Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus both at Christmas and in the End Time. We are certainly in an End Time scenario now with Gog and Magog involved in hot wars against Israel. Preparation begins with repentance so we will be found “spotless, blameless and at peace with Him” (2 Peter14). Repentance is the doorway to Spiritual Life in Christ.
1. John the Baptist Calls Us All to Repentance
· John’s mission was our mission – to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. Our mission as the Church is to follow John’s example:
· John repented the sin around him and gave up his heritage as the son of a priest
· Separated himself to seek a better relationship with God
· Fasted, prayed and humbled himself
· Listened to God and obeyed God’s call
· Proclaimed the Good News of a Saviour coming
· Called on all people to prepare for the Saviours’ coming by separating themselves, repenting their sins and being cleansed in the baptism of water
2. Repentance is Feeling God’s Pain
Chapter 40 of Isaiah is the beginning of Part 2 of Isaiah, probably written by another author while in captivity in Babylon 586 – 538. As in our time, many of the Hebrew priests and leaders had broken the Covenant relationship with God. The nation had paid a terrible price for their apostacy.
o After 48 years most had died, and the rest had felt the pain of separation from God.
o They had felt God’s deep pain in their hearts & repented
o Repentance is dying spiritually to our sins
o Repentance is like spot remover – we become free from the burden of sin guilt / a spiritual death
o Spiritual death to sin prepares us to be born again
3. God wants everyone to come to Repentance
God desires a personal love relationship with all people -- But must give them freedom to reject that relationship. A love relationship is a free choice.
o But God is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin – a sin polluted soul would burn up in the fire of His holy love.
o To be in relationship with God we must first repent and separate ourselves from the sin in our life
· Repentance and confession break the secrecy of the sin, which gives it the power of guilt over us
· Repentance leads to confession, taking the sin to the Cross, and asking for and accepting forgiveness from Jesus
· We die spiritually to the sin, are washed clean and able to be born again into a holy love relationship of joy with Jesus.
· This new spiritual life begins with a decision to walk through the painful doorway of repentance
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