200 - Repentance Under the New Covenant#
200 - Repentance Under the New Covenant
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Heavenly Father, we thank You! Thank You for accepting our worship and praise, thank You for giving us this time to live together in Your love. As a new week begins, we first receive strength and provision from You. You have said that everyone who seeks will find, and to those who knock, the door will be opened. Today, many will come seeking You, and we believe they will surely receive. Because You are the Lord who is willing to bless us, all our good comes from You. May the Holy Spirit help each person to look solely to You. We thank and praise You, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray!
Mark 1:1-11
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophets (some ancient manuscripts do not have the words "Isaiah"): "Behold, I send my messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way. 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'" 4 John came, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!"
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us this passage, so that we have assurance in our hearts that we are born again and saved. We are the beloved sons of the Father, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, which is the guarantee that we have been accepted by the Father. We come before You, taking our identity as sons to draw from Your supply and grace, which You will surely give us. You know the issues in each person's heart and will provide us with answers, for the Holy Spirit knows all things. We completely entrust the following time to the Holy Spirit to work among us, in each listener, so that our thoughts and intentions may be renewed and turned to You, thanking and praising the Lord. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
The topic of the sharing is: Repentance Under the New Covenant
Many people say we talk too little about repentance, but it is not that we talk less; repentance is not something that is spoken. During gatherings, listening to the word is what renews your thoughts. The Greek word for repentance means: a change of mind. While listening to the word, we gradually adjust our thoughts to Jesus Christ. In the past, we did not know how to live and relied on our own wisdom to handle various matters. After believing in Jesus, God does not want you to live by that old way; otherwise, it would just be salvation. God does not only want us to be saved; He does not want you to merely be someone who enters the kingdom of heaven. Our Heavenly Father wants you to live out the victorious life of Jesus. How can we live out a victorious life? It is very simple: repentance.
Is repentance a one-time event? No. It requires you to repent in everything, every day. Therefore, this message should not be that I preach a few sermons, and you say, "Now I need to repent, so I will listen to sermons about repentance; now I need healing, so I will listen to sermons about healing; I hope my finances turn around, so I will listen to sermons about wealth." That would be a bit picky.
In life, you take cold medicine to prove you have a cold; if you say you need to hear about wealth, it shows that you are severely lacking in that area, and the problem seems serious. If you listen to all the sermons about wealth, you are just taking medicine. But I want to tell everyone: taking medicine is not the best method; the best method is to maintain a balanced diet, which is much healthier!
Brothers and sisters, do not be picky about listening to sermons. Some people are afraid to ask me, "Teacher Ren, where is the sermon about being filled with the Holy Spirit? I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit." Any sermon you receive will fill you with the Holy Spirit. Some say, "Do you have a sermon about healing? Which sermon is about healing? Let me listen."
Any sermon, as long as you receive the words of Jesus, can lead to healing; this is called a balanced diet. What does it mean? In this word, you find Jesus, turn your thoughts to Him, and all the answers you need are in Jesus Christ.
What am I doing? I am bringing you to Jesus. Every sermon is just bringing you to Jesus. Hallelujah! I cannot do anything myself, but I can lead you to Christ. We call this repentance! A change of mind. Amen! After struggling on your own for many years and finding it exhausting and painful, now Jesus gives you the method: do not rely on yourself, rely on Him.
What do we need to do? We need to adjust our thoughts to align with Jesus' thoughts. Did Jesus encounter many problems in this world? Did He have the ability to handle these problems? Yes, Jesus also wants to give you that ability, so you can overcome not only diseases and difficulties but also any problems you encounter. As long as you turn to God, I believe God has the power to solve all your problems. Amen! This is repentance. Many people always want to equate repentance with confession. Is repentance confession? No. Is confession repentance? Yes, repentance is not necessarily confession, but confession is certainly repentance.
