Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
When I was a kid, I used to do a lot of snorkeling on our lake. Some of us from school started a little adventure club and for a few summers spent many hot afternoons swimming deep under the water. We actually became so creative that we made a flag that we put on an inner tube so people would know where we were diving. We went all over our lake, and were able to see a lot of different kinds of fish. It’s pretty incredible to see all the scenery when you’re underneath the water. But unlike scuba diving, you have only got a short amount of time, because you have to return to the surface to replenish your oxygen supply.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
There’s only so long that we can stay underneath the water, because in order to survive we have to come up for air. The same is true with sin. In order to survive and eventually obtain eternal life, we need to turn away from the depths of sinful living, and return to God in order to breathe.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Like snorkeling on the bottom of the lake, there is only so much time available to return to the top. Repentance is the process of turning around, rejecting sinful living, and returning to faithful obedience to God. It is something that all of us must do if we really want to enter into Paradise. Many people think that they’re going to live a long period of time because they are physically fit or eat certain types of food, but the truth is that only God is in control of life or death. Even James taught that it is by the will of God that we do this or that. We must not squander the time that God has given to us to repent and return to His presence.
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7
It is sinful living that becomes an obstacle between us and our relationship with God. But God cares about this world so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. God graciously provides us with the opportunity to become a new creature in Christ Jesus. It’s not that we loved God but that He loved us.
1 John 4 ⁹ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. ¹⁰ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Although God will punish sinfulness, He doesn’t desire that people perish, He wants them to repent of their sins.
Ezekiel 18 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.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
God wants us to return unto Him, submitting ourselves in faithful obedience to His perfect will.
2 Chronicles 30 ⁸ Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
⁹ For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
The Apostle Paul spent a lot of his life trying to turn people away from their sins. Sometimes the letters that he wrote were very strongly worded, but it was meant for the salvation and repentance of the church. They needed to be filled with contrition, and understand that what they were doing was wrong. It is only through genuine sorrow that people can truly repent.
2 Corinthians 7 ⁸ For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
⁹ Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
¹⁰ For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Blessed James spoke about the same thing.
James 4 ⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Turning away from sin is required in the Christian Life.
“And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19
“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: Acts 14:15
Only through genuine faith in the Lord Jesus can we turn away from sinfulness. A person must turn from the darkness to the light, and learn to go and sin no more. Paul’s mission was to tell people this message.
Acts 26 ¹⁶ But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; ¹⁷ Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, ¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Many people think that they have all the time in the world to repent of their sins, but like being underneath the water, they will run out of air soon enough. It is something that should never be put off for another day because today is the day of salvation. If you really want to inherit eternal life, you are going to have to turn around and come up for air, just like when I used to go…..
……Snorkeling
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 