Sunday, December 6,
2015, 1:36 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Give Me Jesus.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Matthew 3:1-10 (NASB).
Make Ready (vv.
1-3)
Now
in those days John the Baptist *came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is the one
referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,
“The
voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make
ready the way of the Lord,
Make
His paths straight!’”
The word “repent” means “change of mind,” or to “think
differently afterwards” (biblehub.com). It is used throughout scripture in
reference to turning away from sin, forsaking idols, and turning to faith in
God/Jesus, and to following him with our lives. It is a lot like making a
U-turn in traffic. You were going one direction, and now you do an about-face,
and you go the opposite direction. As well, repentance was/is required for
forgiveness of sin and for eternal life with God. It is also a necessary component
of saving faith. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance (See: Lu. 9:23-25; 13:3; Ac. 3:19-20; 26:16-20; 2 Co. 7:10;
12:21; Eph. 4:17-24; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rev. 2:5).
We are commanded to repent (Ac. 17:30-31) because the
kingdom of heaven is at hand (it is present with us). The kingdom of heaven is
the kingdom of our Messiah, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, which began with the
birth of Jesus Christ, and continued on with his earthly ministry, his death
and resurrection, his ascension into heaven, the sending of his Spirit, and the
life and ministry of the church (the body of Christ) on this earth. As well,
the kingdom of heaven endures into Jesus Christ’s millennial kingdom reign on
the earth when he returns one day to judge, to restore, and to take his bride
to be with him, and then into the new heavens and the new earth, for eternity.
John was to prepare the way for Jesus’ kingdom by making
ready the way of the Lord, making straight the paths of him. He did this by
calling the people to repentance. John was the Lord’s servant and messenger in
preparing the people’s hearts to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of
their lives. In a sense, that is the mission of all of God’s servants and
witnesses, i.e. it is our mission to prepare the hearts of people to receive
Christ. We do this by our life witness, by following Christ with our lives, by
loving people with God’s love, and by sharing with them the gospel of salvation
- the true gospel, not the diluted gospel which is absent of repentance or
obedience to Christ.
So, what is the true gospel? Jesus said that if anyone would
come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin),
and follow (obey) him. He said if we want to hold on to our lives (of living
for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives
(die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25). Peter said
that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet.
2:24). Paul said that Jesus died that we might no longer live for ourselves,
but for him who gave himself up for us, and so the righteous requirement of the
law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but who conduct our
lives according to the Spirit. He said if we walk in the flesh, we will die,
but if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (2
Co. 5:15; Ro. 8). The essence of the gospel, thus, is death to sin and living
to Christ’s righteousness.
In Keeping with
Repentance (vv. 4-10)
Now
John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist;
and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem was going out to him,
and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being
baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
But
when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to
them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you
can 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. 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.
Jesus Christ did not die a painful death on a cross just so
we could escape God’s wrath, and just so we could have the promise of heaven
when we die one day. His grace to us is not a free license to continue in sin
without guilt and without remorse. God’s grace, which brings salvation, teaches
us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return
(Tit. 2:11-14). If we say we have fellowship with God, and yet we walk (conduct
our lives) in darkness (sin; wickedness), we are liars, and the truth is not in
us (1 Jn. 1:6). If we say we know God or that we love God, but we don’t keep
(obey) his word, we are liars. We don’t really love God or know God (1 Jn.
2:3-6; 3:24).
It is not enough to just say we know God or to profess that
we believe in Jesus Christ or that we mouth words in a prayer to receive
Christ. Our lives must bear evidence that a true heart transformation of the
Spirit of God has actually taken place – such evidence as is in keeping with
repentance, i.e. which reveals that true repentance exists within the life of
the professed believer in Jesus Christ. In other words, a U-turn must have
happened in the life of the professed follower of Christ. We must forsake our
former way of life of living in sin, be transformed in heart and mind of the
Spirit of God in spiritual birth, and we must put on our new lives in Christ
Jesus, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph.
4:16-24). This is why Jesus died – that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness.
Give Me Jesus
Oh, What Gladness!
An Original Work
/ December 2, 2013
Give me Jesus. He’s my Savior.
I’ll walk with Him in His favor.
I’ll abide in His love always;
Follow His ways to the end.
Jesus is the Son of God.
He died upon a cruel cross.
He’s forgiven all my failures
By His mercy and His love.
Give me Jesus – His compassion,
And His mercy; loving kindness.
Let Him teach me how to love Him,
And to please Him. He’s my friend.
Jesus died for all our sin
So we could have eternal life.
He will free you from your bondage
If you trust Him with your life.
Give me Jesus. Let me trust Him.
May I listen to His teachings.
May I follow where He leads me
In His service. He’s my Lord.
Jesus Christ will come again
To take His bride to be with Him.
Oh, what gladness; free from sadness
When I meet Him in the air.
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