I’ve been reflecting on the importance of, if not the holy imperative of repentance. What caused this reflection on my part? Because of all the evil things I’ve read in the news recently.

Not to diminish smaller sins, but the news I have been reading this past week contains people doing really bad and horrible things to other human beings.

 Add to that, we began a new sermon series called “Spirituals and the Exodus” and it reminds me of the inhumane treatment of those who owned human beings and treated them in ways that were less than human.

Then my mind wanders to the atrocities of the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity.

When I think about some of the worst behavior over the course of human history… I wonder is it enough for the perpetrators of evil to say, “I am sorry” to God and that is sufficient? In other words, do they get a free pass for only saying “sorry.”

When I am struggling with any issue, I go to the only place I know to find substantial answers: The Bible.

Here is what I discovered…

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden God’s face from you, so that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2

Sin separates. It removes us from a genuine intimacy with God. God isn’t the one moving away, it is one hurting others.

Pretending one’s past doesn’t exist doesn’t resolve the issue either…

Those who conceal their sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the person who always reveres the Lord, but those who hardens their hearts falls into trouble. Proverbs 28 13

Sin matters to God. It why God sent Jesus to us. Jesus (God incarnate) comes to forgive our sin and heal our brokenness through his death (shedding blood) and resurrection. However, if we do not acknowledge our sin, or try to hide it, forgiveness is elusive.

Scripture is clear about our personal acknowledgment of sin. Without our transparency before God, grace and mercy remain unclaimed.

Jesus came to make peace with our warring and sinning souls but that only comes with self-awareness.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Jesus, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20

Jesus never forces this peace on us. He invites us into it.

There is more to forgiveness and discovering peace from God than just saying, “I am sorry I got caught.”

There is a call to repent. Simply put: to change one’s minds and one’s behavior.

Repentance also means that there is remorse and sorrow over past hurtful behavior. Not just saying “I am sorry,” but a heartbreaking confession of the damage done that includes a move away from hurting people in the future.

Otherwise…

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left… Hebrews 10:26

Now that doesn’t mean we must be perfect, but to habitually hurt others and be a person of faith doesn’t come with automatic forgiveness.

There is forgiveness when there is repentance, when there is change, when there is remorse.

Even John the Baptist tells the crowds around him the importance of true change (repentance).

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Matthew 3:8

Show your change, prove you’ve changed. You can’t claim to have an inside advantage (no matter what it is).

Repentance matters if you want forgiveness. Repentance matters if you want to a future with God. Repentance matters if heaven matters to you.

Jesus said this to the disciples after the resurrection…

He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:47

Repentance and forgiveness go hand in hand. Not my words, the words of Jesus.

For those who don’t repent, there is no moving forward. One’s eternity may depend upon that. Of course, that is between an individual and God.

I would rather live a life above reproach with God’s help. I would rather acknowledge my sin and shame and be welcomed into heaven rather than save face in this world.

…keep a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1Peter 3:16

God bless,
Pr. Ben

For extra reading, here is what Philipp Melanchthon wrote about repentance in the Augsburg Confession from The Book of Concord.

It is taught among us that those who sin after Baptism receive forgiveness of sin whenever they come to repentance, and absolution should not be denied them by the church.

Properly speaking, true repentance is nothing else than to have contrition and sorrow, or terror, on account of sin, and yet at the same time to believe the Gospel and absolution (namely, that sin has been forgiven and grace has been obtained through Christ), and this faith will comfort the heart and again set it at rest.

Amendment of life and the forsaking of sin would then follow, for these must be the fruits of repentance, as John says, “Bear fruit that befits repentance” (Matt. 3:8).

Augsburg Confession, Article 12, 1-6

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

You might read that and think, “This doesn’t apply to me. I am not a slave.”

That word slave can trigger a lot of emotions for a lot of reasons. Saint Paul uses these words because they reflect what Jesus says to every one of us in the gospel of John.

As a matter of fact, Jesus is responding to a bunch of people who had the same thought as I wrote above… “This doesn’t apply to me. I am not a slave.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. John 8:34

Until we wrap our hearts and minds around the idea that we are slaves to sin, we have no real need for Jesus. With that mindset, attending church is just window dressing to a carefully manicured life.