A sinner can recognize Jesus and say, "Lord! I am a sinner," and that is repentance. But you cannot say that repentance is merely confession; that is too narrow. Repentance means renewing your thoughts. For example, the songs we sing are all about feelings and love, "I shouldn't be in the car; I should be under the car..." The more you sing, the sadder you become. Before I accepted Jesus, I was the same way. When I was in school, a roommate of mine had a breakup, and at that time, A-Du was quite popular, so he sang "I shouldn't be in the car; I should be under the car..." every day, and as a result, he didn't want to live anymore.
Where did you lead this person to repent? You are leading him to a dead end; he is repenting towards death. Where does repentance lead? Back to Jesus, amen! You are very important; I am bringing you to Jesus. If you do not know Jesus, I would really lead you to another place. In the past, I led many people into despair; originally, they were not that desperate, but after my comfort, they became desperate. So I am very grateful to God for correcting me, allowing me to serve Him, knowing that we are serving life, hallelujah!
Do not feel that sorrow, crying, and regret must be included in repentance; sometimes, repentance can be very joyful. The songs you choose determine the kind of heart you have. Choosing joyful songs, is that not repentance? It is repentance too! Therefore, repentance does not have to be weeping and wailing; joyful praise to God is also repentance! The key is to renew your thoughts. Amen!
Verses 1-3 record John the Baptist. John the Baptist began to preach the gospel according to the words written in Isaiah. Verse 4 says, "According to this, John came, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
This is the gospel that John the Baptist preached. This gospel should be put in quotation marks because the real gospel had not yet begun; this is just the "gospel."
He was preparing the way for the real gospel, as previously mentioned: he was preparing the way of the Lord, making His paths straight, waiting for Jesus to come. Should we preach the gospel like John? No. John first straightened the road and prepared the way of the Lord because Jesus had not yet arrived at that time.
And we are different now; Jesus has already come. You do not need to prepare the way of the Lord anymore; the Lord has already prepared it. You do not need to prepare the way of the Lord; the spirit has already been prepared. Now is the time for harvest, not preparation. Amen! We need to recognize where we are in this era. This repentance is indeed joyful; sometimes it may be sorrowful. Repentance under the Old Covenant is certainly related to confession.
We are now slightly different. John the Baptist came to the wilderness to preach the "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." John the Baptist is Jesus' cousin, and his message was the baptism of repentance: "Come to me, confess your sins, and be baptized."
Verse 5 says that all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to John, confessing their sins and being baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Why did they go to him? To confess their sins. How did they know they were sinful? How did these people know they were sinful? Why is there never a mention of Gentiles here? This is directed at the Jews. Who was John the Baptist preaching to? The Jews; he was not targeting the Gentiles. Who was Jesus preaching to? The Jews. This is why when the Canaanite woman came to Jesus,
She said, "Lord! Heal my daughter!"
Jesus said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
Jesus meant that His time had not yet come; He was explaining the gospel to His people. As for the Gentiles, God has an order: first let the children be filled, then supply to the Gentiles. Do you understand?
This is the order. To put it in terms everyone can understand: first let a portion of people become wealthy to drive another portion. Once you say it, you understand, because you have all experienced it. I want to tell everyone: first let a portion of people receive the gospel, and through this portion, spread the gospel. Amen! You are the elite soldiers; it is the same in your area. First, receive the gospel, and through you, spread it. The path we walk is actually in the Bible; as long as we follow the principles in the Bible, we will surely succeed.
In the Old Covenant, John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance, and there was a condition: you must first repent and then wait for the remission of sins. Did John the Baptist have the authority to forgive sins? No. Who was he waiting for? Jesus Christ. This group of people went to John the Baptist to confess their sins for the remission of sins, and they had to wait for the coming of Jesus Christ. When were their sins forgiven? When Jesus Christ came. All those born before Jesus Christ had to first believe that a Savior would come later who could forgive their sins. Did they come to Jesus and confess that they were sinners, acknowledging that they had committed many sins?
