Repentance That Leads to Life

I would like to explain repentance, because it is a critical aspect of our salvation that is neglected and misunderstood. Human nature is to either not repent at all or else to repent insincerely. Yet the only way we can receive forgiveness from God is by genuinely repenting. In fact, this is one of the basic, fundamental teachings of our faith.

Paul said, “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,” (Heb 6:1). Repentance from dead works and faith in God are the essential first steps to becoming a disciple of Christ, but they must also a daily part of our ongoing walk with Jesus all throughout our lives.

So let’s look at the two Hebrew words for repentance.

In the Old Testament, the most frequently used Hebrew word for "repent" is “shub” meaning “to turn back (hence, away)…literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbially again:..bring (again, back, home again), call [to mind], carry again (back), cease…come again (back) …convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home again…go again (back, home)…pull in again, put (again, up again)…restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse… slide back…(cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.” (Strongs).

Turning Back and Reversing Your Direction
For example, the word “shub” is used in this passage in Ezekiel about repentance:

"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. Cast away from you all your transgressions, which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." (Eze 18:30-32). If you want to live, you must repent. Otherwise you will surely die. But when you repent, you must turn away from all your transgressions and cast them away from you.

The word “shub” is also used to refer to the way man returns to the ground from which he was taken (Gen 3:19; Job 10:9; 34:15).  It is used to refer to the way the water receded from the earth after the Great Flood (Gen 8:3).  It is used to refer to the dove returning to Noah while the waters were still upon the earth after the flood (Gen 8:9). It is used to refer to Hagar the slave woman returning to Sarah her mistress (Gen 16:9). It is used of the Lord returning to Abraham one year later (Gen 18:10,14). It is used of Moses returning to his father-in-law Jethro (Exo 4:18). It is used of  the waters of the Red Sea returning and covering the Egyptians who had gone after the Israelites (Exo 14:28; 15:19). It is used for the Israelites desire to return to Egypt (Num 14:3-4). It is used to refer to the Israelites turning away from following the Lord (Num 14:43; 32:15; Jos 22:23,29; Jdg 2:19; 1Ki 9:6; 2Ch 7:19). It’s used of the waters of the Jordan returning back to flood level after the Israelites crossed over (Jos 4:18). It’s used of the Israelites returning from exile (Ezr 6:21). It’s also used of the Israelites returning to the Lord (Deu 4:30; Deu 30:2,8; 1Ki 8:46-50; 2Ch 7:13-14; Neh 1:9). It’s also used of sinners turning to the Lord (Psa 51:13).

Turning to the Lord and Obeying Him Again
Repentance is turning to the Lord and obeying Him again, as used in the following passages:

“And you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons,” (Deu 30:2)

"And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.” (Deu 30:8-10)

Repenting With All Your Heart And Soul
When you repent, it is important to repent with all your heart and with all your soul, as it says in the following passage:

"When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, 'We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly'; if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them.” (1Ki 8:46-50)

"If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2Ch 7:13-14).

Being restored to God is conditional, based upon you repenting, which is returning to Him, and removing unrighteousness far from your tent like it says in the following passage:

"If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent, And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks, Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you. For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God.” (Job 22:23-26)

There are serious consequences, if you do not repent. “If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.” (Psa 7:12). God will sharpen His sword and use it on you. This verse depicts God aiming an arrow at you with a bent bow, ready to shoot, unless you repent.

David spoke of sinners repenting to the Lord. “Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.” (Psa 51:13)

Being Truly Sorry
There is also another Hebrew word for "repent," which is “nacham” meaning “properly to sigh, that is, breathe strongly; by implication to be sorry, that is, (in a favorable sense) to pity, console…or comfort (self), ease [one’s self], repent (-er, -ing, self).” (Strongs).

It is used of the Lord being sorry He had made man on the earth (Gen 6:6,7). It is used of the Lord relenting from sending calamity (2Sa. 24:16; 1Ch. 21:15; Jer. 18:8; 26:3; 42:10; Lam. 1:21; Eze. 14:22; Jon. 3:10; 4:2). It is used of the Lord changing His mind about the misfortune that He had pronounced against Judah (Jer. 26:13,19). It is used of the Lord comforting those who mourn (Jer 31:13,15). It is also used of man repenting (Job 42:6; Jer. 8:6; 31:19)

Job said to the Lord, “Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes."  (Job 42:6). This speaks of laying on one’s face, prostrate before the Lord on the ground in self-abasement. See my article on Bowing Low in Worship.

God doesn’t need to repent, since He is not a man. "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Num 23:19). This passage speaks of the fact that God will do what He said He would do. When He said He would punish the wicked, He meant it and He will surely do it, unless they repent.

There is a passage in which both the Hebrew words “shub” and “nacham” are used together as synonyms. In the following passage, note how the word “shub” is used to mean both “turning away” from the Lord, as well as “repenting” and “returning”, and “nacham” refers to the aspect of repentance in which one shows remorse by “grieving” and “being sorry.” It states:

"You shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away (Hebrew, shub) and not repent (Hebrew, shub)? "Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away (Hebrew, shub) in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return (Hebrew, shub). "I have listened and heard, They have spoken what is not right; No man repented (Hebrew, nacham) of his wickedness, Saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turned (Hebrew, shub) to his course, Like a horse charging into the battle.” (Jer 8:4-6)

We learn from this passage that if a person is truly repenting and remorseful, God expects him to have an attitude that is described by the words, “What have I done?” If a person continues in his sin like a horse charging into battle, after he has said he repents, then his repentance is not sincere.

The New Covenant Repentance of Ephraim
In this next passage about the New Covenant (Jer 31), the Lord prophesies of a future time when His people will weep in repentance and turn back to Him. In the following verses, both the Hebrew words “shub” and “nacham” are used, along with other words that describe the actions that accompany genuine repentance:

"I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, 'You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back (Hebrew, shub) that I may be restored (Hebrew, shub), For You are the LORD my God. For after I turned back (Hebrew, shub), I repented (Hebrew, nacham); And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the reproach of my youth.' Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the LORD.” (Jer 31:18-20).

