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Little Johnny hits his playmate in a dispute over a favorite toy. His momma first says, “Tell Bobby you’re sorry for hitting him.” Then, after the apology, she makes little Johnny promise not to hit anymore. What she has required of little Johnny is repentance. If he modifies his behavior, he proves himself and all is well. God requires the same of us. Sin is the bane of mankind. All are guilty, and as Paul tells us, “The wages of sin is death.” All of us desire to escape the consequence of our sin. God tells us clearly that in order to do so, we must repent. Rumor has it that there is no fool like an old fool, but on April 1, he has company. Evidently, April Fool’s Day derives from the fact that ancient cultures, including the Romans and Hindus, celebrated a new year on or around the first of April, coinciding with the arrival of spring. In the middle ages, much of Europe likewise observed March 25 as the Feast of Annunciation and the commencement of a new year. In 1582, however, the Vatican king replaced the old Julian calendar with his own, calling for each new year to begin on January 1. According to legend, some failed to get the message – perhaps their banks and insurance companies neglected to mail the new calendars – and they were mocked as fools and traditionalists for showing up in Times Square in early spring, expecting a ball to drop amidst a shower of confetti. The old saying goes that “it all depends on whose ox is being gored.” Old sayings usually have a very strong element of truth in them as do the tales of the old wives. (How many of us preacher types could get along without the old wives?) The gored ox problem is the problem of tolerance. We love to hear sin condemned from the pulpit, as long as our ox is not being gored, meaning that our sin is not being condemned. The employment status of many preachers, including this author, has changed when we have gored the wrong ox. (Wrong as it relates to the possessor of an ox, not wrong as in the eternal Judge of the universe). I personally have never owned an ox, nor do I desire one. It might end up being gored, and I might have to change my position on sin, God forbid, since my current position is that revealed by the Psalmist, Psalm 119:104, “Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.” And Psalm 119:128, “Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.”
It is truly a joyous occasion when a Christian who has "wandered from the truth" (cf. James 5:19-20) returns to God. As James points out, his soul is saved from "death" and a multitude of sins are "covered." When the invitation is offered, and a tender hearted brother or sister in Christ steps into the aisle with tears in their eyes and a spirit humbled before God, our hearts soar. We rejoice that God’s word has worked upon their heart, and their zeal to serve Him has returned. “… but unless you repent you will all like-wise perish.” (Luke 13:3) The same requirement here stated regarding certain ones is elsewhere applied to all people, for “God commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30) Because it requires a change of mind and subsequent life, repentance probably is the most difficult command of the Lord to obey. Involved in such obedience is a change from whatever cherished beliefs, practices, and attitudes conflict with God’s will to a life of service to God. Necessary to this change is one’s admission of his own wrongdoing, as well as the producing of fruit befitting repentance. (Acts 26:20) From such a course there is no recourse for one desirous of pleasing God. The coming judgment is used by the Lord’s apostle in Acts 17:30 to promote repentance. In this study notice the emphasis placed upon repentance throughout the New Testament. Continue reading » “Except Ye Repent”
This interesting but brief record in the life of the Lord presents to us some challenges that would be good for us to consider. In the church today, Christians are constantly having to deal with the question of what to do with a person living in adultery or, more specifically, living in an adulterous marriage. Not only must we deal with the people and their sin, we must also deal with those purveyors of evil who have successfully warped the minds of people into thinking that adultery is not a sexual sin. When Moses descended from the Mountain at Sinai with the tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments, he read to the people the seventh commandment which simply says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). I am brought to a state of wonderment considering how many of the people at the foot of the mountain considered what Moses said to them about adultery from a legal perspective. Oh, it was law that Moses read, but the seventh commandment is and always has been a moral regulation and not a legal procedural matter. Furthermore, everybody knows that!! Continue reading » Associate Editorial: A Lesson from the Master (John 8:2-11) |
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In Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians, he admonished them for their toleration of error in the church. An ungodly man was in their fellowship, and they were, “…puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:2). He admonished them, saying, “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (vs. 6). As a result of his admonition, it seems that the church repented of their sin in this, and withdrew fellowship from this man. Regarding this repentance, Paul wrote in his second letter, “For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 