They acknowledged their sins and believed in Jesus Christ; at that time, He was not called Jesus Christ; they called Him the Messiah. After the Messiah came, He could forgive all my sins, but these things were only truly accomplished after Jesus was crucified. John the Baptist himself did not have the authority to forgive sins; the true authority to forgive sins is with Jesus. Amen!
When Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven," and when Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you," it was because Jesus was soon to be crucified and would pay the price for their sins, but they had to first repent. You must first repent, which means you must change your thoughts! If you do not change your thoughts, you cannot receive God's gospel.
The Jews were the same; they believed they had to repent first, and after repentance, they had to be baptized, which means entering the water. Today, in the region of Israel, it is still the same. Whenever they repent, they must enter the immersion pool. Unfortunately, this doctrine has also been brought into the country, and many people say, "Just believing is not enough for salvation; you must be baptized to be saved; if you believe but are not baptized, you will not be saved."
Is this under the Old Covenant or the New Covenant? This is under the Old Covenant. Because something very miraculous happened at that time, did the thief who was crucified with Jesus get baptized? No. Was he saved? Yes. How do we know he was saved? Jesus said very clearly, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." Did that man get baptized? No opportunity.
Many people say without looking at the Bible: "You must be baptized; if you are not baptized, you will not be saved." Today, I want to clarify this for everyone: repentance is the renewal of our thoughts; it is the renewal of what is inside us, not external behavior. Amen! Some religions have their children baptized eight days after birth, and after baptism, they are considered saved. Is that effective?
If that were the case, it would be great to open a clinic in the hospital; as long as a child is born, after eight days, you come over, dip them in water, and your child can go to heaven. But is that effective? What God wants to say about repentance is a change of mind. In the Old Covenant, those people went to John the Baptist to confess their sins; how can an eight-day-old infant confess sins? Do they know they are sinful? No. We must return to the Bible. Amen!
Confession was something the Israelites knew in the Old Covenant. John the Baptist said, "Come to me, confess your sins." When this was said, did the Jews know what sins they had committed? Yes, because they had been under the law for about 1500 years and were very familiar with Moses' law. When John the Baptist said, "You are sinners," they acknowledged it. They came to John the Baptist and said, "I am a sinner who has committed many sins; what should I do?" John the Baptist said, "Go into the water." This was a baptismal ceremony; going into the water represents death, and coming out of the water represents resurrection. Hallelujah!
This is how it was under the Old Covenant: you must first repent and confess your sins, then wait to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! This was a special thing during the time of John the Baptist. Before John the Baptist, they were all looking forward to believing that a Messiah would come in the future to redeem and forgive their sins. This lamb is a foreshadowing of the future; the true entity is the Messiah. Seeing the lamb means seeing the true entity in the future. People in the Old Covenant believed that the Messiah would come to forgive their sins. Amen!
In the time of Jesus, John the Baptist's message was quite special. John the Baptist's meaning was: a mighty One is coming after me who will forgive your sins; this is a future tense. Then when Jesus was on the cross, it became present tense. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." If someone at the foot of the cross said, "I accept You; I am a sinner," their sins would be immediately forgiven.
People in the Old Covenant believed that a Messiah would come in the future; at the foot of the cross, if they believed, their sins would be forgiven immediately; this is present tense. We believe that because Jesus Christ has already been crucified, my sins have already been forgiven. We believe in the Jesus who has already come and has already been crucified, who has cleansed my sins with His blood. So we believe in the past tense. Amen! Can you distinguish this? Whether in the Old Covenant, in the time of Jesus, or today, we believe in the same Lord; it is not two or three; it is one.
At the time of John the Baptist, Jesus had not yet come; he could only say, "You all come here, confess your sins, because you know the law and know you are lawbreakers. Acknowledge your sins, be baptized, and wait for the One who is coming after me." Amen! This is why they all went to John the Baptist to confess their sins and be baptized in the Jordan River. Therefore, "confession and repentance" was something the Jews in the Old Covenant were aware of; it was also one of the messages that had to be taught in the Jewish law. Amen! Should we teach this? Yes, when a person has not believed in Jesus, when he believes in Jesus, he should be made to acknowledge that he is a sinner. Amen! Thank the Lord.
