AWAY FROM THEIR SINS AND HAD RECEIVED GOD'S GRACIOUS FORGIVENESS FOR THOSE SINS. THEY WERE BEING CHALLENGED TO LIVE AN OBEDIENT LIFE AS PROOF THAT THEY HAD REALLY REPENTED.

THIS IS ONE LESSON WE STILL NEED TO HEAR THIS ADVENT SEASON. IF WE ARE GOING TO “PREPARE THE WAY” OR “GET THINGS READY” FOR JESUS, WE MUST FIRST GET OURSELVES RIGHT BY STAYING SPIRITUALLY AWARE OF OUR NEED TO RECONCILE EACH DAY THROUGH CONFESSION, REPENTANCE AND SEEKING FORGIVENESS.

FIRST, TO GENUINELY REPENT, WE MUST FIRST REMEMBER WHAT IT MEANS. REPENTANCE IS “TO TURN” OR “TO COMPLETELY REVERSE DIRECTION.” THE WORD IMPLIES A RADICAL SHIFT AND COMPLETE CHANGE OF LIFE TO CONFORM TO GOD. REPENTANCE IS FAR BEYOND JUST “FEELING SORRY ABOUT” OR “REGRETTING” A PARTICULAR OFFENSE. IT IS A CHANGE OF HEART, MIND, AND CONDUCT. THIS IS PROVEN THROUGH ACTION BY WORKING TO CHANGE YOUR WAY OF LIVING AND TO STOP REPEATING THE SIN.

WHEN WE CONFESS, WE ARE TAKING OWNERSHIP OF OUR ACTIONS. WE ARE ADMITTING TO AND DECLARING TO GOD WHAT WE HAVE DONE. ODDLY ENOUGH, THE WORD FOR “CONFESS” IMPLIES A PUBLIC CONFESSION….JUST SO YOU KNOW!

WE MUST NOT HESITATE TO SEEK FORGIVENESS UPON THE CONVICTION OFTHE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN HE REVEALS TO US WHAT WE HAVE DONE. 1 JOHN 1:9, “BUT IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS TO HIM, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL WICKEDNESS.” WE NEED TO CONFESS TO GOD!

THEN SECONDLY, GENUINE REPENTENCE REQUIRES THAT WE TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR SINS. JAMES 1:13-14, “WHEN TEMPTED, NO ONE SHOULD SAY, ‘GOD IS TEMPTING ME.’ FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED BY EVIL, NOR DOES HE TEMPT ANYONE; BUT EACH ONE IS TEMPTED WHEN, BY HIS OWN EVIL DESIRE, HE IS DRAGGED AWAY AND ENTICED.”

WHENEVER WE CATCH OURSELVES BLAMING SOMEONE ELSE, OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, FINDING WAYS TO JUSTIFY OUR ACTIONS, OR START PLAYING THE ROLE OF "VICTIM" OUR REPENTANCE IS INCOMPLETE. GOD GIVES US THE STRENTH TO NOT ONLY WITHSTAND THE TEMPTATION, BUT TO TURN AND SAY “NO” TO IT.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:13, “NO TEMPTATION HAS OVERTAKEN YOU EXCEPT WHAT IS COMMON TO MANKIND. AND GOD IS FAITHFUL; HE WILL NOT LET YOU BE TEMPTED BEYOND WHAT YOU CAN BEAR. BUT WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED, HE WILL ALSO PRIVDE A WAY OUT SO THAT YOU CAN ENDURE IT.” IF WE STILL CHOOSE TO GIVE IN AND SIN, THEN WE MUST TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY, CONFESS, AND ASK FOR GOD’S FORGIVENESS.