In this passage, in addition to the two Hebrew words “shub” and “nacham” we also have Ephraim’s grieving, which the Lord says He heard, so it is audible, and the words of Ephraim in his grief are recorded. The word “grieving” comes from the Hebrew word “nud” (pronounced like the English word nude), which means “to nod, that is, waver; figuratively to wander, flee, disappear; also (from shaking the head in sympathy), to console, to take pity...deplore...bemoan, flee...mourn...remove, shake...be sorry.” (Strongs).  So when Ephraim repented, this word vividly describes how. This word may refer to the nodding of the head in acknowledgement that God is right to punish him, the shaking of the head in remorse and sorrow, fleeing from sin, deploring his sin, bemoaning himself, mourning for what he has done, shaking, and being sorry.

The words of Ephraim grieving are, “You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the LORD my God. For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the reproach of my youth.” Let’s look at these words he spoke in his grief as he repented.

He acknowledges that the Lord has chastised him for his own sin. The word “chastise” is the Hebrew word “yasar” meaning “to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence to instruct: - bind, chasten, chastise, correct, instruct, punish, reform, reprove, sore, teach.” (Strongs). So he acknowledges that he has been properly beaten with blows, punished by God, and he is sore now. He has been corrected, reproved, and instructed. He has learned his lesson. He is saying, “Lord, You beat me and I deserved it.” We are supposed to accept hardship as discipline, and endure it as being our Father’s punishment (Heb 12:7). That’s what Ephraim did.

He compares himself to a young calf that has acted in an untamed manner and needs to be brought back. He asks God to bring him back that he may be restored. The words “bring back” and “restore” are both the same Hebrew word “shub.” We can’t even repent unless God grants us repentance, so Ephraim asks for God to do so and bring him back to the Lord. When we are sorry for our sin and grieving, we must do the same, asking God for genuine repentance and to bring us back to Him, as Ephraim did.

He says, “You are the Lord my God.” This is an important statement that reestablishes his rightful relationship with the Lord. It is no longer idols and foreign gods whom he serves. Rather it is Jehovah who is his God. Everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved (Rom 10:13). His name is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephraim says, “For after I turned back, I repented.” So he first turned back to God (Hebrew, shub), from whom he had gone astray. Then he repented (Hebrew, nacham). It’s similar to the prodigal son, who first returned to his father (Lk 15:20), and then expressed to him his sorrow for what he had done to sin against heaven and in his sight (Lk 15:21). We need to do the same as the prodigal son when we repent. That’s what Ephraim did.

He says, “After I was instructed, I smote on my thigh.” So once he realized his mistake, he struck himself on the thigh. The word in Hebrew for thigh is “yarek” meaning “by euphemism the generative parts; figuratively a shank, flank, side: loins, shaft, side, thigh.” (Strongs). So where exactly he struck himself is uncertain, whether it was on the buttock, or the side of the thigh, or the loin (generative parts), but it was probably painful. The Hebrew women would also sometimes beat their breasts when they repented, and I am sure that was also painful (Isa. 32:12; Nah. 2:7). That’s like the sinner in the temple did, as recorded in Luke 18:13. Jesus said, "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' That’s what the apostle Paul did. For he said, "No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (1Co 9:27, NIV). Also see my article, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian.

According to the statement Ephraim made while he was grieving over his sin, after he smote himself on the thigh, he “was ashamed and also humiliated” because he bore the reproach of his youth.  Let’s look at these words, too.

The word for “ashamed” is “bush” (pronounced “boosh”), meaning “properly to pale, that is, by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed, or delayed: - (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-) shame (-d), be (put to) confounded (-fusion), become dry, delay, be long.” (Strongs). To be ashamed is to be affected by shame, abashed or confused by guilt, or convicted of sin. Shame itself is “A painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt, or of having done something which injures reputation; or by of that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal. Shame is particularly excited by the disclosure of actions which, in the view of men, are mean and degrading. Hence it it is often or always manifested by a downcast look or by blushes, called confusion of face.” (Webster’s). This is what Ephraim experienced, which is one mark of genuine repentance. He was ashamed, because of his sin and disgrace.

He said he was also humiliated. The Hebrew word for humiliated is “kalam” meaning “properly to wound; but only figuratively, to taunt or insult: - be (make) ashamed, blush, be confounded, be put to confusion, hurt, reproach, (do, put to) shame” (Strongs). This is very similar to his being ashamed. He felt the pain of the emotional wound caused by his sin. This is an excellent picture of true repentance.

And let me remind you how God responded to this. "’Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer 31:20)  You see, God is so full of love and mercy that He yearns for us to repent sincerely, so that He may show us mercy. He remembered Ephraim when he repented genuinely and He promised He would surely have mercy on him. 

Tearful Repentance
The following is an excerpt taken from Baptized by Blazing Fire by Yong-Doo Kim, Book #2:

”For a pastor and his wife, it would be much more difficult for their spiritual eyes to be opened, a very painful process. There are many different types of prayers, but the most powerful prayer that will speed up the process is one of tearful repentance.”

”Compared to others, I don’t shed tears very often. It may be because of my strong personality. No matter how hard I’m praying and calling out to the Lord, I can’t cry, even though I have tried. I asked the pastor for help and he said I lacked a contrite spirit. He encouraged me to ask the Lord for a contrite heart.”

“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

”All afternoon I prayed with a contrite and repenting heart and the Lord poured onto me the blessing of tears of repentance. The Holy Spirit covered me with tears and sweat. I was choked up with tears as I cried uncontrollably. Speaking through Joo-Eun, God told me my tearful repentance was acceptable to Him.”

”Jesus took me to visit Heaven. I always love and enjoy visits to Heaven. When I got there, Yae-Ji and I began dancing before the Lord. We asked him, ‘Lord, please pour down the tears of repentance on Deaconess Shin Sung-Kyun, and Joseph. They both desire to pray the prayer of repentance tearfully but can’t cry.’ But the Lord replied, ‘I can only give the tears of repentance when people are sincerely praying for repentance with their hearts.’”