1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Who is the audience of the first chapter of 1 John? It is also the Jews, but he focuses on the Gnostic heresy. We have talked before about a very scary sect of Gnosticism that said, "We are sinless; we have not sinned; the flesh sins, but our spirit is holy." They did whatever they wanted in the church, and many Jews had already been infected by them. When John saw this state, he said to those Jews who had been caught up in heresy, "You must acknowledge that you are sinners." "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us all our sins."
Do you see that this is slightly different from John the Baptist? John the Baptist said, "Come to me, confess your sins, receive baptism, and wait for the One who is coming after me." But by the time of John, Jesus had already been crucified, so he said, "You must confess your sins; He is faithful and just to forgive you all your sins." Has it already become a completed tense? This proves that Jesus has already completed this matter; as long as you acknowledge you are a sinner, the blood of Jesus can cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Do you see the difference?
So in the New Covenant, not only John but also Peter and James primarily targeted the Jews. Which apostle's message was aimed at the Gentiles? Paul. In Paul's letters, did he tell you to keep the law? Paul, such a great servant of God, did he ever mention confession? No. Why did he ignore such an important message? Many people say, "You always talk about God's righteousness and grace; why don't you talk about confession? Why don't you talk about something that makes people cry?"
I say, "Do you want to cry? You don't need me to talk; just leave Jesus, and you will cry soon." Isn't that simple? So let me emphasize again: John, Peter, and James all made statements against the Gnostic heresy; you can read carefully or search for my series of sermons online, especially what James said clearly against heresy. Paul also mentioned it in 2 Timothy, and Peter mentioned it in his letters. What do these things tell us? The primary audience is the Jews; the Jews know where their problems lie; they have the law to keep and follow.
But the Gentiles do not even know what the Ten Commandments are; how can they know how many sins they have committed? Many people say, "We need to teach the law to the Gentiles and have them keep this and that." In the book of Acts, did Paul argue with those Jews for this reason? At that time, what did Paul say? "Why do you impose a yoke on the Gentiles that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear?"
You are putting the things from the Ten Commandments and our ancestors' regulations on the Gentiles, and Paul said, "You cannot keep it yourself, yet you want to impose it on others?" The audience is very important. You must understand that John the Baptist's audience was primarily the Jews. Amen! 1 John 1:9 was not written for believers; it was for Jews who had not yet believed and those caught up in heresy. John hoped they could turn back. Hallelujah!
So when John the Baptist preached the gospel to the Jews, he was very unceremonious. Look at how he said it: "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down." This is the message John the Baptist preached to the Jews. Did the Jews know? They knew how corrupt they were; they knew they should indeed be cut down.
But did Paul ever talk about these things to the Gentiles? No, why didn't Paul talk? Paul could have said, "Look at your behavior! You are far worse than our compatriots; you should have been cut down long ago." Why didn't Paul say that? Do you think your behavior is better than that of the Jews? It is not just a little worse, right? But God said to them, "If you do not repent, the axe is already laid at the root." Shouldn't we have been cut down long ago? Do not compare behaviors with them because now they know what sins they have committed, while the Gentiles do not know.
For those Jews, we must first tell them: you are under the law and must acknowledge that you are sinners. Is this the effect of the law? After reading the Ten Commandments, do you know you are a sinner? So you need Jesus, right? We already know, so the effect of the law has already been achieved. Please listen carefully: the main content of John the Baptist's message was not to make people aware of how many sins they had committed; John the Baptist did not need to talk about these things. What did he need to talk about?
