From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
For Me to change you from a sinner to a saint you must repent. But be careful how you define repent. Many people think it means weeping over the sins you have done and feeling guilty about them the rest of your life. But that is remorse with no change of mind and usually leaves you unchanged, depressed and feeling helpless and hopeless to be a “saint.” Remorse can even drive you to suicide like Judas. No, to repent is entirely different. Repentance will transform your life. Jesus gave you many insights as to what He means by repent because you must repent or perish.
“Do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse debtors than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:4-5.
The word translated “repent” in the New Testament is “metanoeó (μετανοέω),” which means to change one’s mind or purpose. Being sorry over something is not part of its definition. Metanoéō is from metá, meaning “changed after being with” and noiéō, meaning to “think,” so properly, “think differently afterwards,” “after a change of mind.”
And the word translated “debtors,” “sinners,” and even “culprits,” in this passage about falling tower in Siloam, which Jesus spoke at the inquiry of some, which was essentially the question often expressed by those who do not understand dominion authority of why “bad things happen to good people,” is the Greek word “opheiletés,” which means a debtor; someone under obligation to pay back. For the believer, opheilétēs, i.e., “being a debtor” ends at Calvary where Christ paid all your debt to divine justice for sin in His blood. He extends total release to you, forgiving the penalty for each time you foolishly spent My gift of life rather than invested it. Indeed, the blood of Jesus removes all the penalty (condemnation) of sin. But very few of you really understand what the blood of Jesus and My Word have done and continually do for you. And there you are beginning to get a glimpse of repentance.
Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:12-14.
And I am speaking about what you believe and if you have renewed your mind, because until you are willing to do that you will not be transformed.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to the mindset of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2.
But to change your way of thinking you must be humble enough to know when your thoughts are not correct, in other words, when they do not agree with My Words. If your heart is hard to Me, it is hard for Me to help you because you have shut Me out. I sent My Word to heal you and deliver you from all your destructions, but if you will not receive that Word and let it plant in your heart, there is not much I can do with you, in you and through you.
And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief. Mark 6:5-6.
My thoughts and ways are higher than yours, they are not earth and flesh bound, the height, depth, breadth, and length of My thoughts have no limits because they are of the Spirit. But pride will not allow you to be taught. That is why the majority of the Pharisees and priests that experienced the preaching and teaching and the miracles of Jesus missed their time of divine visitation. And that is why so many people are missing out on the great joy of life in Christ and are not receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness so that they reign in life through Christ Jesus. It is all about the freedom of My children. It is all about being released from the prison of your mind that has locked you into torment, lust, selfish ambition, pride, remorse, and a host of other evils that result because of wrong thinking and believing.
The theme of both John the Baptist and Jesus as they began their public ministries was the same, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17. And Jesus described it more fully the repentance of which He was speaking:
Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15.
It is a change of mind from your thoughts to Mine concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Yes, it is based primarily how you view each of those, it is seeking the Kingdom first and My righteousness rather than your own. And My Son, on the night He was betrayed at the Passover supper, told you He told you about this.
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. John 16:7-11.
The word translated “convict” there is a legal term, used for court purposes, the Greek word from which it is translated is “elégxō (ἐλέγχω),” meaning to convince with solid, compelling evidence, especially to expose (prove wrong, convict).
What is the wrong belief about sin? Jesus told you “concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.” They do not believe that I accounted all your sins to Him and they are no longer, for those who have received the gift of My Son, yours but His. There is no condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus. He took all your faults and sins and took care of them by accepting in His own flesh all punishment due for your sins. The world thinks this nonsense and thus dies in their own sins. But many believers have not renewed their minds and believe as the world, i.e., that sin cannot be forgiven, but I do more than that, you are not just forgiven but the sin is gone, as far as your relationship with Me it is as if it never happened.
The Holy Spirit, the very helper Jesus is talking about and sends you, testifies to you that your sins and offenses I remember no more when you have received Jesus as Lord. Hebrews 10:17. Once you repent, that is, know you have done wrong and sought My forgiveness, if you have renewed your mind you will know that once you confess your sins to Me, I am faithful and true to forgive your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness, meaning they are no longer on you. 1 John 1:9. Repentance then leaves off from being remorse and puts you in a place of new beginnings as you joyfully draw living water from the springs of Salvation (Yeshuah, Jesus) as I wipe every tear from your eyes.
For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them fountains of the waters of life and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:17.
Repentance is a place of joy about what I have done for you in Christ. The one who is forgiven much, loves much. If you know how forgiven you are in Christ, indeed, that He took every one of your sins into His own flesh and went to hell for you so that you never have to go there, but will stand before Me holy, blameless and without reproach, you will love MUCH. In fact it will turn your mourning, your shame, your guilt and the oppression that goes with those, into dancing, you will be forever giving thanks with the saints in Light.
“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and \we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:12.
And they never stop praising as they go about the vast glory of My Kingdom on their amazing assignments. They know what they have and it is wonderful, beyond all you can envision in this life.
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Revelation 5:12-13.
And it is difficult for you, even for believers who read My Word, to fathom the love I have for you as your creator, but more than that, as One who made you to be like Me and to be always with Me as one with Me in our many projects and amazing works together, co-creators of life and goodness with Me in your families and fruitful lives of joy. And maybe then you, thinking of your own children, you get a glimpse into why I would go to such great lengths to save you and take away your sins as if they had never been. I put your sins on My pure Son and he bore them for you and carried them away. And He did the same with your diseases and pains. You were healed and can stay that way.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
And that brings us right into the next truth that My Holy Spirit establishes proving the world wrong about righteousness. I am not speaking of earning your own righteousness. I am speaking of receiving My righteousness as a gift in Christ in exchange for giving Him your sins. It is the blessing of Abraham that is yours in Christ Jesus by the promise of the Spirit in faith. It is righteousness by faith in My Word. It is righteousness by faith in the finished work of Christ to save you from your sins and make you righteous before Me so that you can walk going forward in righteousness.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10.
When you understand your righteousness in Me, and are established in that in your heart and mind, you will be far from oppression. Sin will never take you down into despair again.
For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity. Proverbs 24:16.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. Psalm 37:24.
But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness. Micah 7:7-9.
No weapon formed against you will prosper, and every tongue raised against you, you will prove false for your righteousness is from Me. And knowing this, you will live righteous lives because you will understand in Christ that is what you are. In Christ all My promises are “yes” to you, not based on your own righteousness, but on the righteousness you have by your status in Him whom you believed in the Name of Jesus Christ, the righteous One.
And the next truth you that requires renewing of your mind, and which the Holy Spirit exposes, is about judgment. And what about judgment? Jesus tells you “because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
I have condemned Satan already, in fact, I did it the day he deceived Eve into sin. He is judged, condemned, and is beneath your feet. And the judgment against him is in your favor. So it is time you discovered the thief and made him pay you back seven-fold for all he stole from you. For I have judged him, but not you who are in Christ Jesus.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. John 3:16-19.
You should give the devil and his fiery darts no power over you, for he is defeated already by Jesus. Jesus defeated him and got judgment in Jesus’ favor, which He has shared with you. It is not time to retreat and allow him to oppress you, it is time to enforce My judgement in your favor and collect from him.
I love you. Do you really know that? If you do, your life becomes a love affair because you know the truth about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment. Repent and return to Me and I will give you joy unspeakable full of glory if you will just renew your mind in submission to My Word. Then when I change you from a sinner to a saint you will know all that holds for you and stop thinking and acting like the sinner and take up My ways and walk with Me in righteous paths like the saints in light.