4 December 2016

Matthew 3:1-12

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”, proclaimed John the Baptist.

I was baptized at age 40 and joined a church.  I did that mainly to try to get that “something” I saw in others.  Somehow, being a Christian made a difference in their lives that I wanted.  I don’t remember hearing much about repentance or what that meant.

Harper’s Bible dictionary defines repentance as it is found in the NT as “turning to the Lord” so in that sense, I thought I had repented.  I had been baptized and had accepted Jesus as my Savior.  But, as I began to study the Bible, I came to the realization that being a Christian had more to it than the acts that I had performed.  It became obvious that repentance was a multi-level, ongoing process that consisted of acknowledging my sin, (sin= that which separates me from God), seeking forgiveness for my sins, seeking to avoid sin and, as John the Baptist admonished us, ”bear fruit worthy of repentance”.  

As I think more along these lines, I begin to find the “something” that others have coming into my life. I realize that it is not enough to simply think of Jesus as my Savior. To actually” turn to the Lord”, to repent, I must think of Jesus as my Lord and try to follow His commandments. I find that living in that spirit; I experience life much more abundantly.