Repent

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

REPENT 

Luke 13:1-5

13:1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them — do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." 

NIV

It is unclear exactly what these men were referring to because those events are not recorded in the scriptures, but something similar is recorded by Josephus. Never the less the point here is these men were pointing out how others had suffered at the hand of fate, perhaps, and Jesus did not save them or do anything about it. Jesus comments that all these who Pilate killed while they were doing sacrifices weren’t any worse they all the other Galileans, who were known to be a very seditious group against the authority of Rome. The other people Jesus mentions here were people who felt overly compelled to obey every aspect of the law. What Jesus was saying was it does not matter how a man perishes or for what reason because all men are going to perish including them unless they repent. This is the life lesson all mankind needs to hear, and especially any of us who hope to gain eternal life by any other method other than faith in Jesus. Good deeds alone will cause us to perish. Attending church alone will cause us to perish. Abiding by all the rules and regulations alone will cause us to perish. Being religious will not save us from perishing either. Repenting will save us from perishing. This repenting Jesus is talking about is leaving the life of sin behind and accepting him as our Savior. He is the one who can keep us from perishing and it is he alone. Nothing we can do will save us except to repent. This does mean that once we have repented will we stay repented. That is to say we will not simply repent or confess our sin, accept Jesus as our sacrifice for our sin and then just go on living as we please. The word Jesus uses that is translated repent means to think differently or change one’s mind. Our whole thought process has to change. Instead of considering how we are going to do, we now have to consider how God is going to do. Instead of looking to our own self for whatever, we now have to look to God. We cannot save ourselves, only God can, but that is not the only thing we have to think differently about. We have to change the way we think when we accept Jesus as our Savior. All the scriptures point to the way we should think. Trust in God not self. Give instead of hoard. Love instead of hate. The list is rather long, but the idea is the same. Once we lived focused on self, thinking how we could advance our own life. Now we need to focus on God, and how can we advance his kingdom. Repenting or changing our mind about everything we ever thought requires knowing what God desires us to think and that can only be done through the scriptures and without any preconceived notions about what the scriptures say. We need to approach them open to the Spirit so he can lead us into all the truth which is within them. Then our minds will be changed not only about accepting Jesus, but about how we are to truly live in the kingdom. Repent or perish!