John the Baptist: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2)
Jesus: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17”)
Jesus: “Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations.” (Luke 24:47)
Paul: “God . . . now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30)
Dear Praying Friends:
In this time of world crisis, despite all our confusion and perplexity, we know that God means to cause all things to “work together for good to those who love God.” (Romans 8:28)
The main “good” is for us to know the Father, “the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom [he] has sent.” (John 17:3)
The first step in knowing God, and in knowing him more deeply each day, is repentance.
Repentance of Christians
“It is time for Judgment to begin with the house of God.” (1 Peter 4:17)
Though some would deny it, the testimony of the church throughout the ages says that believers in Christ need to repent of our sins daily.
When Jesus taught his followers to pray, ‘Forgive us our trespasses,” he surely meant for us to confess our sins to our Father every day and to ask his forgiveness.
If we do, we can be sure that God will be “faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9) and that he will “restore to us the joy of our salvation.” (Psalm 51:12)
House church leaders in China have said, “Our problem is not the pandemic, nor is it persecution. God is using these to call us to repent of our worldliness.”
What about us? Have we not also loved this world more than we love God? Have we not also been captivated by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? (1 John 2:15-16)
Jesus warned his disciples against “the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things” that keep hearers of the word of God from being fruitful in good works. (Mark 4:19)
When this pandemic and the economic depression now confronting us threaten to take away all that this world offers, do we not have the opportunity to examine our hearts, confess our multiple idolatries, and return to God with all our hearts?
What if, amidst the ongoing crisis, Christians sought first to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, trusting him to give us all the necessities of life? (Matthew 6:33)
Imagine the impact on our friends and neighbors if they saw us rejoicing in our troubles, persevering under trial, and filled with the hope of the glory that is to come? (Romans 5:2-4)
Sins to Confess and Forsake
For general guidance about what sins we need to confess and forsake, we can turn to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and the ethical portions of the apostolic epistles such as Romans 12-14; Galatians 5:19-23; Ephesians 4:17-6:9; and 1 Peter 4:1-11; 5:5-9.
In particular, we need to renounce our addictions, such as to food, drugs, entertainment, sex, pornography, computer games, comfort, alcohol, and social media. Idols to renounce include success, money, the approval of others, beauty, national pride, and our own self-righteousness.
Repentance for the World
Flowing out of our own renewed humility and gratitude for God’s mercy to us in Christ, as well as our changed lives, will come words of challenge and hope to a crooked and perverse generation. (Philippians 2:15)
Chinese people, who were the first to suffer the ravages of CoVid19, need to hear about God’s love for sinners who trust in Christ. Repentance must be an essential component of our message.
A Time for Renewing and Refreshing
Let us call upon our gracious God to give us
A profound sense of our sin.
A deeper awareness of his grace to us in Christ.
Times of refreshing from on high (Acts 3:19).
Transformed lives that impact others.
Yours in his mercy,
Wright