Mark 1:7-8,
7 He preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
This is the content John the Baptist preached. Who was he preaching about? If you do not preach Jesus, do not say you are preaching; that is just commentary or storytelling; it is not preaching. The word is Jesus. John the Baptist was preaching the word; who is the word? Jesus. John the Baptist was preaching Jesus. John the Baptist tells you, "Do not look at me; I am useless. Acknowledge your sins, then be baptized, and wait for the One who is coming after me." Is he still pointing people to Jesus? After Jesus came, how did John the Baptist say? "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
Now Jesus has not yet come, so he said, "One will come after me." How should we preach? Every time I preach, I will tell you: What has Jesus done for you? No matter what problem you are facing, come to Jesus. This is the message of repentance. Amen! John the Baptist also acknowledged that he could not do anything, so he said, "He who comes after me is mightier than I." Do you believe that Jesus' power is the greatest? Do not say your power is great; you should say, "Actually, we cannot do anything; it is Jesus who does it."
Luke 16:16 also says, "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time, the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it."
How do you strive to enter the kingdom of heaven? By doing good? By repenting? By believing in Jesus? When Jesus said this, the audience was still the Jews! Because during the three and a half years of Jesus' ministry, there were very few Gentiles. Although Jesus was preaching the message of the New Covenant to them, their minds were as hard as wood; they could not remember after one telling, and they still wanted to strive. After one telling, they still could not remember and wanted to strive, so Jesus said, "The law and the prophets were until John."
What does "until" mean? It means it has come to an end. The law and the prophets ended with John; from then on, the gospel of the kingdom of God was preached. Amen! Do not rely on the old way of striving to keep the law to enter the kingdom of heaven; it is not like that anymore. What do we rely on now? We can rely on faith in Jesus.
In Mark 1:14-15, Jesus makes His appearance after John is put in prison.
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Where did the gospel begin? From whom? It began with Jesus. Mark 1:1 says, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
Is John the beginning of the gospel? No, Jesus is. Is Jesus' message the same as John's? It is different, but does it conflict with John? It does not conflict. Always remember: the New Covenant does not conflict with the Old Covenant, but the New Covenant is certainly different from the Old Covenant. Can you understand? If the New Covenant were the same as the Old Covenant, why would there be a distinction between the new and the old? It must be different. If the New Covenant and the Old Covenant are spoken of as the same, then the speaker has a problem. Are we under the New Covenant or the Old Covenant? Is it the New Covenant? Are the Ten Commandments from the Old Covenant or the New Covenant? The Old Covenant. If you cannot even distinguish this, how can you ask people to keep the Ten Commandments? Are you preaching the Old Covenant message or the New Covenant message? The Old Covenant.
Under the New Covenant, the message Jesus preached is different from the message John the Baptist preached. But when Jesus began to preach, where was John the Baptist? In prison. Does that mean he was used up? If so, how terrifying would our God be? "When I can be useful, God says, 'Okay, go to the podium.' One day when I am no longer useful, God kicks me into prison."
John was indeed put in prison because his ministry was finished, but it was not that God abandoned him. God used this matter to tell John the Baptist, "Your task is complete; I will take you back." Do you remember what the highest evaluation Jesus gave John the Baptist was? "Among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist." This is the highest evaluation. However, the next sentence is very important: "But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." What does "the least" refer to?
John the Baptist is indeed the greatest among those born of women, but you are the last prophet under the Old Covenant; you are the last prophet who preached the law. After you, there comes One named Jesus, who no longer preaches the things under the law, saying, "You must strive to enter the kingdom of heaven by the law." It is not that kind of message anymore. After John the Baptist, Jesus preached the message of "Believe, for the kingdom of heaven is open; those who believe will receive."
So verse 15 says, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
John the Baptist also preached that the kingdom of heaven is near; you must repent. How do you repent? Come to me to be baptized, but it is not to come to me to die; it is to come to me to be baptized. After being baptized, what do you do? Wait for the coming of Jesus. When Jesus came, His message was different from John's. What did Jesus say? Who is the beginning of the gospel? Jesus. To put it more directly, He wants you to believe in Jesus. Amen!
Do not believe incorrectly; do not believe in John the Baptist; do not believe in Paul or Peter; their abilities are not as great as Jesus'. In fact, there is another important reason why God let John the Baptist rest; after all, John the Baptist was an Old Covenant prophet, and the message he preached was the message of the law. If he were with Jesus, the two messages would conflict. That ministry has ended, so let it end. Please remember: when Jesus arrives, all the prophecies of the prophets come to an end. Amen! Because all these have been fulfilled in Jesus, hallelujah!
