Matthew 3:1–2 “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
John The Baptist came on the scene preaching in the wilderness the call to repentance. Why? Because, “the kingdom of heaven was at hand!” and we must “Prepare for the way of the Lord!”. Why? Because our ways are not His ways!
Today we too, need to hear the same “voice in the wilderness” calling all to repentance. For we are living in a wilderness of sorts in our day also. A wilderness of rampant sin, where unrighteousness runs wild and selfishness reigns supreme. Where lawlessness and wickedness grow’s unchecked like briars up a dead tree. We trudge through a decaying swamp of depravity that has been normalized in the present spirit of the age!
Therefore, let us make no mistake about it, as it was in Johns day before the appearance of The Lamb of God who came the first time to take away the sin of the world, hence John’s declaration that “The kingdom of heaven” was at hand, so now also is the time to, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, for the appearance of the soon returning King is once again indeed at hand!
Repentance! It is imperative! It Is what needs to be preached in these last days as we approach the consummation of the ages, as it is written: “….but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” (Hebrews 9:26–28)
The Lamb who was slain for the sins of the earth is coming a second time, apart from sin because He already dealt with it on the cross and now, He is coming again for the consummation of the salvation of those who have laid hold of the provision of the cross by means of repentance! Let no one deceive you in any way! The Gospel of Salvation is a message of repentance!
Repent! John the Baptist preached it resoundingly, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Mark 1:4). And when John had run his course and finished His race, Jesus himself then carried forth that same word of repentance! “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14–15)
Today, there are those who teach and will tell you that repentance is not a necessity or a necessary condition of receiving forgiveness of sins and salvation. They are liars and deceivers! They are false teachers who lead people into a false hope and a false gospel, which is no gospel at all!
I will say it again! John the Baptist preached repentance upon the start of Jesus’s ministry. And Jesus preached repentance during the entire length of his ministry! For example, in Luke we find this story where His disciples were wondering about the reasons and fate of some who had tragically died; “There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1–5). In effect Jesus was saying, "Stop looking at and pointing to others! Stop comparing yourself to someone else! If you do not repent you will perish!"
Moreover, just before Jesus departed into heaven, while instructing the Apostle’s, He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations… (Luke 24:46–47). Read that again! Jesus says “repentance” is a “necessary” thing! Notice the order! Repentance and remission of sins! Without repentance there is no remission of sins! Yes, Jesus shed His blood for the remission of sins! Yes, Jesus rose from the dead so we could be justified! However, without repentance, His shed blood, and that resurrection power, will not avail you of anything! Therefore, after Jesus had ascended into heaven, and on the Day of Pentecost, Peter, in his first public sermon declared and preached to the crowd saying, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38)
Nowhere in the New Testament do we see the idea of repentance being diminished or done away with! So why is it that today very few preachers will preach it? Why do so many shy away from it? Is it because the word, “repent” offends our sensibilities? Is it because the very sound of the word grates upon us? Is it because the word hit’s us like a hot dry wind that blows upon us and withers the flower of our selfish desires?
Repent! The word paints pictures of wild hair prophets and old-fashioned preachers railing against sin and breathing out the judgments of God! Hence today, preachers are afraid of preaching repentance lest they offend the pet sins of their congregants. They are afraid of offending the carnal pursuits of their hearers under the false pretense of they do not want to “push them away.” However, the fact is, if we do not confront these very things through the preaching of repentance, we’re not “pushing them away from heaven” we’re allowing them to fall into the pit of hell! It's a false dichotomy! The call to repent should not be construed as a negative thing, rather, it is the merciful beckoning of a gracious God, which if responded to, leads to life. "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!' (Ezekiel 33:11). "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"(Ezek 18:30-32)
Of course, the question naturally arises what is repentance? Simply put, repentance means to turn around. To turn away from committing sin, intent on committing them no more, and to turn to living for God and pursuing righteousness! As the Lord says through the prophet Ezekiel: "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit”. (Ezek 18:30-31)
"Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin….”. Repentance is not optional! It is a command! "…These times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent…” (Acts 17:30)
A lifestyle of Repentance is not optional neither for the world nor the church! We are called to walk in repentance! The Apostle’s Paul’s testimony of his preaching was; "…I declared…throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance…” (Acts 26:20)
Repent! It is the clarion call of Jesus and the clear reprimand of the Holy Spirit to the church!
"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent…He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 2:5;6)
This message is for saint and sinner alike! Is there something in your life that you need to repent of? Whether it is flagrant and gross sin and disobedience to God and His ways? Or even seemingly mild “pet” sins? Maybe your attitude hasn’t been godly? Perhaps your thought life isn’t sanctified, or your actions haven’t been ones that glorify God? The list of course could be endless, but the point is this; will you allow the Holy Spirit to shine His light on that thing? The scripture tells us, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (Prov 28:13). He promises us that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). For, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Pet 3:9)
Therefore, Repent! And believe in the Gospel!
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