The Gospel
I have read some who think that the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ does not require repentance, because repentance requires work or action on the part of the sinner, and we are saved by grace, not by works. This is deception from the devil to keep people from repenting. One thing God cannot do for you is to repent. He can grant you repentance, but He will not repent for you. You must repent yourself.  There is no other way to receive His forgiveness for your sins.

Jesus taught the two men on the road to Emmaus about this after his resurrection. “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’” (Luk 24:45-47)

Jesus said we must proclaim repentance for forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations. These days, you usually hear preachers say that you only need to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved. They tell people that all they need is to accept Jesus into their heart, but they don't mention repentance. However, the true gospel we are commanded to proclaim is one of repentance for forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. This is what Jesus preached, as well as John the Baptist and the apostles of Christ.

It says of John the Baptist that “He came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Luk 3:3; cf., Act 13:24). He preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mat 3:2). So did Jesus.

“From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’" (Mat 4:17). Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (Mar 1:15)

The Greek word for “repent” is “metanoeo” meaning “to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction): - repent.” When you repent, you will reconsider what you have done, you will feel moral compunction. It is in complete harmony with the Hebrew words “shub” and “nacham” that were used in the Old Testament. The act of repentance has not changed, just the covenant and the terms of it. The shed blood of God’s Son Jesus, not the blood of animals, has made atonement for us. Paul said, "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” (Act 13:38-39).

Repentance is an essential part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, it's a core component, so let’s look at some of the New Testament Scriptures on repentance.

Calling All Sinners
The purpose for which Jesus came was not to call righteous people to follow Him, but to call sinners to repentance. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Luk 5:32)

Repent or Perish
There is no other way to have eternal life. Repent or perish. "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luk 13:3)

Repentance Leads to Life
“When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.’" (Act 11:18)

Joy in Heaven Over a Repentant Sinner
"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luk 15:7)

"In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luk 15:10)

The Unrepentant Are Denounced
“Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.” (Mat 11:20)

Paul said, “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” (Rom 2:5)

Paul said, “I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.” (2Co 12:21)

Jesus Commended the Repentant
Jesus commended the men of Nineveh for repenting at the preaching of Jonah. "The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” (Mat 12:41; cf., Luk 11:32)

Rebuke Your Brother if He Sins
The fact that repentance is a condition for forgiveness is why we must rebuke our brother who sins, so that he may repent. "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him.” (Luk 17:3-4)

The Apostles Preached Repentance
When Jesus sent out his disciples, they preached repentance, too. “They went out and preached that men should repent.” (Mar 6:12)

“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Act 2:38)

Peter said to Simon the sorcerer, "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. (Act 8:22)

Paul said, "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.” (Act 17:30)

Paul was “Solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Act 20:21)

Times of Refreshing
Peter said that repentance is the only way to receive times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;” (Act 3:19)

God Grants Repentance and Forgiveness
Speaking of Jesus, Peter said, "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Act 5:31)

His kindness leads us to repentance. “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4)

Paul said, “With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.” (2Ti 2:25). Notice that true repentance leads to a knowledge of the truth.

Bearing the Fruit of Repentance
It is not enough to simply say we repent, we must bear the fruits of repentance.

John the Baptist said, "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.” (Luk 3:8)

Paul, “Kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.” (Act 26:20)

The Danger of Continuing in Willful Sin
If we do not bear the fruit of repentance after we come to Christ, and we continue to sin, this is very dangerous. We risk getting to the point where we are no longer able to repent.

Paul said, “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” (Heb 6:4-6)

Don’t sell your birthright like Esau, who sold his for a single meal. “For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” (Heb 12:17)

Also see The Dangers of Disobedience.

Sorrowful to the Point of Repentance
It’s not enough to have worldly sorrow, which only produces death. We must be sorrowful to the point of repentance, which leads to salvation. Paul said, “I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.” (2Co 7:9)

“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2Co 7:10). It’s a repentance without regret, once you are forgiven.

God Wants All to Come to Repentance
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2Pe 3:9)

Repentance is for the Church, too!
It seems to me that some Christians must think repentance is just for “those sinners out there.” They think it’s for other people outside the Church. But it is most certainly for those in the Church, too.

“Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.” (Rev 2:5)

“Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.” (Rev 2:16)

“I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. (Rev 2:21-22)

'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” (Rev 3:3)

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” (Rev 3:19)

Turning Sinners Back
As we have just seen in the book of Revelation, the call to repentance even goes out to the Church. We are not only trying to reach those who have never known the Lord, but trying to turn back our brethren among us, who have strayed from the truth into error.

James said, "My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (Jas 5:19-20)

The Greek word for the expression "turn back" and "turn from" in these verses is "epistrepho", meaning "to revert (literally, figuratively or morally): - come (go) again, convert, (re-) turn (about, again)." (Strongs). This means the same as the Hebrew word "shub" that we have examined in this article. In fact, "epistrepho" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "shub" in some verses of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Septuagint.

So this same notion of "turning back" that we see in the Old Testament is also found in the New Testament, such as this passage in James. Any time you are able to turn away a sinner from the error of his way, you will save his soul from death.

Returning to the Lord
Other New Testament passages where this word "epistrepho" is used for "turning to God" or "returning to God" include the following:

"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Act 3:19)

"For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." (1Pe 2:25)

"And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord." (Act 11:21)

"But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (2Co 3:16)

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luk 22:31-32)

Also see Mat 13:15; Mar 4:12; Luk 1:16-17; Luk 17:4; Act 9:35; 14:15; 15:19; 26:18; 26:20; 28:27; 1Th 1:9.

Putting it All Together
Repentance is not a bad word; it's a good word! It means turning back and reversing your direction. It means turning to the Lord with all your heart and soul and obeying Him again. It includes being sorry and sometimes even weeping in repentance.

