Repent

Both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist used this powerful word (Mark 1:4, 14-15). One cannot be saved without doing what this word means (Acts 2:38; 3:19; Luke 13:3,5). The Bible affirms that God is now commanding all men to do it, not wishing that any should perish but that all men would come to this state (Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9). What does it mean?

This odd-sounding word comes from the Greek word “metanoia.” It means to think after, to change your mind.

Repentance is the power that God has given to each of us who will use it to change our lives.

Jesus, the master teacher, illustrated the power of this word and how to use it in his parable about the lost son.

In Luke 15:11-20, he tells the story about a father who had two sons. One day the younger son asked his father for his share of the inheritance and not many days later left home for a far country.

Jesus says that he wasted his inheritance in riotous living, winding up broke, hungry, working in a foreigner’s pig farm, and wishing he could eat what he was feeding them. Talk about changing your life.

Isn’t this an accurate picture of sin (1 John 3:4; 5:17; Romans 3:23)? We chose to turn away from God. We decided to be deceived by sin into thinking that living away from God would make us happy. The fact is, it’s just like Jesus said, you end up spiritually broke, hungry and poor.

Now notice how the master teacher illustrates the power of repentance and the three steps that will change your life.

Repentance Involves Realization

Luke 15:17 reads, “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!'”

In one brilliant phrase (“when he came to himself”) Jesus Christ revealed the power of repentance is snapping out of the lies we tell ourselves by asking ourself questions.

Do what Jesus taught, “come to yourself,” and ask yourself the questions that will break the hold that any pigpen idea has over you.

“If I’m doing what I want to do why am I in a pigpen wanting to eat pig food?”

“If I’m doing what my mind told me to do why is it hurting me?”

“If I’m doing what I want to do why do I feel trapped?”

To repent we must come to the shocking realization that somehow my mind told me to get in and stay in the pigpen again.

Once you realize you’re not where you want to be you can move to the second step of repentance.

Repentance Involves Resolve

Luke 15:18-19 says, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.'”

When you realize that you’re not where you want to be you can also resolve to change your position.

It only took a second for the son to change his life. All it took was the resolution to return to the father.

There is no pigpen, no sin, that can resist your God-given power to resolve to leave it and go back to God.

The only power sin holds over us is our lack of changing our minds to leave it. It’s as if there is a switch in our head, a Yes/No switch, or Stay/Go switch. You know the second he answered his own question and flipped the switch there was no question what he was going to do. You have to flip the switch of your mind.

Before he took the first step out he had to make up his mind about what he needed to do. We always have the power to change our minds. It just that we need to snap out of the lies we’ve been telling ourselves long enough to come to our senses and then flip the switch of resolve.

Repentance Involves Returning

Not only must we resolve to leave the pigpen, but we must also return to God.

Notice how the master teacher encourages us to follow through on our resolve and return to God. “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

If that isn’t one of the most beautiful pictures of our loving God I don’t know what is. Jesus wanted us to know that God is looking for us to return. He didn’t want us to go in the first place, but he’s been waiting for us to snap out of it enough to know we need to go back to him. How long has he been waiting for you?

The Bible teaches that God does not wish anyone to perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:21-23).

Because he gave us the power to change our minds, he cannot force us to stay, nor stop us from living in a pigpen.

He made us with the absolute power of choice, the ability to make up and change our mind.

The great news of the gospel is that when a person wakes up in a pigpen, makes up his mind to leave, and gets up to go back to God, God comes running to embrace and help that person.

But he can’t run to us if we haven’t decided and taken that most important step.

Repent.

Change your mind.

Change your resolve.

Change your action.

Today, if you’re not a Christian, won’t you take that first step back to God? The Bible teaches that to be saved, you must repent and be baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38; 3:19). Only you can realize your need for Christ, resolve that you’re going to obey, and return to God through obedience to Christ (1 Peter 1:22-25).

Kevin Huddleston