Is the good news that Jesus preached the gospel? The original Greek word for "gospel" means: good news. So Jesus brought good news to people. What good news? By behavior, one can only fall under a curse and punishment, but now there is good news: by faith, believing in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, one can obtain the righteousness that has always been unattainable. Therefore, the book of Acts also tells us that what could not be obtained in the past can now be obtained by believing in Jesus; this is good news.
Should we repent? We should renew our thoughts. This message is closely related to the Jews; for them, this is good news. No matter how hard they try, they cannot meet God's requirements or standards, but Jesus comes to tell them: the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near; you must repent.
What does it mean? It means to change your thoughts. In the past, the Jews believed they could keep the law by their own efforts; there were those who boasted and were self-righteous. Is that the case now? Therefore, in the time of Jesus, there were Pharisees and scribes; did they let go of their own concepts? No. So they could not accept Jesus. Repentance under the New Covenant is: to abandon your own righteousness, to let go of your preconceived notions, to give up pretending to have righteousness, and to put all these down and believe in Jesus Christ.
In the original text, "The kingdom of God is near; you must repent and believe in the gospel," the more accurate expression is to abandon your past fixed notions, and you will see that the kingdom of God is about to come. Is the kingdom of God coming visible to everyone? What kind of people can see it? Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Why can these people see? It is actually very simple: they have let go of their past fixed notions and simply believe in Jesus, and they see. Using this sentence to preach the gospel to those who have not yet believed is actually quite effective.
Many people always ask, "Where is your God? If you want me to see Him, I will believe in Him."
And our answer using the Bible is very simple: "When you believe, you will see."
This is what Jesus meant when He said, "The kingdom of heaven is near; you must repent and believe in the gospel." What He wants to express is: first, put down your past fixed notions and attachments, and you will see that the kingdom of God is about to come. Did this happen when Jesus was crucified? Yes. How do we tell others? When you put down your fixed self-righteousness, your performance, and your efforts, you will see the power of Jesus, and you will see that the kingdom of God has been opened to you. If you want to rely on your self-righteousness, you cannot be justified; repentance under the New Covenant is to give up your pretended performance.
Today, many people are still under the repentance of the Old Covenant, coming before God saying, "Lord, I was wrong; I was thoroughly wrong; I know I have committed many sins; I am the chief of sinners!" Just because he says he is the chief of sinners, does that mean he has truly repented? I tell you, true repentance is not necessarily verbal. If you do not understand this, let me tell you a phenomenon. For example, when an elderly person passes away, some children cry uncontrollably at the funeral, and the whole village can hear their wailing. That does not necessarily mean it is genuine. If it were genuine, there would be no sound; do you know that? True sorrow is from within, not surface-level; on the surface, the louder the sound, the more likely it is a show.
God looks at our hearts. A person kneels down, closes the door, and cries out inside, and then others say, "Look how thoroughly this person has repented." You are not repenting before God; you are repenting before people; you make people think you are a good person. But true repentance is: renewing our thoughts! If you have done something wrong, can you confess to God? Yes! But do not say, "Lord, I was wrong; please forgive me for this sin." That becomes repentance and confession under the Old Covenant. What does true repentance mean? "Lord, help me; give me strength to overcome myself and sin." This is true repentance. Hallelujah! The key is the renewal of your thoughts, not the external. If the external changes but the heart does not, it is still a troublesome matter!
In the Old Covenant, there was a person who also preached repentance; of course, there is more in the New Covenant. I just want to tell everyone: the message of repentance does not necessarily mention repentance. When I tell you, "You must repent," do you know how to do it? But if I tell you the way of living in God's word, the way of living in the Bible, and you are willing to live according to that way, is that not repentance? Yes, that is true repentance.