We can’t even repent unless God grants us repentance. When we are sorry for our sin and grieving, we must ask God for genuine repentance and to bring us back to Him. You may even ask Him for tears of repentance. He can only give the tears of repentance when people are sincerely praying for repentance with their hearts. It’s not enough just to be sorrowful; you must be sorrowful to the point of repentance

First return to the heavenly Father, and then express to him sorrow for what you have done to sin against his sight. Allow yourself to be sincerely ashamed and humiliated before the Lord, so that He may show you mercy.

This is the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of salvation. The gospel we proclaim is one of repentance for forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. This is what Jesus preached, as well as John the Baptist and the apostles of Christ. You yourself must repent, since nobody else can do it for you.  There is no other way to receive His forgiveness for your sins.

This gospel is for all sinners, both inside and outside the Church. God is not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. You will surely perish, unless you repent. There is no other way to have eternal life. The Scripture teaches that repentance leads to life, when combined with faith in Jesus Christ.

There is joy in heaven over one repentant sinner, but the Lord denounces those who are unrepentant. Just as it was with the Church in Corinth, there are today those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the sin which they have practiced. If you are unrepentant, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

If you want to experience times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, then repent. Once he shows mercy and forgives you, He will comfort you and restore you. But it is not enough to simply say we repent, we must bear the fruits of repentance. If we do not bear the fruit of repentance after we come to Christ, and we continue to sin, we risk getting to the point where we are no longer able to repent.

A daily life of repentance is the shortest path to God's mercy. Repent immediately not later. Repent immediately after sinning. You cannot wait a day or even a minute. You must repent immediately. One of the biggest traps of the devil is to say, “later, later,” because he knows that would create a gap in your life, which would gradually widen up.

If you want to know what you should repent of, ask the Lord to expose anything in your life that is hidden, and to convict you by the Holy Spirit. Then please read Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Ask for the Ancient Paths, and The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. The image of the water color painting, "Abraham and the Three Angels," c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902).

Author's note: I also recommend reading Bowing Low in Worship, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Ask for the Ancient Paths, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Should you fear the Lord?, Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, The Judgment Seat of Christ, Tattoos and Body Piercing, Divorce -- Three Divine Revelations, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Six Divine Revelations, Godly Attire & Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, and The Book of Life. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy

Dear God-seekers, I want to speak to you today about keeping your body pure and holy in God's sight, because your body matters.

First, I'd like to say a few words about sex.  The Lord created sex for married couples, and I am talking about husband and wife. Fornication and adultery are sins against your own body, as well as the other person's body.

The apostle Paul wrote: "Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body...Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1Co 6:13,18-20)

Paul explicitly said that immorality is a sin against your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to flee immorality (1Co 6:18). The Scriptural standard is still complete sexual purity.

The churches in Pergamum and Thyatira tolerated sexually immoral people in their midst, and the Lord had this against them (2:14, 20). For we are to avoid unholy associations with so-called brothers, who are sexually immoral (1Co 5:9-11), because there must be no immoral or godless person among those who are the disciples of Christ (Heb 12:16). No unholy person has any inheritance in God’s kingdom (Eph 5:5).  The Lord revealed to the apostle John that unholy people will inherit the lake of fire, not the kingdom of Christ (Rev 21:8), and those outside the holy city are the unholy people (Rev 22:15). 
 
However, immoral sins against your body are not limited to sexual acts committed physically between two people. Any impure or lustful thoughts or acts you commit by yourself or with anyone else are also immoral sins, according to Scripture.

Moreover, in addition to your physical acts of sexual immorality, and the thoughts and intentions of the heart, you also need to be sure that you keep your body pure and holy in terms of the attire and adornment you wear, as I explained in Garments of Godliness. Likewise, on another blog in my article, Faith Works!, I explained this in more detail, but I would like to share an excerpt from it here. 

"Paul stated when he wrote in Galatians 5: '"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.' (Gal 5:19-21)"

"To those who say that what a woman wears externally does not matter, and that jewelry, makeup, and other artificial adornments are not a problem for Christians to put on their bodies, this is what the Lord says.  He says the 'property of Jezebel' that the daughter's of God are wearing just like the world are not pure.  They are not of God.  Jezebel 'painted her eyes and adorned her head' to make herself sexually attractive, in order to deceive and seduce men, probably in the hope that Jehu would not kill her (1 King 9:30b).  That is impurity. It is also sensuality, since it lends itself to exciting sexual desires.  And can also be idolatry, since they love those things of the world that they wear, just as the men likewise love them.  They do not want to part with them.  And it also causes men to idolize women, as if they were goddesses, because of the way they are artificially adorned with worldly things.  It also leads to lust and envy, as well as carousing, and 'things like these.'  Paul clearly forewarned us that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God; they will miss heaven."


"To those who insist that the property of Jezebel is not impure, sensual, or idolatrous, I say that you are badly mistaken.  Don't you know where all those worldly things originally came from? Do the research as far back as you can go, and see for yourself. Those things were introduced into the world by satan through his angels."

The apostle Paul wrote:

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1 Thes 5:23-24)

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.' Therefore, 'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.' And, 'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty.' Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”  (2Co 6:16-18; 7:1, NIV).

"...The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit..." (1Co 7:34b)

"And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Rom 6:13)

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1)

"Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience." (Col 3:5-6)

"I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." (1 Tim 2:9-10; cf., 1 Pet 3:1-6) 

Putting it All Together
Paul explicitly taught that we must keep our bodies holy and pure, and so did Peter.  These days it is popular to eat things that are considered "pure and natural".  There's nothing wrong with that.  But we must not neglect the more important matters in the sight of God, and that includes keeping our bodies holy, pure, and natural, the way God created them.

The Lord created sex for married couples, which means fornication and adultery are sins against your own body. The Lord will cast anyone committing these sins into hell, if they do not repent.  It doesn't matter how many souls you have evangelized or how gifted you are spiritually.  It doesn't matter how much money you have given to charity or any other things you have done. You cannot earn your way into heaven by your gifts or your good works.

The Lord created us in His image, and it is sin to change the image of God, by making ourselves look unnatural or putting artificial things on our bodies.  That includes jewelry, makeup, hair attachments, unnatural hairdos, tanning cream, bleaching cream, tatoos, body piercings, dying the hair, perming or relaxing the hair, gold teeth, fake fingernails, fake eyelashes, expensive clothes, or anything that is immodest, impure, immoral, worldly, or unholy.

