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“Don't plan to repent at the 11th hour. You may die at 10:30”
I read that somewhere, and thought about it. I do that a lot. I would take some saying on a website, or on one of those changeable copy signs in front of churches, and try to line them up in the Trinity and Humanity of Christ.
So my first question was, How do you plan to repent? Can you say, “I’m going to party now and repent later”? Is repentance a future event you are aware of now? Something you can put on layaway? There is a saying, “Don’t put off to tomorrow what can [should] be done today.” But does repentance fall into this category?
It's true that it’s better to repent now than later, but is this something you can plan?
So my first question was, How do you plan to repent? Can you say, “I’m going to party now and repent later”? Is repentance a future event you are aware of now? Something you can put on layaway? There is a saying, “Don’t put off to tomorrow what can [should] be done today.” But does repentance fall into this category?
It's true that it’s better to repent now than later, but is this something you can plan?
Peter cried out to the people on the day of Pentecost, after receiving the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, to “repent and be baptized”.
Here is the problem:
In the process of "planning to repent", you will have to already be aware of your relationship to God and the realization of who and what you are right now in Christ. Repentance is changing your mind about God when you come to the realization that God is there and has always been there for you. It comes at the eye opening revelation of Jesus Christ. That was when you realized the love God had for you all along. That Jesus suffered and died for you, that he first became human after shedding his glory to take on humanity in and to himself. That was when you realized that everything Jesus has done was done for humanity and of course, for you and you are included in his saving work of grace. Repenting is changing your mind about God and accepting His truth and being and reality as something He shares with you.
Right now.
In the process of "planning to repent", you will have to already be aware of your relationship to God and the realization of who and what you are right now in Christ. Repentance is changing your mind about God when you come to the realization that God is there and has always been there for you. It comes at the eye opening revelation of Jesus Christ. That was when you realized the love God had for you all along. That Jesus suffered and died for you, that he first became human after shedding his glory to take on humanity in and to himself. That was when you realized that everything Jesus has done was done for humanity and of course, for you and you are included in his saving work of grace. Repenting is changing your mind about God and accepting His truth and being and reality as something He shares with you.
Right now.
The call for repentance can only be made and understood once the gospel of Jesus Christ is plainly shown and realized. Once that light shows into the world, like clouds parting the way and revealing the soft glow of the sun, like in an epic movie where up to that point, no hope was in sight. Then suddenly, hope, light, parting of the clouds and fog, clarity, and beauty, eyes opening, healing begins, and reality sets in, then behold all things are made new. That is when repentance cannot be helped, cannot be postponed, cannot be denied, must be acted upon!
There is no time for planning, for debating, for future prospecting. Jesus did all that for us and then some. The only question now is, where is the water? BE baptized INTO the reality of Who and What you are IN HIM NOW! BE baptized for the Remission of your sins has been complete in Jesus!
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| Boyd Merriman |
But I cannot believe it. Virgin birhts, miracles,the not-so-nice character of Jesus, biblical discrepancies...
ReplyDeleteIf Christianity turns out to be true despite all that, should I be condemned for my lack of faith?
I think you do believe it. It bothers you that these things are possible.
ReplyDeleteVirgin births for instance. If God is God, and created humanity, including the ability to pro-create, could he not implant a sperm into a virgin?
I think you are missing the Trinity aspect of God. Usually, those who are having trouble believing, or spend too much time looking at how words are written down in the bible to appear to have "descrepancies", then you are not focusing on the complete picture God has for humanity. How God in Trinity can carry out the seemingly impossible things.
I would like to help you with some of these issues, but it may work out better in email.
Let me know,
And yes, he forgives you of your unbelief, of the broken ideas you have about him. I wouldn't believe it either. But I know you do believe the truth. And the Truth will set you free.
Just email me at boydmerriman@yahoo.com and I'll be glad to help you with the Truth.
Boyd
Hi Boyd, About the so called impossible being a possiblity for God, I wonder if in everyday life we should expect or do witness the so called impossible something of God happening everyday, in everyday and personal events of our lives, even without our sometimes realising it. For if God is the singular God of Christ and lets face it Christ's life was not ordinary, can we or how far can we expect our lives to be marked by the unusual event. Or am I interposing myself between the Father and the Son, somehow expecting the happenings of Christ to recur or replicate themselves in , say, my life, or the lives of believers? In different form you may detect the horrible shadow of Pelagious in the background to all of this, whereas , by contrast, we should be leading rathermore straightforward lives , of plain commonsense?
ReplyDeleteI think we all fall into the category of "WWJD" or if Jesus did it, I can too...or should do.
ReplyDeleteJesus wanted us to follow his example and footsteps, but only through him. His example is faith in the Father, which we do through Christ, and love for one another. Gift of the holy spirit. Both dependent on God (Triune)
We do need to live lives of "common sense" and straightforward, knowing that in Christ, our lives are a reflection of who and what he is. We do not have to do it the WAY he would do it, nor will our doing it as good as Christ put us in a special position with the Father. The Father does not want us to live our lives outside of Christ. Wrong thinking results in "If I do it as good as Jesus then I won't need Jesus".
Which means, no matter what we do, we do so IN Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, whether praying and preaching in church or mowing our grass or family picnic.
OK, I'll have to do some research on Pelagious, and what little I got, it was in contrast to Augustine.
When we accept Christ, we accept his reality of the fact that Jesus undid what Adam has done. We do not need faith or belief to be under the Adamic condition. Yet we somehow are required faith and belief to be under the redemption of Christ. Therefore, in our belief system, Christ is still under Adams influence rather than the other way around.
Even though Christians have trouble believing it, they are under Christ completely, their whole lives. Believing just helps us to appreciate it more.
Boyd "now back to my straightfoward life" Merriman
Boyd,
ReplyDeleteI thought your title was absolutely hilarious.
I curious as to what did Adam do that Jesus had to "undo"?
What Adam did was took to himself what God told him not to take. He sinned by twisting what God said and his life became twisted. Our lives have been twisted and turned around ever since. Jesus undid the sin by taking upon himself the sins of humanity by becoming human (Son of Man) and dying for our sins. "All is clean and renewed. Behold I make all things new."
ReplyDelete