The times that we live in are quite chaotic and confusing. At one point it can seem as if we have all the answers to the pandemic, the protests, and the other problems. Then, in an instant, everything spirals out uncontrollably once more.

This year, 2020, has proven to be a behemoth of a year, filled with events of a prophetic and apocalyptic nature occurring at a frequency too much for comfort. It has been a very trying time for the Church, in particular, as we have had to find ourselves working tirelessly towards having an appropriate response to it all.

In looking for the right response and in trying to bring back normalcy as much as possible, we are missing a key fact that God is trying to show us in such a time as this. COVID-19, and the year 2020 in general, has given us turmoil yes, but it has also presented an opportunity some of us would have never had or given ourselves; an opportunity to stop.

When you stop, you wait, you pray, you reflect, you gather, you formulate, and you rebuild and develop your perspective. In such a time God is saying to us as a Church that we need to stop, wait, pray, reflect, gather, formulate, and rebuild and redevelop. Calendars, events, and others items on regular programming would have to wait.

It is also important that we use our time wisely when we do stop. In God’s eyes, as seen in the scripture, the appropriate action in such a time is one of repentance and truly turning back to Christ.

In all honesty, this is a familiar message. We hear it all the time. It’s not new, but it is still the most important message we can and will ever hear. You might become ‘fed-up’ of hearing such a message. However, hearing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ repeatedly is not a sign of its lack of meaning. It is a sign of its limitless importance. The very fact you have heard the Gospel repeatedly in your life shows just how much (1) God loves you, and (2) how much of an excuse you would not have if you stand before Him, in the judgment, without accepting His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Scripture

God is speaking, through the prophet Joel, to the children of Israel, beckoning them to repent and come back to Him ‘with all their hearts’ and ‘in genuine repentance’. Fasting, weeping and mourning are mentioned and encouraged, as they are the mechanisms through which such repentance must come about. Finally, they must not focus on showing sorrow and repentance outwardly (ripping of the clothes, sackcloth and ashes), but their hearts must be broken and torn in sorrow of their sinful state and in desperation to turn back to God. They are assured that He will not ignore them but that His loving-kindness and mercy are limitless, and He will pull back any punishment from any repentant soul.

Let’s therefore look at three points shown by the scripture that encourages us to return, return, and remain.

#1 Repentance must be Genuine

“Even now,” says the Lord,
“Turn and come to Me with all your heart [in genuine repentance],“

Joel 2:12 (AMP)

God desires for us to come back to Him in true, genuine repentance. He is saying that, even at this moment, we must TURN and COME towards Him. Such an action, in God’s sight, must be wholehearted in what is called ‘genuine repentance’. I remember, when I was a little boy, I loved swinging on a pole that was on our property and was in close proximity to an embankment. When swinging on the pole, I always tried to ensure that my feet became elevated from the ground. This act of defying physics did leave me tumbling down the embankment. The hurtful thing was, despite the tumbling, the bruises, and the parental punishment, I still did it repeatedly. Despite warnings and punishment, I hardened my heart and my head and, instead, embraced my childish foolishness. The interesting thing is, though, the more I kept doing it the more I actually got hurt.

When we genuinely repent of a sinful lifestyle, it would involve turning away and never going back to that sinful lifestyle. Genuinely repenting can prevent us from experience ever-increasing hurt and it can help us to truly grasp life and liberty.

Now, we know how difficult this can be. We tend to have besetting sins, things that we thought we were delivered from but they seemingly resurface. Or we probably were not interested in being delivered from them and simply desired to indulge in them. Or maybe we wanted to be delivered from them but just did not know how.

Repentance isn’t just uttering words and saying ‘LORD, I repent of my sins’. That’s just the first step. The most important thing is action. Genuine Repentance is fully seen with whole-hearted, authentic choice and action. God doesn’t want to force you into doing anything. His ultimate desire is that you CHOOSE to repent, you ACTIVELY repent, and you TRUST Him to bring the Transformation.

Why is Repentance Important?

• It prevents us from perishing and leads to life.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.“

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

“When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Acts 11:18 (ESV)

• It helps us in receiving the Holy Spirit

“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.“

Acts 2:38 (ESV)

• It prepares us for the Kingdom

“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

St. Matthew 4:17 (ESV)

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#2 Embrace Brokenness and Discard Pretence

“…With fasting and weeping and mourning [until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored];
¹³ Rip your heart to pieces [in sorrow and contrition] and not your garments.”
Now return [in repentance] to the Lord your God,…”

Joel 2: 12b-13a (AMP)

We live in a world where everyone has to look good. Everything needs to be flawless, and not just simply ‘flawless’, but Instagram Flawless. Everything needs to be smooth, nice, presentable, and airbrushed.

We also apply this façade of looking good not only to our physical features but also to our mental, emotional, and spiritual state as well. We have to give the appearance that we are the strongest, the bravest, the most jovial, the life of the party, and the one who has it all kept together.

But there are very thin lines between keeping yourself and falling, emotional stability and being an emotional wreck, and sanity and insanity.

The question is, ‘for how long are you going to give off a façade and not consider how you truly are doing’. Remember what the scripture says:

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18 (ESV)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 57:17 (ESV)

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 57:17 (ESV)

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. – 2 Corinthians 1:8-10

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (ESV)

Building a false image of your current state can make you rigid and unwilling to even change. Doing so can give you the false idea that you ca handle it just by hiding it. But the LORD desires to work and He works only on those who are broken and honest before Him. After all, if you aren’t broken then there is no need for God to fix you. He will never force Himself on you.

But, even as seen in Isaiah 57:17 the LORD, who dwells in high and holy places, also dwells with those who are contrite and lowly (broken and humble) in spirit. He doesn’t see being broken as something that He should ignore, but as a place in a person’s life where He can work and His holiness can truly manifest. That’s because, when He works, the spirit and heart are revived and there is life.

#3 Trust the Faithful and Limitless God

For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness [faithful to His covenant with His people];
And He relents [His sentence of] evil [when His people genuinely repent].

Joel 2:13 (AMP)

Verse 13 of our main scriptural passage shows us two interesting facts; (i) God is Faithful to His promises (faithful to His covenant), and (ii) God is limitless (in this case limitless, or abounding, in loving-kindness).

When a person repents of their sinful lifestyle, they must firstly have an idea of and encounter with God. You must understand, even if it is to the most elementary level, His love for you and His holiness.

Many times we see God’s holiness as a sign to stay away from Him. We think that He is too holy for us to speak and confess to Him, or even to come to Him. The LORD’s holiness is not separate from His loving-kindness and mercy. His holiness is actually shown mightily through His loving-kindness and mercy.

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?“

Romans 2:4 (ESV)

God’s lovingkindness is intended to lead mankind to a state of repentance and transformation; a state of holiness that is not created by our own hands but is as a result of His working in us.

God is faithful to every promise He makes. He is also limitless so He can do all things. This also means that He can afford to each of us limitless mercy and grace.

And as Romans 2:4 shows, offering to us limitless mercy and grace is not an excuse for us to go back to our old ways, but it is to lead us to repentance, to our return, and to us remaining.

#Repent #Return #Remain

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