Without holiness, no man shall see God's face (Heb 12:14).

It's not legalism to obey God's Word.  If this is an area where you know you have not been walking in obedience to God, then please repent and amend your ways.  Change your life, so that you don't perish in hell.  The Lord Jesus still loves you!  But His standard for heaven is high, and He is not changing it for anybody.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.  The "Pure Water" image is courtesy of Wayne Consultants & Mfg. Inc.  The image of the hands under pure flowing water is courtesy of the BHR Group, copyright © 2011 BHR Group, a trading name of VirtualPiE Ltd.

Author's note:  Also see Garments of Godliness and Faith Works!, as well as my other articles called, Obedience by the Spirit and Baptized with the Spirit. You may also like Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Called to be Blameless, Keeping Sundays Holy, Restored Truth, The Highest Form of Slavery, and Is Tithing Required? You can access the Seeking the Lord Main Directory or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Spirit of the Law

Dear God-seekers, in my previous article, The Spirit’s Law of Life, I indicated that the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Christ agree with the Law of God.  Having posted that, I feel the need to write to you today about the Spirit of the Law to ensure that I am making myself clear.

I can say with the apostle Paul that I worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as a follower of Jesus Christ, and I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets. I have the hope in God that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” (Ac 24:14-16)

If you need to know God’s definition of sin, read the Law and Prophets. For starters, in order to get an elementary level of understanding, go back and read The Ten Commandments, and realize that none of them have been abolished, not even the Fourth Commandment -- not one (Ex 20:1-17; Mt 5:17-20).

So am I suggesting we seek by the flesh to fulfill only the letter of the Law? Certainly not! The letter kills but the Spirit gives life.  As the apostle Paul said:

"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Co 3:6)

The Scripture states elsewhere, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves." (Heb 10:1a).

As a Gentile follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am not looking for instructions about circumcision, various gifts, sacrifices, food, drink, and ceremonial washings (although I can still learn about God through those passages).  Nor am I looking for laws to perform with regard to religious festivals, New Moon celebrations, or Sabbath days, since all of these are "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Col 2:16, 17). 

By the way, the word for the Sabbath is the Greek word "sabbaton," which means "the Sabbath (that is, Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension...the interval between two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications: - sabbath (day), week."  (Strongs). The apostle Paul's statement that "no one is to act as your judge in respect to...a Sabbath day," simply means not to let any man judge you with regard to this.  You must not let any man judge you with regard to how we keep the Sabbath, as the Pharisees did in accusing Jesus of breaking it by healing on that day, or doing anything else that is good and right in God's sight, or breaking traditions of men on that day.  You must keep it holy according to God's Word, and He will be the one to judge you if you truly break it.  One application of this is let no man judge you for not keeping the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, as some people are known to be quite judgmental of others in this regard.  As I said, you must do what is right in the sight of God.

Since we know Paul agreed with the Ten Commandments, and everything written in the Law (Ac 24:14-16), and he upheld the Law (Rom 3:31), and he said that what matters is the keeping of God's commandments (1 Co 7:19), we know he was not suggesting we break the Fourth Commandment.  Some think he may have been referring to the plural form of Sabbath (as in "Sabbaths"), rather than the weekly "Sabbath Day."  If so, that would refer to other “special Sabbaths”, like what we would call national holidays that occur throughout the year.  Likewise, he may have meant "weeks," such as "the Three Weeks of Sorrow" and "the Seven Weeks of Comfort".  If so, that would explain why he said that these are "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Col 2:17). Therefore, I am not suggesting we break the Fourth Commandment. But we are living according to the Spirit that gives life, and not the letter.  That means that we most surely honor the Lord’s day and keep it holy (1 Co 16:2; Re 1:10).  (See my blogs Resting from Work, Keeping Sundays Holy, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, and The Lord's Day).

Moreover, it’s a higher standard spiritually than what is written. Remember, Jesus explained God’s standard regarding the commandments in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5).  God looks at the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and His standard is high. This means we should always uphold the spirit of the law, and ask the Lord what His heart is for us today for His holy people with respect to these things. His heart is always that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbor as ourself. (Mark 12:29-31) His heart is always that we restrain sensual indulgence (Co 2:23) by the power of the Holy Spirit, taking up our cross. His heart is always that we pursue holiness, know the Truth, and seek His righteousness (Mt 6:33; Heb 12:14, Ro 14:17; Jn 8:32-36; 14:6). His heart is always the message of the cross, repentance and forgiveness of sins, believing the gospel of the kingdom, and following Jesus in His eternal purposes (1 Co 1:18; Ac 2:38; Jn 3:16-21; Jn 4:24) Lk 13:5; Lk 24:46-47). His heart is always preaching the gospel of salvation to all creation, and rescuing lost souls from perishing in hell. (Mk 16:15; Lk 15:1-7; 2 Pe 3:9). His heart is always to destroy the works of the evil one (1 Jn 3:8). His heart is always for us to do good, do what is right, obey His commands, help the weak, the orphans, and the widows, and keep ourselves unstained by the world. (Ps 82: 3-4; 1 Jn 3:7-8; 5:3; 2:15-17; Jas 1:27).

The Holy Spirit may lead you to celebrate a special Sabbath found in the law, as a time of putting aside everything else to seek Him personally or corporately, or He may lead you to celebrate a Jewish feast found in the law as a time to worship the Lord Jesus, who is typified in all the feasts. But if you are not led to do so, don't let any man judge you with respect to such things.

By the same token, you will be viewed as odd or even judged, in these last and evil days, if you do not celebrate the so-called Christian holidays on the certain days -- and in the worldly ways -- that the apostate Church celebrates them. But if you are going to look for feasts and holidays to celebrate by gathering together, and you feel a need for that, then why not look at the Hebrew feasts that are already in Scripture? Aren’t they good enough?

