Christian Repentance
As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent. Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. (Rev. 3:19-20)
What do you think is the most important practice as Christian?
You may say either worship or evangelism or bible study or praise or serving, etc. All your answer is correct. But, I think all these answers should be based on one very important thing, that is, the fellowship with God.
That is why God called us to have fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ prior to anything else you may do for God or with God. God is love. He is the loving God. He wants to have personal relationship with us. That is why He created us in His own image. That is why He saved us from our sins. In other words, what He cares most in our lives is loving relationship.
But, we have to remember that He called us to fellowship with Him not just for one or two hours every Sunday in church building. Rather, He wants such fellowship 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, yes, every moment of our lives.
When I marry my wife, we didn¡¯t mean husband-wife relationship only for certain hours a day, or certain days a week. Our loving relationship is meant to be for all time. I don¡¯t want my wife to be distracted by other man even for a moment. I don¡¯t want my wife to be distracted even in her dream by other man. (You may call me I am narrow minded, but such calling won¡¯t bother me even a bit. That¡¯s what I am and I know I love her.)
Do you know how much our Lord wants to have such loving relationship with us?
Do you know what kind of price He had to pay for such loving relationship with us?
I Thes. 5:10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
He died for us. He paid His life. That was exactly how much He was willing to pay to have fellowship with us. This is exactly how much He loves to have fellowship us. This is how much He loves us. That is why He is constantly calling our attention. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week even when you have a final, I mean, every moment of our lives.
He is not satisfied in casual relationship with us. The kind of relationship he wants to have with us is the most serious relationship you can imagine. He is constantly asking such relationship.
(Prayer)
Do you know what is problem then? God always talking but we have listening problem. We are so distracted by so many things. We simply don¡¯t hear what He is saying.
That is why Jesus calls us to repent? But, notice Jesus is not asking your moral renewal. Rather, He is asking us to invite Him back to our heart because we don¡¯t pay attention to Him. He is reminding us of the cost He had to pay so that we have fellowship with Him. No matter how good we may live, we still have to repent if we don¡¯t keep our priority in loving Him and enjoying His presence.
Then how to get back to the kind of relationship Jesus wants? Verse 19 says, Be earnest! Or Be committed. or Be zealous depending on various translation of the Bible. But the message is clear: We have to make an intentional efforts. Yes, it requires our intentional volition and obedience to repent. This is another way of Jesus¡¯ saying,¡± Have a passion for Me.¡±
There are at least two more conditions involved to get back to the right kind of relationship. What does it say, Rev. 3:20? Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice¡¦
He says, ¡°If anyone hears my voice.¡± We have to hear His voice knocking at our hearts. In other words, if you don¡¯t hear you wouldn¡¯t have a chance to repent. Hearing is such serious matter.
How can you hear His voice knocking? The reason that we have hard time hearing even though he is knocking at the door is because we are so distracted by so many other voices and noises. And often those noises are good things, not bad things. Like Martha, she was so busy and occupied to serve Jesus, but did not have time to sit at the Lord¡¯s feet to listen to what He said. I mean, she was so busy doing good things and she meant to serve Jesus but she did not have time to listen to Him. Do you know how Jesus responded to Martha?
Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord¡¯s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don¡¯t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Do we truly believe this one thing that is needed is to sit at the Lord¡¯s feet to spend time with Him? Do we really believe this is only one thing that we need? If this is only one thing that we need, then this should be the greatest and most urgent need in all time and in whatever circumstances.
But, then there is still another condition here that Jesus talks about to repent?
We ought not only to hear but also to open our heart. As we listen, we come to an understanding how much He wants to have fellowship with us. But, then opening your heart means your responding to Him.
This response involves your willing to spend time with Him, eating and drinking with Him. Our repentance is to invite Jesus to occupy our place and our time so that we may enjoy His presence and His talking. Remember, God called us to this: God is faithful; by Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1Co 1:9) Remember also what Jesus had to pay for this: ¡°Jesus Christ died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.¡± I The 5:10
Does Jesus occupy our place and our time? Would you let Him?
