The Lightness and Logic of Repentance

I missed being at our worship gathering this past Sunday. Jessy and I were at one of our partner churches with a host of pastors from across the country celebrating what the Lord has done in planting churches for the advancement of His Kingdom all throughout the US. It was a wonderful time. 

Jay continued our sermon series on “Repentance” by answering the question of “Why Jesus says we should ‘repent’ in light of the Kingdom of God being ‘in our midst.’”

He made 3 points toward the end of his message that I want to reemphasize and expand on here. As we continue through our fast and focus on repentance, I hope this mid week reminder fuels you to more fully entrusting your life to Jesus as King:

Repentance is the logic of the Kingdom of God because:

1. The Kingdom of God is ultimate and Preeminent. In other words, God’s Kingdom surpasses all other kingdom claims in the world. Though there are many attempts and claims to power that we see playing out in the news everyday, the disciple of Jesus knows that there is one Kingdom that stand above them all. Moses proclaims God’s Kingdom power and supremacy by saying, “The Lord is One,” meaning there is no rival to this God because there is only one true God. Repentance is logical because when we become awake to his preeminence we turn from the other ways we have lived for other Kingdoms and embrace our citizenship in his Kingdom. 
2. Repentance is the way by which we enter the Kingdom. Jesus tells us that, in light of His Kingship and sovereignty over all things, we are to come to Him, lay down our old way of life, and follow Him into a new way in light of His Kingdom in the world. We lay down our allegiances and come beneath his lordship and care. It is this narrow gate of repentance that Jesus calls us to enter His Kingdom. 
3. King Jesus eternally saves and condemns. Our faith that Jesus is who He says he is (“King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords”) gives us the motivation for repentance. Our repentance is motivated by Jesus’ claims of salvation. Those who believe in Jesus will not die in the ultimate sense, but live forever. He is the only true way of salvation. Therefore, we entrust our lives to Him by turning from the other salvation narratives that we believe in. To believe in Jesus and embrace Him as King simultaneously says “I have found the only way that I might be saved from the death of sin and rebellion to God and live forever in reconciled relationship with God. It is illogical to confess this salvation while refusing to embrace the alternate life on offer through Jesus. This is why I said 2 weeks ago that “repentance is the logic of Gospel wakefulness (“wakefulness”=being awake to the claims that Jesus makes about our lives).

If Jesus’s Kingdom is what He says it is, repentance is not a heavy burden. I do not say that to discount the long hard road that we all find ourselves on as we seek to put to death sin and cling to Christ. Instead, the burden of repentance in our lives is “light” in that it is logical. It makes sense of our lives if Jesus is King. It is “light” because He really is offering us a better way to understand life. The burden of repentance is “light” because He gives us the power to overcome sin. “Light” because our tastes have changed and we love Him more than life itself. 

This upcoming week we will look at the relationship between the “kindness of God and our life of repentance.”

Love you Church

In Christ,

Alex Gailey