The Good News is Repentance
If you have an opportunity to spread the Good News, any platform, from being a world famous worship leader or teacher to even one or two of your own children who follow you, and you want to be faithful to the truth, there is one message that encapsulates the Gospel:
Repentance
If repentance isn't the core of your message, then Jesus' leadership isn't the core of your message. If Jesus' leadership isn't the core of your message, then your message isn't the Gospel. Any 'Gospel' that has been separated from repentance won't save anyone.
Jesus is coming to rule. Humanity's freedom, that many love to talk about, is only found in repentance, because Jesus' rule produces it! 'Repent, for the kingdom is at hand.'
Jesus is coming to rule. That requires mankind learning to be ruled by someone other than himself. We repent into Jesus' leadership at the expense of our own.
Luke 24:46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47 “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
If you can't find your favorite famous Christian's most recent statement about their own repentance, or at least the necessity of your repentance, be super careful about following them. There is no salvation without it and it literally requires a lifetime to work out.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Phillippians 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Repentance isn't some secret negative and less appealing aspect of knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus naturally induces repentance. It is the joy of encountering God that produces it naturally. When I encounter Jesus I immediately and naturally become aware of His holiness and realize my need to change. Repentance simply means the process of agreeing with God at the cost of my own self leadership.
If your favorite singer, teacher, prophet, etc. claims encounter with Jesus and doesn't walk away with repentance as a main message, they likely aren't encountering the Jesus of the Bible.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.”
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered:
“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate,
12 The LORD has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
Repentance
If repentance isn't the core of your message, then Jesus' leadership isn't the core of your message. If Jesus' leadership isn't the core of your message, then your message isn't the Gospel. Any 'Gospel' that has been separated from repentance won't save anyone.
Jesus is coming to rule. Humanity's freedom, that many love to talk about, is only found in repentance, because Jesus' rule produces it! 'Repent, for the kingdom is at hand.'
Jesus is coming to rule. That requires mankind learning to be ruled by someone other than himself. We repent into Jesus' leadership at the expense of our own.
Luke 24:46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47 “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
If you can't find your favorite famous Christian's most recent statement about their own repentance, or at least the necessity of your repentance, be super careful about following them. There is no salvation without it and it literally requires a lifetime to work out.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Phillippians 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Repentance isn't some secret negative and less appealing aspect of knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus naturally induces repentance. It is the joy of encountering God that produces it naturally. When I encounter Jesus I immediately and naturally become aware of His holiness and realize my need to change. Repentance simply means the process of agreeing with God at the cost of my own self leadership.
If your favorite singer, teacher, prophet, etc. claims encounter with Jesus and doesn't walk away with repentance as a main message, they likely aren't encountering the Jesus of the Bible.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.”
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered:
“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate,
12 The LORD has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
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