In the Old Covenant, there was a man named Jonah, who went to Nineveh and preached, "Repent, you wicked people!" Did he say that? No. What did he say? "In forty days, you will be destroyed." I am not exaggerating; did Jonah want them to live or die? He wanted them all to die because the people of Nineveh often bullied Israel. So Jonah, in order to see these people be destroyed by fire or judged by God, did not hesitate to stay outside the city for possibly thirty-nine days. Originally, it would take three days to walk through the city, but how many days did he walk? This guy did one-third of the work and then stopped; he walked for one day.
Did Jonah mention the word repentance? He did not mention the word repentance, but was his message about repentance? Yes. "In forty days, you will be destroyed." He told those people with gritted teeth, possibly saying as he walked, "In forty days, you will be destroyed." Is this not a message of repentance? Yes, so when the king heard it, he realized there was no chance left, so he told everyone in the city to wear sackcloth and ashes and began to repent. Did it achieve the effect of repentance? Yes.
But did Jonah mention the word repentance? We must not be too particular; many people say, "Why do I not see you preaching the message of repentance?" You have not seen that my title is repentance; I can change all the titles of my messages to repentance, and you would say, "Yes, this person preaches repentance every day." But is that repentance? I can not mention the word "repentance," but I am always preaching about repentance, which is updating our thoughts to be in sync with Jesus. Hallelujah!
In the New Covenant, there was a man named Philip, who preached in Samaria. Did he mention the word "repentance"? No, he was only preaching Christ, and as a result, the whole city accepted Christ. Is that not repentance? When you preach God's love, saying, "We are sinners, and we need the salvation of Jesus Christ," and the person says, "I am willing to believe in Jesus," is that not repentance? You may not verbally say the word "repentance," but your message must be about Jesus, leading people to update their thoughts and behaviors; this is repentance! Repentance under grace happens every time you come; when you hear the message, you are in the process of repentance. Hallelujah!
In verses 7-8, John said, "He preached, saying, 'There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'"
The baptism of the Jews is to immerse the whole person in water; this is the baptism of repentance that John the Baptist preached: preparing people's hearts, turning to Jesus, and waiting for the Lord Jesus to come. But John the Baptist made it very clear, "I am nothing." So water baptism is nothing, but is it important? Yes, but what is more important? The baptism of the Holy Spirit. Who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit? "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Is this referring to Jesus? How does Jesus baptize us with the Holy Spirit?
Remember how John the Baptist baptized people? He had people go into the water. How do you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit? It is actually quite similar to John's method; their ministries are very similar, but there is a difference. John the Baptist said, "You come, acknowledge your sins, and then receive my water baptism." People went into the water. What about Jesus? "Come to me, acknowledge you are a sinner, and then receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit." When you accept Jesus, you also acknowledge you are a sinner, and you enter into the Holy Spirit. Amen!
John the Baptist had people go into the water; when you believe in Jesus, you enter into the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is also within you. Are you in the Holy Spirit now? So when you accept Jesus, you are always immersed in the Holy Spirit. You want to believe in Jesus; Jesus first forgives all your sins, allowing you to enter into the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit begins to pour out on you; you are completely immersed in the Holy Spirit forever. Do not say, "Holy Spirit, please come down." He has already come down; He has never left. You have always been immersed in the Holy Spirit. Amen! What do we need to do? Understand the work of the Holy Spirit and then carefully listen to His voice. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord!
9 Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!"
As mentioned earlier, John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance. Those who came to him had to confess their sins and then be baptized. After that, did they also have to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit? Because under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit had not yet come. So John the Baptist said, "I indeed baptized you with water, but He who comes after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." This was truly seen on the day of Pentecost. Amen! After Jesus Christ died, the Holy Spirit came down, and those who believed were filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Amen! Here, John made a prophecy: "I baptize you with water, but you will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit."
