The Mystery and Riches of Repentance
At the beginning of His Ministry, the very first Word our LORD Jesus uttered for our entry into The Kingdom of God is, “Repent…”
“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.
The LORD again emphasised this core truth of The Gospel after He rose from the dead, saying fervently, “that repentance and remission [forgiveness] of sins should be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,” Luke 24:47.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is primarily about our repentance from sin and the forgiveness of our sins — by which means we reconciled to God. The humility of repentance is for life — daily, not just on the day of our conversion.
In Mark 1:15, The LORD was saying, in other words, ‘The Kingdom of God is now here. To come in, to get in, you must repent…’
We gain entry into The Kingdom of God by repentance. We retain residence in The Kingdom of God by repentance. Repentance is thus primary and indispensable for entry and residence in The Kingdom of God.
Learn by The Holy Spirit to repent of your sins quickly. Repent for even the sins of your parents and ancestors as well as other people as revealed and led by The Holy Spirit.
Sin separates man from God. When we repent, we return to The LORD and He does to us.
“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says The LORD of hosts: “Return to Me,” says The LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says The LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 1:3.
Genuine, heart-rending repentance moves God, brings the move of God and makes us move with God intimately.
In my walk with Jesus I have come to increasingly understand the indispensable importance of repentance to Him. It makes us very special in His Heart.
Repentance obtains for us all the riches of God. Therefore, please take it all seriously. Our very life in Christ depends on the lifestyle of repentance.
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering [patience], not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to REPENTANCE?” Romans 2:4 emphasis added.
Repentance is the very manifestation of The Goodness of God! (And all there is to have is The Goodness of God).
We possess the very Kingdom, the whole Kingdom, by repentance. We receive The Kingdom of God by repentance.
Remember, our LORD Jesus Christ said in Matthew 16:18 that, “I will give you The Keys of The Kingdom of Heaven.”
Repentance is THE primary Key to The Kingdom of Heaven, (Mark 1:15; Luke 24:47). Faith (the necessary belief) and obedience are some other key Keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.
Repentance also breaks any covenants one might have with demons, knowingly or unknowingly, and cuts off curses and problems in your life.
The stench of sin; the fragrance of repentance
Each time we sin, it is worse than one smearing himself with faeces/’toilet’. Sin is that foul!
(If you watched it, you might recall the main character in the film “Slumdog Millionaire”.
When one sins, it is MUCH MUCH MUCH more disgusting in The Spirit than the toilet scene of the boy in that movie).
Sin is really foul! In the unseen realm, it smells hyper-horribly and looks highly horrendous to the holy Nostrils and Eyes of God.
As faeces attracts flies and develops maggots, so does sin attract demons and demonic oppression.
Sin is very terrible before God and does very terrible things to us in the flesh and spirit. Sin releases the stench of death, but righteousness releases the Aroma of Life.
Above all, no one with sin is allowed to enter Heaven! (1 Corinthians 6:10,11; Galatians 5:19 – 21).
As such, we NEED to always, “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting Holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
ALL unrighteousness is sin. And, as written, “We know that whoever is born of God does not [practice; keep on in] sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself [from sin], and the wicked one does not touch him.“ (1 John 5:18 emphasis added).
Remember what Jesus said? He declared: “the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” John 14:30.
Sin opens the door to demons and demonic oppression of curses, problems.
Check with The Holy Spirit if there are personal, parental, ancestral and other sins causing problems in your life. And shut the door by repenting. Shut the door with The Cross of Jesus, shut the door with The Blood of Jesus Christ, “He who shuts and no one opens.” (Revelation 3:7).
Repent, and then break demonic covenants by The PRECIOUS Blood of Christ. Repent and destroy demonic strongholds by The Blood of Jesus.
