“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:46-47 ESV

So many words. What do they really mean? Take repentance. Most of us growing up in the Bible belt associate repentance solely with sin. Whereas Jesus in the above scripture stated that repentance (metanoia) and the forgiveness of sins are two distinct subjects that need to be proclaimed.

Repentance has to do with changing your mind. In today’s vernacular, it is to change your worldview.

It is to acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord and King and Savior of heaven and earth. It includes renouncing sin, but so much more. It involves being reeducated. It is learning life from the Triune God’s perspective. It involves questioning everything you have learned from the world’s system and comparing it to how God sees it and does it.

Like Saul who was zealous for the traditions of his fathers (which led him to murder Christians), he changed his entire viewpoint of life after being encountered by Jesus Christ (including his name to Paul). We likewise experience the same through repentance.

It involves our beliefs, values, and traditions. It is a complete house cleaning of one’s soul and mind.

John the baptist preached about the repentance of sin until Jesus fulfilled his initial destiny on earth. He died for us removing the eternal death sentence (past, present, and future sins) from us. Repentance is acknowledging what He did, admitting that we have been wrong about him, and now move toward focusing our mind, heart, body, and soul for his glory. It is leaving behind what we were before we came into contact with Him. It is allowing His Spirit to change us from the inside-out. It is acknowledging that we are poor of spirit and need His involvement to permanently change our hearts to match his.

Repentance is so much more than just eliminating the practice of sin from one’s life. It is thankfully aligning ourselves with the Triune God’s divine order and perspective. It is the process of adding God’s worldview into your world which leads to a refocusing of your time, talents, and treasury. When God becomes the center of your life, you can’t help but be thankful and grateful for everything He has done and is doing for us. It all begins when we repent.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Founder & Executive Director
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
* Great Business Emulates a Good God
* Be Radical…Follow Christ!
* Simply The Messenger
* Unequally Married