As we go through our spiritual journey, it is important not to lose sight of the number one message Christ came into the world to share with us.
17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (ESV) Matthew 4:17
14 “Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. 15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (NLT) Mark 1:14-15
This message was the first thing Jesus announced to the world at the start of His ministry, so we must not take it lightly. It is still valid to us today and even until the end of time, so we need to listen and abide. He urged people to repent of their sins and believe in the gospel – i.e., God’s ultimate plan to bring salvation to the world through Him, Jesus Christ.
Repentance: Which simply means having a change of heart and leaving our old sinful ways behind to a new life that pleases God. When we truly repent, we despise sin and anything that does not honor God. We turn away from wrongdoing and towards God for forgiveness of our sins. True repentance is motivated by our desire to live a life that pleases Him because we love Him and have a desire to obey Him.
The Good News: Jesus Christ came into the world to die for the atonement of our sins. Prior to that (in the old testament), the atonement for sin was the blood of animals. People would sacrifice animals as a substitute for themselves, so these animals would atone for their sins by dying in their place – as the wages of sin is death. But the death of animals was not enough to bridge the gap between God and humanity until Jesus came and paid the price once and for all.
Hebrews 10:4-10 (NIV)
4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus preached to all during his ministry to believe in the good news that He was sent by God to die in our place, so that we may have eternal life. By believing in Him as the Savior and repenting of our sins, we will have the gift of eternal life.
Conclusion:
We can see from the above that there are two key aspects of Jesus’ message – repentance and believing in the good news or gospel. We cannot pick and choose.
Have you ever heard anyone say, or just by the way they live their lives, see that they believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet they still live in their sinful nature without repentance? Well, you probably should share this message with them as an act of love and stewardship. Both repentance and believing in the gospel go hand-in-hand. Or perhaps, that person, is you? Then, I urge you brother or sister in Christ to turn over to God in true repentance. There will definitely be no regrets but blessings coming your way – the gift of eternal life!
