Repent and Obey

(Formerly "Repent and Believe IV")

We have talked about the one true and living God who is holy and righteous. We have talked about sin, which is any act of disobedience to God's law. And God's law shows us what God is like and how He always acts. The one true and living God hates all your bad ways, thoughts, and actions which are contrary to His holiness. Therefore, the one true and living God must punish all people who break His law. The sins you have committed and are committing against God's holy law are adding up. Unless these sins are removed you will go to hell forever and never know the one true and living God. Your sins can only be removed or washed away by the powerful blood of the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus gave His life for you. He died that your sins and mine might be forever put away from God's presence. The same Jesus is now alive - He rose from death - He conquered death and Hell and Satan. Now He commands all men everywhere to turn from their sins. Jesus commands men to believe the good news of salvation and new life. The Lord Jesus promises new life to everyone who turns from their sins and believes.

To believe in the Lord Jesus means to commit yourself to Him. The Lord Jesus calls men to come to Him that they might have life. The invitation of the Lord Jesus to come and find life is open to all people of all nations, of all castes and backgrounds no matter how sinful you were in the past.

You must not say that you are too sinful to come to God by trusting in the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He came to save you. Jesus died for your sins upon the cross. The promise of eternal life, of forgiveness of sins, is to you if you turn from your sins and believe the good news. But outside of Jesus there is no other way to obtain such life. Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes to the one true and living God except through Me" There are not many ways or even 2 ways, but only one way to God. Jesus is that one and only way.

For the person who turns from his sins, Jesus promises forgiveness and remission of sins and eternal life. The repentant sinner receives those blessings through Jesus by faith. If a man truly believes in God's way of salvation through Jesus, then he will not wash in rivers to get forgiveness of sins, nor will he sacrifice animals or go through afflictions to try to make up for what he has done wrong. He will believe that the sacrifice of Jesus is enough for the forgiveness of all his sins for all time.

The Lord Jesus taught that there are only two roads that men can travel on in this life. One is a wide road with many people travelling on it. Those people do not know that the wide road leads to death, hell, and eternal punishment away from God's presence eternally. All those who take the wide road never escape from the terrors and pains of hell.

The only other road is very narrow and very straight. Very few people find this road or walk on this road. But on this narrow road is a life of joy, peace, and security. This road leads to eternal life and eternal bliss in heaven. Which road are you travelling on today? Are you on the wide road leading to destruction, because you will not turn from your sin? If you are on that wide road I warn you today - leave such a terrible way and obey the command of the Lord Jesus to turn from your sins.

Come to the one true and living God, through the Lord Jesus, and receive new life and forgiveness of sins.

What does the Lord Jesus mean when He commands you to turn from your sins? To turn from your sins means to turn from one way to an entirely different way. To repent does not only mean to feel sorry because the true God found you doing bad things. To turn from your sins does not mean to try to repair your life or make it better. To repent means to change your mind about your entire life. You have lived to do your own will. Therefore, you have sinned and broken God's law continuously. This is wrong.

Because your life is wrong, God is angry with you and will punish you forever unless you turn from your sins. To turn from your own way to God's way means a deep and complete break with your old life. It means the end of all that is past. Turning from your sins to God involves everything in your life. It is not giving up one sin or even 50 sins, but every sin, now and forever.

Will you take God's way? Let me tell you how you can start. Talk to God. Talk to Him now. He is in every place. Therefore, He hears everything that you or I say. He knows everything that you think. Tell God you are sorry for breaking His commands. Tell Him you will put away your idols and wicked ways, and serve Him only. Thank Him for sending His Son Jesus to die for you, so that you can have everlasting life. Tell Him you are putting your complete faith in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, for the forgiveness of your sins. Ask Him to give you a new good heart. He will answer you and give you peace. He will receive you into His family, and when you die He will take you to His good place where there is only joy.