WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REPENT? Josimar Salum

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REPENT? Josimar Salum

We have been proposing these days to teach with open Scriptures what the religious gospel consists of, that is, the Gospel we inherit, that we preach, that we believe, and the Gospel of the Kingdom.

John the Baptist's message was a very clear one.

The Bible says that John the Baptist appeared in those days in the Judean desert preaching: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come".

Jesus also said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

And He commanded His disciples to preach the same message: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand"

And the disciples then went on to preach: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come."

The main message of the Gospel, despite faith in Jesus, believing in Jesus, is most important, essential; the message of repentance.

Now, what is repentance?

We will understand, when the Bible speaks of repenting ...

What does the word “repentance" really mean?

In Isaiah 55 we have some light in relation to this.

He says, the prophet: “O all of you who are thirsty, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat; yes, come and buy, without money and without price, wine and milk. ”

This is Grace's message, isn't it?

“Why do you spend money on what is not bread? And the product of your work in what you cannot satisfy? Listen to Me attentively and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the fat. ”

I could place this text within the context in which they lived about offering sacrifices in the temple.

And they offered sacrifices in the temple to a priestly order that had become completely corrupted.

You will see this in Isaiah, you will see this in Ezekiel. They were men who were there to minister to the Lord, to represent Jesus ... Those things were shadows of what was to come and that now the Jews, those who went to the temple, offered sacrifices, offered the products of their labor for a class that wasn't satisfied, it didn’t please God.

“Incline your ears and come to Me; hear, and your soul will live; for with you I will make a perpetual covenant, giving you David's steadfast benefits. ”

He was referring to Jesus, He was referring to the Messiah, Yeshua.

"Behold, I gave Him as a witness to the peoples, as Prince and Governor of the peoples."

He was talking about David, but pointing to Jesus, because David is the shadow of Yeshua that was to come.

“Behold, you will call to a nation that you do not know, and a nation that never knew you will run to you, for the love of the Lord your God and the Holy One of Israel; because He glorified you. ”

“Seek the Lord as long as you can, call on him while he is near. Let the wicked leave his way, and the evil man, his thoughts, and turn to the Lord, who will have compassion on him; return to our God, because it is great to forgive. ”

Here comes what we want to emphasize:

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways, My ways, says the Lord."

"Repent".

Why?

To repent is to change your mind, to change the way you understand things... There has to be a modification in your understanding.

You practiced sacrifices all these years, your father did that, your grandfather did that, your great grandfather did that.

"We have to go to the temple, when the Easter season comes we have to go, we have to go on the day of Yom Kippur."

You offer it year after year. As I said, they kept doing such things in search of the God who had already departed from the temple, the Shekinah has left! God who was in the holy of holies had already left.

And they were there in Galilee, the Jews, going towards Jerusalem to worship God. They passed in front of the carpentry of the man called Yeshua and Yeshua is the God who became flesh and dwelt among us, He is the God who is present. The present God.

They passed in front of His carpentry...

"Hello Yeshua, good morning!"

"Good morning, Yeshua!"

“Good afternoon, Yeshua! "

Where are you going?

“Ah, we are going to worship God in Jerusalem at the temple.

Yeshua listened, smiled and Yeshua was still there doing His carpentry work.

My God! They did not understand.

They didn't see Jesus, they didn't see Yeshua, they didn't see God, they didn't see...

They continued year after year, month after month, always towards Jerusalem to worship the God who had already left the temple and was there in his father's carpentry, in His carpentry right there in the city of Nazareth.

#ASONE