Through repentance, The Blood of Jesus, washes us from the filth and stench of sin and makes us “The Fragrance of Christ to God”. In other words, by The PRECIOUS Blood of Christ, we are washed and made “The Fragrance of Christ to God” when we repent, (1 Corinthians 6:10-11; 2 Corinthians 2:15).
The LORD is soon coming for His Bride, “that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.“ (Ephesians 5:27 emphasis added).
Yet, at the moment, The Church is largely sin-soiled: having spot and wrinkle and every such thing; unholy and with blemish.
The Church is largely “foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.” Titus 3:3.
The Church is largely harbouring “all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking…with all malice.” (Ephesians 4:31).
Much of The Church abounds with,
“the works of the flesh…which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit The Kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 emphasis added.
The Church of Jesus Christ is much unrighteous!
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit The Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit The Kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:8-10.
Brethren, it is only by repentance, avoidance of sin, obedience and the practice of righteousness that we can be a Church “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose The Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:7-8.
Always search your heart and your life. And be quick to repent if there is any unrighteousness in you. The Holy Spirit will always convict you of even the smallest sin if you are sensitive to Him.
Failure or refusal to repent brings the wrathful judgment of God both now and in the everlasting fire.
Failure to repent also attracts demons and demonic oppression, curses and other problems..
Repentance averts the judgment of God. Repentance removes the wrath of God.
Jesus REPEATEDLY told the sinful churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 to repent or face His wrath. And Paul warned the Corinthian church:
“lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.” (2 Corinthians 12:21 emphasis added).
Repentance is a treasure of riches and every spiritual blessing in Christ. We make it in Christ by repentance and obedience, among other virtues.
Moses made it in God by repentance; Joshua journeyed into The Promised Land by repentance; oh, that special brother, David dived readily into God by repentance; Nehemiah nailed it by repentance; Daniel danced for God (pleased Him greatly) by repentance; and Paul poured his heart about the importance of repentance.
One of the greatest indicators of the importance of repentance to God was when He forgave Ahab the very instant he repented .
Ahab, Jezebel’s husband, was an unprecedentedly wicked king, incited increasingly by that most terrible woman. The Bible says that,
“Now Ahab.. .did evil in the sight of The LORD, more than all who were before him… Ahab did more to provoke The LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him,” (1 Kings 16:30-33).
At the height of their wickedness, Jezebel plotted, ordered and murdered an innocent man for his property, and Ahab cold-heartedly took possession of it. God then sent Elijah to inform Ahab that he will likewise perish, and the kingship cut off from his house (among various other punishments).
But Ahab repented immediately . And God relented immediately, and did not punish him personally! God is THAT merciful and faithful!
“So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. And The Word of The LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.” 1 Kings 21:27-29 emphasis added.
Repentance is humility before God. It moves Him highly swiftly. Won’t you love God to move for you highly swiftly? Then repent! Turn away from sin. Practice righteousness.
Nineveh was one of the most wicked people that ever lived on earth. God had had enough of their wickedness. He decided to destroy them.
But this SOOO GOOD God first sent them the (reluctant) prophet Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh. If Nineveh would repent, said God, He won’t destroy it.
To the surprise and displeasure of Jonah, Nineveh took God up on His offer and repented zealously. This faithful, merciful God indeed did not destroy Nineveh — because they repented.
Grasp the mystery of repentance and get its endless riches in The Kingdom of God.
To please God, to make it in God, to make Heaven, be quick to repent. And be quick to believe and obey.
“The LORD Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:22.
“Farewell” Acts 15:29.
~ Jacob Awagah
“And having been perfected, He became The Author of Eternal Salvation to all who obey Him,” Hebrews 5:9.
Awesome. Thank you. God bless.
Thank you sir and God bless you. Just last night I was asking insistently how to enter the kingdom of God and to experience his Glory. I have never seen or heard such a clear and simple counsel, it is THE answer. I believe by faith Yaweh has answered me through your words which are of Him and carry His authority, power and love. Truly you are a gift to the body. Blessings to you in Christ Jesus.