Obedience is Essential for Disciples
Here are just some of the other blogs I have written, which provide a clear and biblical response to the concerns that my obedience doctrine is legalism, especially the first three in the left-hand column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship The New Covenant Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross?

The Obedience of Faith Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit

Putting it All Together
We should believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.  The Lord Jesus did.  The apostle Paul did.  The apostle John did. The apostle James did.  If you think I am being legalistic, then you will have to also call the Lord Jesus and the apostles legalistic!

Let’s get back to the Bible and seek to live our lives according to God’s Word, not according to the letter, but in the new way of the Spirit. "We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." (Rom 7:6b). Do not rely on your obedience to the Law to save you, because it is only by grace that you are saved through faith (Eph 2:8-10).  Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10).

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.” (1 Thes 3:12-4:1).

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Holy Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see Part One of this article, called The Spirit's Law of Life, as well as my other articles called, Obedience by the Spirit, The New Covenant, and Baptized with the Spirit. You may also like Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Garments of Godliness, Keeping Sundays Holy, and Is Tithing Required? You can access the Seeking the Lord Main Directory or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Aim for Perfection

These days it seems like most so-called Christians have given up on the idea of perfection.  They are willing to settle for compromise with the world and sin in their own lives, doing so under the excuse of grace.  But grace is not a license for sin.  So I’d like to examine the Scriptural standard for the life of every disciple of Christ.  The standard is perfection.   To be more precise, it is sinless perfection.

You May Not Sin
Jesus spoke to the man whose hand was healed, and warned him not to sin anymore. “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.’” (Joh 5:14).  Why would Jesus tell him to sin no more, if it were not possible?  Wouldn’t that only frustrate the man? No, the Lord would not command him to do something that was impossible.

He said, “sin no more.” That expression comes from the Greek words “harmatano meketi.”  The word “harmatano” means “to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin: - for your faults, offend, sin, trespass” (Strongs).  And meketi means, “no further: - any longer, (not) henceforth, hereafter, no henceforward (longer, more, soon), not any more.”  “Meketi” comes from the Greek root word “me,” which is a primary particle of qualified negation, such as “not, neither, never, no, none, nor, or without” (Strongs). And the other root word “eti” means “yet”, still (of time or degree): - after that, also, ever, (any) further, (t-) henceforth (more), hereafter, (any) longer, (any) more (-one), now, still, yet.” Therefore, "meketi" emphasizes the discontinuation of an act already in progress and the negation of an act in the future.

After Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, He used that same expression to warn her to leave her life of sin.  “She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’” (Joh 8:11).  That expression once again comes from the Greek words “harmatano meketi.”

The apostle John wrote his epistle, so that his readers may not sin.  “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  (1Jn 2:1-2)

John said, "You may not sin." That expression comes from the Greek words “me harmatano” meaning "sin not" just as the apostle Paul used in his epistle to the Corinthians, when he wrote, "Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame." (1Co 15:34). Other English versions say, “sin not” (KJV) or “do not go on sinning” (ESV).

John taught that sin has no place in the life of one who is born again. He said, “We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1Jn 5:18).

I believe the Lord would say the same to us today as He and His apostles said then, "Do not sin anymore."

Depart from Iniquity
The apostle Paul said, "Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.'" (2Ti 2:19). He explicitly said we must abstain from wickedness, which means to refrain from indulgence in it, or to restrain oneself from doing it or enjoying it. Other versions say "depart from iniquity" or "depart from unrighteousness."  This leaves no room for any unrighteousness at all in our lives. We have a responsibility to depart from it.

Abstain from Sinful Desires
Likewise, the apostle Peter said, "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul." (1 Pe 2:11, NIV). It should be obvious from Scriptures like this that all sin is forbidden for the saints.

Do No Evil
The Holy Spirit spoke through the mouth of Isaiah saying, "Cease to do evil!" (Is 1:16b). Likewise, the apostle Paul prayed for the Corinthians that they would do no evil. He said, "Now I pray to God that ye do no evil." (2Co 13:7a, KJV). The Greek word for "evil" here is "kakos", which means that which is  worthless, depraved, sick, injurious, bad, evil, harmful, or wicked. This should be our prayer also for ourselves and others that we would do no evil, in other words do nothing wicked, wrong, bad, harmful, or sinful in any way. This is even more important than praying that we would be spared from suffering evil.

Be Perfect
Jesus said, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mat 5:48).  The word “perfect” is “teleios” in the Greek, meaning “complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); completeness: - of full age, man, perfect.”  When Jesus said, “as your heavenly Father is perfect,” it clarified that was talking about godly perfection.  Obviously what Jesus referred to was moral perfection of the same kind that our Father in heaven has.  He would not command us to do something that was impossible, so we know this is attainable.

The apostle Paul also said that Epaphras prayed earnestly for the Colossians so that they may “stand perfect.” He said, “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” (Col 4:12)

Likewise, that was the way Paul prayed for the Corinthians.  In the context of praying that they would do no evil (2 Cor 13:7), as I mentioned previously, He said, "But we pray also for this, your perfection." (2 Co 13:9b, MKJV). The word “perfect” is “katartisis” in the Greek, meaning “perfection” (Strongs). That is the goal.

How to Attain Perfection
But how do we attain such perfection?  There is a responsibility on our part to be perfect, as Jesus said. We certainly have an active role in submitting to the process. However, the Lord carries out the process, as a refiner does with silver or gold. Peter said that Christ Himself will perfect you through suffering.  “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1Pe 5:10)

Paul also said the Lord will perfect the good work He began in you. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Php 1:6).  Note that Paul says the Lord will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus, which means it is an ongoing work until the Lord returns or until we go to be with Him.

Therefore, while we must actively participate and make every effort to be perfect, it does not depend completely on us. Ultimately it is the Lord's work in us, without which we could never be perfect.

Now But Not Yet
So then are we perfect already, or is it still something we seek to obtain?  The apostle Paul made it clear that he had not already become perfect.  “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Php 3:12).  Now I can relate with that! Although he admitted he was not yet perfect, he made it his aim to reach that goal, since that was the reason Jesus Christ laid hold of him.

