17/07/2016
THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN LIVING
Psalm 11:3, 4; Luke 6:46-49; 1 Corinthians 3:10-17
Every physical structure needs a foundation. Just as a strong foundation is crucial to every enduring structure, the professing believer needs a solid, scriptural foundation to become part of Christ’s Church that is on pilgrimage to heaven. This foundation upon which the believer builds his spiritual life as a temple for God’s dwelling cannot be ignored or destroyed. For, “if the foundations [of our Christian profession] be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” From those who think they can build their spiritual lives on mere profession of calling Christ their Saviour, Redeemer, Deliverer and Messiah, He enquires: “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” Christ obviously expects recipients of the gospel to go beyond mere profession to living and possessing the requisite spiritual experience. Listening to, learning from and applying His word in daily living reveal a Christian who has “digged deep, and laid the foundation [of his spiritual life] on a rock”, not just copying the lifestyle of genuine believers. Without genuine repentance and faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the life of any professing believer will be shallow, superficial, unreasonable, thoughtless and collapsible. Every believer or preacher must emphasise the truth that repentance precedes Christian living. If we have genuinely repented, we must be consistent in living holy, God-glorifying lifestyles to avoid being judged with those who believe and practise eternal security of saved souls. Such so-called believers not only build a worthless spiritual structure but degenerate into defiling and desecrating God’s temple. We must desist from making any Old Testament saint our model because Christ has come to reveal the mind of God and the acceptable Christian lifestyle which begins with repentance from sin.
1. THE FOUNDATION OF REPENTANCE IN CHRIST’S MESSAGE
Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14,15; Luke 13:3,5; 24:47; Acts 2:37-42; 3:19,26; 17:30,31; 20:20,21; Romans 2:4-6; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 2:4,5; 3:14-19
God has given us the New Testament through Jesus Christ to reveal the way of redemption, the standard of Christian living and the path to heaven. Thus, the lives of Old Testament saints cannot be the standard for Christian living. Christ, the King, reveals that the requisite step everyone must take to enter His kingdom is, “repent ye, and believe the gospel”. Christian dressing, partaking of the Lord’s Supper, water baptism, regular church attendance, religious service and almsgiving or philanthropy without the spiritual foundation of repentance from sin is worthless and amounts to foolishness. For, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”. Thus, Christ commands that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations – North, South, East and West – to rescue souls from perishing. In obedience to His command by the early church, Peter the apostle urged his convicted hearers to “repent”. Present-day preachers must re-echo this message by reminding their congregations that godly parentage, church membership or religious service without genuine repentance is damnable. The fact that multitudes “gladly received his word” and “continued in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” in the early church proves that genuine repentance is always accompanied by transformation of life. Everyone who seeks to build an enduring spiritual life, an edifice of God’s habitation and glory, must “repent”, “be converted” and have their sins “blotted out”.The converted believer must endeavour to build his or her spiritual life through regular intake of and obedience to God’s word. Repentance was pivotal in the message of Christ and His apostles, and must be in ours because God commands it. This unchanging truth of “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” must be emphasised in our personal evangelism and public preaching so that everyone can forsake the things that God forbid and condemn, be saved and live righteously. It is for this purpose of leading people to repentance that God grants healing, deliverance and provision because He is “not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance”. Sinners and backsliders must repent of their sins and obtain God’s forgiveness through Christ to be able to get to heaven.
2. THE FALSEHOOD OF THE REPENTANCE OF CARNAL MEN
1 Samuel 26:21; 15:24; Numbers 22:34; 2 Peter 2:14-16; Exodus 9:27,34; Matthew 27:3-5; Numbers 14:40-45
Some carnal men acknowledge their sins but do not forsake them. They are like Saul who said, “I have sinned” but later went ahead to consult a witch at Endor. He had earlier told Samuel that “I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD” but afterwards sought to kill David in violation of God’s command, which reveals his unwillingness to forsake sin. Balaam made a similar confession when he was rebuked by an angel of God but still went to meet Balak and gave him an ungodly counsel against Israel. Pharaoh also showed such false repentance by saying, “I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked” but when the plague subsided, “he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants”. Thus, repentance is not genuine until a person quits sinning or separates from the object of sin. People who pretend to repent by shedding tears but continue in sin will eventually perish in hell like Judas Iscariot who regretted his actions by saying, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood” but did not obtain peace and assurance of forgiveness. Genuine repentance is always followed by assurance of forgiveness by the Spirit and divine enablement to live a new life of righteousness. While the examples above prove superficial repentance of carnal people, heart-felt sorrow for and forsaking of sin and surrender to Christ with a passionate plea for mercy attract God’s forgiveness. The message of repentance is central in the gospel of Christ.
3. THE FRUIT OF REPENTANCE IN CONVERTED MEMBERS
Jonah 3:5-8,10; 2 Chronicles 19:1,2,4-11; Ezekiel 14:6; 18:30-32; Luke 19:8,9; Ecclesiastes 3:15; Galatians 1:22-24; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 3:1-5
The people of Nineveh demonstrated genuine, practical repentance. The king and all his subjects mourned in sackclothes for their sin and God saw that “they turned from their evil way” and forgave them. When rebuked by God, Jehoshaphat did not only repent of compromise and misleading many of his subjects to support an ungodly king in warfare, he also went to bring the people back to God. A public sin by a leader that has misled many people demands public repentance and restitution. Those who have repented must be courageous to live righteously and set things in order. If repentance is genuine, there will be a practical demonstration of it in a changed attitude, conduct, language and lifestyle. God wants everyone of us to examine our lives and repent of any violation of His command because He is no respecter of persons. When repentance is as genuine and practical as that of Zacchaeus, the believer will do restitution and obtain a clear conscience. Restitution is necessary because “God requireth that which is past”. To continue in religious activities without repentance is as one that “hast a name that thou livest, and art dead”. We must overcome sin, self and temptations to be able to live with God in heaven. The foundation of Christian living is genuine, fruitful, definite and decisive repentance from everything God condemns and living as a real disciple of Christ. We should not count anything, including religious title, so precious to lose for the glory of God and holiness. Repentance must be wholehearted with a willingness to do restitution and live a holy lifestyle until the end.
GHS: 89, 105 & 1