Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus
In the previous session, we understood what is repentance. We also understood that repentance is not the new deeds, but the inward change that bears the fruit of new deeds. And Jesus was demanding such a change in us. Now let us understand WHY?
SIN: AN ASSAULT ON GOD
Why? His answer is that we are sinners. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). What was Jesus' view of sin? In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus describes the son's sin like this: "He squandered his property in reckless living... (and) devoured (it) with prostitutes" (Luke 15:13, 30). But when the prodigal repents he says, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (Luke 15:21). Therefore, throwing away your life away on reckless living and prostitutes is not just humanly hurtful; it is an offence against heaven- that is, against God. That is the essential nature of sin. It is an assault on God.
We see this again in the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray. He said that they should pray, "Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us" (Luke 11:4). In other words, sins that God forgives are compared to the ones people commit against us, and those are called debts. Therefore, Jesus' view of sin is that it dishonors God and puts us in debt to restore the divine honor we had defamed by our God-belittling behavior or attitudes. Later we will see how that debt gets paid by Jesus himself (Mark 10:45). But for us to enjoy that gift he says we must repent.
Repenting means experiencing a change of mind so that we can see God as true and beautiful and worthy of all our praise and all our obedience. This change of mind also embraces Jesus in the same way. We know this because Jesus said, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God" (John 8:42). Seeing God with a new mind includes seeing Jesus with a new mind.
Dear brethren in Jesus, hope you all enjoyed a fruitful reading and understanding on sin and how it is an assault on God and why we should repent of the same. Hoping that this would change your view of the sins we commit and come back to God and honor Him with all our heart, soul, mind and body.
May the loving God always have compassion on you and may He bless you all the days of your life.
Your Brother in Jesus
Jobin George
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