On the other hand, Paul also referred to himself among those who were already perfect.  He said “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;” (Php 3:15).  Paul spoke in the first person plural in the present tense, when he said “as many as are perfect.” So we see that although Paul had not already become perfect, he was in fact leading a perfect life to the greatest extent possible at that time.  I call this "Now, But Not Yet ."

A Perfect Conscience
The gifts and sacrifices of the Law could not make the worshiper perfect in conscience.  “Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,” (Heb 9:9b). 

But those who accept the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ are not guilty, not only because of destroyed records, but because of a purged conscience.  When your conscience has been purged, it becomes perfect.

This is a glorious gift from God, because a guilty conscience makes a person miserable.  And it only keeps the person bound by sin, so they keep repeating the same thing.  But a clear conscience is liberating and free. It is no longer obligated to sin, but is obligated to righteousness.  Thank the Lord for a clear conscience!

Spirits made Perfect
The apostle writing to the Hebrews said that when you come to know the Lord, “You have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,” (Heb 12:22b-23)

We are one with the entire Body of Christ, including those who have already gone before us into glory.  They are the spirits of righteous men, women, and children made perfect.  That’s what we are, if we know Jesus and obey His commands.  Note that is says we are "made perfect" and the One who made us perfect is the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s what we are becoming, and we’ll soon join that heavenly throng.

Is Perfect Simply Being Complete?
Some people who teach about perfection say that the Greek word for “perfect” simply means being “complete.” They imply that is doesn’t really mean moral perfection as we understand it in the English language. 

But James said, “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Jas 1:4)  James uses two different words here, “perfect” and “complete”.  The word “perfect” is “telios” in the Greek, which we have already defined as perfect.  The word “complete” is “holokleros” in the Greek, meaning “complete in every part, that is, perfectly sound (in body): - entire, whole.”  Since James said, “you may be perfect and complete,” we know there is a difference between “perfect” and “complete”.  We know that when the Scripture speaks of being perfect, it does not simply mean “complete.” Since James used both these terms side by side, we know it is God’s will for us to be perfect, and it is possible for the believer.

The Power of the Tongue in Perfection
James described a perfect man as one who does not stumble in what he says: “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” (Jas 3:2).  He said the reason such a man is perfect is that the tongue will direct the course of one’s entire life.

Jesus said, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luk 6:45).  The mouth speaks from whatever the heart is full of.

Since the tongue merely speaks from the overflow of the heart, then the real issue is one of the heart.  Therefore, ask the Lord to give you a perfect heart, as David prayed for his son, Solomon: “and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision." (1Ch 29:19)

What if You Do Sin?
And always remember, “if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  (1Jn 2:1b-2). If we do sin, Jesus Christ is our Advocate with the Father.

John also said, “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:7). Aren't you glad to know that as long as you walk in the Light as He is in the Light, the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin?

Never forget, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9). Confess your sins, and He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Aim for Perfection
Make it your goal to be perfect.  Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  Pursue holiness (Heb 12:14).  Finally, brothers, good-by. The apostle Paul said, “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Cor 13:11)

Putting it All Together
There is no place in the Bible that says God tolerates any amount of sin. The Scriptures teach us that we are to be perfect, even as our heavenly Father is perfect.  That's God's high standard for our lives. We are to sin no more. Depart from iniquity. Committing sin is no longer allowed. If we continue in a sinful lifestyle, then something worse may happen to us than what the Lord originally healed or delivered us from.

He has promised to give us a perfect conscience that is clear and free of guilt.  When you are born again, your conscience is restored and made to be like that of a little child once again.  That sets you free to soar like an eagle and obey the Lord in true righteousness.

You can't do this yourself.  You need a definite work of the Holy Spirit in your life.  That's why we must pray for perfection for ourselves and one another.

The main culprit is the tongue, so watch your tongue.  And ask the Lord to give you a pure and perfect heart, so that the words overflowing out of it through your mouth will be perfect also, and order your whole life in a way that is pleasing to God.

You don't need to go around telling everyone you are perfect.  Just live it.  And the Lord will continue to perfect the good work He started in you until the day of Christ Jesus.  He'll always be working on something in your life, as you continue to pursue truth, righteousness, and holiness.  So if you do sin, repent and confess it, so you may be forgiven.  A daily life of repentance is the shortest path to God's mercy, and that's how I seek to live my life.

Brethren, aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Let This Mind Be in You" and "Nothing is Impossible" paintings © 2012 are by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I invite you to see these related articles of mine: Christian Perfection, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Called to be Blameless, Following in His Steps, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Is Obedience Optional?, Faith Works!, Obedience by the Spirit, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, The Straight and Narrow Path, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, and Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God. You can access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Three Elijahs

Elijah Oil Painting by Boris Vallejo

Today I’d like to look at three "Elijah" prophets in Scripture.  You probably knew there was at least one Hebrew prophet Elijah, who lived on the earth and served God during the reign of King Ahab.  He is the Elijah whom the three disciples saw with Moses there on the Mount of Transfiguration, talking with Jesus (Mt 17:3).  In addition, many of you are aware that a second Elijah has already come.  But I want to show you that there is still another Elijah.

“And He [Jesus] answered and said, ‘Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.”  (Mat 17:11-13)

Note that Jesus said, “Elijah already came,” and “Elijah is coming.”  By this He showed that there are two prophets.  In addition to the original prophet Elijah, there are two prophets who come in the spirit of Elijah, but do not necessarily have his name.  He acknowledged that Elijah had come, which the disciples understood that He meant John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (see Lk 1:17).  But He also said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things.”  Since Herod had already beheaded John the Baptist (Mt 14:8), who did Jesus mean when He said that Elijah is coming to restore all things?

This is what the prophet Malachi spoke of when he said, “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Mal 3:1).  This is a double prophecy, referring to both the first and second coming of Jesus Christ.  There is yet to come in the spirit of Elijah a prophet who will prepare the way for the Lord before He returns.

Malachi prophesied for the Lord: "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse." (Mal 4:5-6).  That was the end of Malachi's book of prophecy and the final portion of Scripture written before Christ.  I believe this final Elijah will restore the hearts of God’s children to the Heavenly Father before Jesus come.