Sin is a big category, and one size does not fit all. There are all sorts of sin. Sins of omission (things we overlook when we shouldn’t) and sins of commission (things we participate in). There is hate, jealousy, cruelty and the list goes on and on. Sin is what happens when we stop looking to God for direction.

We are slaves to sin; we are in bondage. We need help. We need rescue. We need a savior to free us from our captivity.

Until we see that need for ourselves and in our own lives, we will remain unknowing captives and miss out on the grace of freedom.

After viewing the ugliness of this world this week in the news, I know that I don’t want to be captive to racism and hate. I don’t want to commit the sin of omission by turning a blind eye to those who have exploited children and worse. I don’t want to add to the pain of this world; I want to be free of it and help others find freedom.

Next Wednesday, we turn the corner and enter the season of Lent. A time to reflect on our own condition and to make a clear choice. Are we going to be the children of the light or children of the dark? (see Ephesians 5:8)

Lent prepares us to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is the only one who can free us from our captivity but only if we truly see we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.

It is time to open your eyes to the reality of our own situation and the ugliness of the world. Until that happens, you are bound.

The invitation is real because Jesus is real and he is sovereign. Jesus will never force himself on you. The ball is in your court.

Take time this Lent to find the freedom and love that Jesus is offering.

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. John 8:42

Open your ears and hear that the savior is calling you to freedom.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19–21

Where is your heart today? Is it full of earthly things or is it pondering the eternal things of God’s Kingdom?

To put it a different way, what are you holding on to? Things of life or things of heaven. Temporary things or eternal things?

Jesus reminds us (from the Sermon on the Mount) to know the difference between everlasting and temporal.

I said on Sunday we often latch on to things we can see and forsake the unseen (spiritual). After all, “Seeing is believing.” But don’t forget what Jesus said about that very phrase to Thomas the disciple who needed to see the resurrected Jesus before he would believe in him.

Then Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Blessings (God’s favor) rest upon those who believe in what they cannot see. There is blessing for those who are storing up treasures in heaven because they are getting ready for what is ahead.  Those folks don’t need to see God’s Kingdom to know it is very real.

Since we can’t take our stuff with us to heaven, what are those “treasures” that Jesus talks about?

Paul tells us, that the things of life will eventually pass away except for three things…

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians 13:13

Those are our treasures.

Faith (trust) in God. Trusting in the forgiveness Jesus gave us from the cross.

Hope in the future promises made by God in scripture. Hope is knowing God keeps his promises.

Love. Love for God, Love for other people.

Those are the treasures we cultivate and grow today. One day, in heaven, we will see the dividend of those riches in the people we shared them in this life.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount…

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder (Exodus 20:13), and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matthew 5:22

These are Jesus’ words not mine. To make sure everyone understands what Jesus is saying, let me summarize.

Murder is bad and subject to judgment of God.
Anger is bad and subject to the judgment of God.
Insulting others is bad and subject to the judgment of God and human authorities.
Calling someone a fool is bad and subject to the judgment of God.

Are we on the same page? Do you see how clear this instruction is?

If this isn’t clear, then God responds clearly through the words of Isaiah…

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Isaiah 5:20-21

God is very transparent in the words of Jesus (who is God) and through Isaiah the prophet. This is God’s Word for the ages (which includes us).

Now let’s apply God’s Word to our lives.

I have witnessed the ugliness of people’s words regarding the killing of the single mom in Minneapolis this past week.

As people of faith, this death should break our hearts because it breaks God’s heart. Using limited and flawed legal arguments as well as words like “justified” are distasteful.

Are these the same arguments and words one will use when facing God to explain their hardness of heart or even glee at this tragedy?

Unneeded loss of life or unneeded cruelty (according to Jesus) is subject to judgment.

I encourage everyone who reads this article to check their heart and see if it aligns with God’s will? Do you have a heart of stone or a heart of flesh? (See Ezekiel 36:26-27)

It is a time of mourning in God’s Kingdom.

There is a reason Jesus calls people to repentance… to change. He calls us to let go of hate, ugliness and cruelty and step in the light of love.

God bless you,

Pastor Ben