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repentance (Luke 13:3) "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." No one can deny that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has instructed the sinner to repent. Even if you don’t keep the above scripture in context many Bibles have this verse in red ink which indicates that these words were spoken by Jesus. Who was Jesus speaking to? Who should take this statement of Jesus seriously? Without a doubt Jesus was [and is] speaking to anyone who is a sinner! The apostle Paul informs us that everyone has committed sin: (Rom 3:23) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Therefore, if you have reached the age of accountability you need to repent. Let us also notice from Luke 13:3 that there are consequences if we don’t “repent”. Jesus said “you shall all likewise perish”. What does Jesus mean? Again I make reference to the writing of Paul: (Rom 6:23) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Unless you “repent” you are earning “death”. Since Paul wrote that “the gift of God is eternal life can we not assume that the death is an eternal death? When Jesus spoke of “perishing” He was referring to eternal death. What is “repentance”? We should have a clear understanding of what Jesus is saying when He said “repent”! Repentance is turning from sin to God: (Acts 14:15) "And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:" A very good question is asked in this verse, “why do you do these things”? Actually there is no good answer to this question. We must “turn” from the vanity of sin to God. Another good reference is: (Col 3:2) "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." I know that world has a lot of allurements but we must not be overtaken by the world, we must turn to God. Friends, that is what “repentance is all about. Long before Jesus instructed sinners to repent God commanded the children of Israel to repent: (Ezek. 18:30-32) "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. {31} Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? {32} For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." Here God commanded the “house of Israel” to “turn from “all your transgressions”, when God said “all” He meant exactly what He said. If you desire to be pleasing to God there is no room in your life for any sin. Brethren, there is no excuse for ignorance: (Acts 17:30) "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" No one can deny that “repentance” is a commandment of God. It is like Jesus said, “repent or perish”! A fact that might be overlooked is that Jesus came to this earth to call sinners to “repentance”: (Mat 9:13) "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." If you are yet living in sin won’t you listen to the call of Jesus? Jesus paid a terrible price that you and I might be freed from sin; He shed His own blood, He died on the cross so that you and I might have forgiveness of our transgressions. Has Jesus died in vain on your behalf? If you have never “repented” [Acts. 2:38]; “confessed” the name of Christ [Rom. 10:9, 10]; nor been “buried with Him in baptism to “wash away your sins” [Acts 22:16] then Christ died in vain on your behalf! Surely, you don’t want this hanging on your shoulders on the Day of Judgment! As long as you have breath in your body it is not too late to repent!
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