I believe that just as the first Elijah had a holy fire ministry, as did John the Baptist, so will the final Elijah have such a ministry.  Elijah called down holy fire upon the sacrifice on top of Mt Carmel (1Ki 18:37-38), when  he prayed, “'Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.' Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." Later on another occasion, he also called down fire upon the captains and their fifties (2 King 1:10).

John the Baptist was a fiery preacher like that, who said, "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Mat 3:10-12)

So we know that the final Elijah will also have a holy fire ministry.  Just take a look at the coming ministry of the two, last-days witnesses in Revelation. “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.” (Rev 11:5). 

As we look at the prophets Elijah and John the Baptist, we can see that the only people who were hurt by them were the wicked and the ungodly.  The poor, the humble, and those who repented of their sin were not harmed in any way.  The same can be said of the last-days witnesses.  The only people who will be harmed are the ones who want to harm them.

My wife and I have pondered whether there will be just two such witnesses, or a whole company of people who will move in the spirit and power of Elijah.  We tend to believe that while these two witnesses in Revelation 11 will operate in Jerusalem, there will be many others operating like that around the world.

An Important "After-Word"
I originally posted this article on September 13, 2013, when the Lord gave me this message.  However, today on October 30, 2013, I received further revelation, as I read the book of Revelation.  I had just read the verse that says, "Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, 'Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!'" (Rev 8:13)

And having read that verse, I was actually looking for a prophetic word that John Paul Jackson once received and shared in an interview with Sid Roth, in which he said that 2012 would be a year of woes. However, the Lord led me to the following video recording of an interview between Paul Keith Davis and Terry Bennett, a prophet of the Lord.

Amazingly, this interview was conducted on September 3, 2013, and covers the same subject that I have covered in this article.  They discussed the coming days along with the subject of Elijah and the Bride of Christ.

From 4:00 to 5:10 in the video, Terry Bennett mentions that Elijah has appeared to him in person on numerous occasions.  At 7:45 he says that in at least one instance, Elijah appeared to him with the Lord and the angel Gabriel.  He was told that the Bride must be made ready for the Lamb, and that Elijah is being released.  This means the actual, original prophet Elijah is being released by the Lord to carry out his end time ministry.  In a recent conference, brother Terry said he has seen Elijah return to earth in a chariot of fire. This explains why he has been appearing to brother Terry and others.

Brother Terry was also told by Gabriel that the time for the release of the Spirit and power of Elijah has arrived.  It was explained to him that this Spirit and power will be upon a worldwide company of men and women, whom God has invited to operate in the Spirit and power of Elijah.

He said that God's invitation to be the Bride extends to all, but it requires total consecration. As James says, the double-minded man must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Note that the Scripture says the Bride must make herself ready, and one primary reason the Holy Spirit has been given to the Church is to enable this.  "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." (Rev 19:7)

The ministry that will occur in connection with the the Spirit and power of Elijah, and the Bride making herself ready will be a very atypical (unusual) time for the Church in most arenas.   This is not going to look like business as usual in the Church. 

The Lord did give a warning to brother Terry that this ministry is not about drawing attention to Elijah or any man.  There must be great humility in all of this, just as Elijah had during his original ministry.  The Lord said that if the message is not about pointing people to the Lamb who is coming, it's going to be judged. The message must direct people to the Lord. 

Brother Paul Keith said at around 16:00 in the video that he believes it's not OK not to believe the Word regarding fullness.  I agree completely.  Some have rejected what the Word says about fullness in Christ, which includes healing and holiness, as well as the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  The Lord paid a great price at Calvary to make these possible, and it's not OK with Him if people reject these.

This all reminded me of what brother Neville Johnson said in a conference I attended exactly one year ago, on October 31, 2012 in Sheffield, England.  He said that on June 22, 2012, the Lord woke him at 3:00 AM.  He started to pray. Suddenly, people came into his room. It was the Lord and other people -- Elijah and Moses.

The Lord said to Neville, “The day has now come when you will see great anointings come to the earth. Tell my people they are the sent ones to this generation. I am about to release my true apostolic anointing. Many angels are about to come to the earth. They will come and bring this anointing.” Truth will come like never before.

The prophet Elijah said to Neville, “The Spirit that was upon me when I was on the earth will be upon men once again, and He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."  He quoted Malachi 4:6 about this. The church is to reveal the heart of the Father to this generation and show them what God is like." He spoke about redemptive judgments coming to the earth. When God’s judgments are in the earth it will bring righteousness.

God showed him some of the terrible things coming to the earth, and Neville emphasized that we must be there to tell people why they are happening.  Neville said the foundations have been eroded: holiness and the baptism of fire. When a person is baptized in fire, there is an absolute change in their life. The old is burned right out. They need a baptism of Holy Spirit and fire. This is exactly the same message the Lord has been speaking to me and my wife, and which I have been preaching, so this bears witness to my spirit.

I would like to encourage you to watch the Paul Keith Davis and Terry Bennett interview at this link.

Putting it All Together
My friends, it’s time to seek the Lord. Consecrate yourself wholeheartedly to Him. Let the holy, Refiner's fire do its perfect work in you.  Ask the Lord to purify you from everything that will not pass through the fire as purely from Him.  Love the fire of God!  Ask the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, as John the Baptist said He would do (Mt 3:8).

If there is anything in your life that is not right with God, get it right with Him.  Clear the way for the Lord, because He is about to return in the glory of His Father with His angels, and he is coming for a Bride without spot or wrinkle.  He will reward every person for his own deeds (Mt 16:27).  Without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Boris Vallejo Elijah Oil Painting Original Art (1981). Boris Vallejo presents this stunning vision of Elijah, the prophet of Israel during the ninth century B. C.

Author's note:  I invite you to also read these related articles of mine: Holy Fire Baptism, The Burning Ones, Baptized by Blazing Fire, The Refiner's Fire, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, Healing is in the Atonement, Covenant Prayer, Baptized with the Spirit, and Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice. You can also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.