However, Jesus is different. Those who came to John the Baptist had to acknowledge their sins. What about Jesus? Did He have any sins? He certainly did not need to acknowledge His sins, right? So pay attention: Jesus is the only unique one. Other people came to John the Baptist and said, "I have violated the law; I have broken the law; I cannot keep God's commandments; I acknowledge I am a sinner," and they were baptized, going into the water and coming out, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come.
Now with the arrival of Jesus, He personally testified to the phenomenon of the forgiveness of sins and the coming of the Holy Spirit. You could say Jesus is the firstfruits! Now it is! Have you not been listening to John's message? The Holy Spirit is going to come down; you are going to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit? When Jesus arrived, He personally showed you what it looks like. So when Jesus came up from the water, did the Holy Spirit immediately descend upon Him like a dove? A voice from heaven said to Him, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." So is this an initial fruit?
After Jesus was crucified in the New Covenant, those who believe are the same as this. You must believe that when you say, "Lord Jesus, I acknowledge I am a sinner; I believe Your precious blood has cleansed all my sins; now please let the Holy Spirit enter my heart." Do you know what happens in heaven? In heaven, God looks at you the same way He looks at Jesus; your sin problem has been solved, and you are also a person who has been resurrected from the dead. God also says to you, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!"
You have not done any ministry, just like Jesus. When Jesus came up from the water, it proved He had been accepted by the Father. He had not done a single thing or performed any miracles, but our Heavenly Father had already accepted Him. You must remember one thing: this is the important message of repentance we need: when you accept Jesus at that moment, acknowledge you are a sinner, and accept Jesus as your Savior, heaven is opened for you. Our Heavenly Father says to you the same words He said to Jesus: you are the beloved of God. Hallelujah!
You are accepted by the Father not because of what you have done, but because Jesus has cleansed your sins. So when He has cleansed your sins, heaven is opened for you; your sins have been forgiven, and the Father is pleased with you. He says, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Remember this sentence firmly, and it will lead you to victory in everything in your life. When Jesus heard the Father say this to Him, the Holy Spirit began to lead Him into the wilderness to face the devil's temptation, but He overcame. Where did the power to overcome come from? It came from the Father telling Him, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
No matter what situation you encounter, remember you are loved by the Father, and He is pleased with you. You can also overcome any situation you face. Amen! So when you believe in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit dwells within you, you should believe you are a saved person.
In Acts 10:43-44, 43 All the prophets witness to Him that through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.
Do you believe that the blood of Jesus has cleansed all your sins? Do you believe He died for your sins and rose from the dead three days later? If you believe this, your sins have been forgiven in the name of Jesus Christ.
Then verse 44 says, While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
The Holy Spirit also dwells in your heart, not because of what you have done, but because you have believed in Jesus. Because of the name of Jesus Christ, all your sins have been forgiven; whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins. Those who have already believed in Jesus Christ need to renew our thoughts. It is not about striving to ask the Holy Spirit to help you; He has never left you. You have always been in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has always been in your heart. You just need to learn one thing: to use the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Every day, we place God's words in our hearts, and the Holy Spirit will remind you at the right time which words to use. We call this "wisdom." When Jesus preached, the Holy Spirit was with Him, and many challenged Him. Jesus also understood the Old Testament law; He also knew the Father's heart. When those who challenged Him spoke, Jesus could quickly respond to them with concise words; this is wisdom. Last week, I talked about the book of James, mentioning that we need wisdom, not just knowledge. What is wisdom? It is skillfully using your knowledge. If you only have knowledge without wisdom, that is dead knowledge; when it is time to use it, you do not know how to use it, and that is troublesome.
There are many words in the Bible; which one should you use? If you have sinned, can I give you any verse from the Bible? But what you are given determines how your life will be. Just like Judas Iscariot, he knew he had sinned; he came to the high priest and said, "I have sold innocent blood; I am guilty." What did the high priest say? "You bear it yourself." As a result, Judas went out and hanged himself.
If you have sinned and come to me saying, "Teacher Ren, what should I do?" If I say, "You bear it yourself," I estimate you will not have a good ending. A sister had a miscarriage due to an accident, and her pastor told her, "You have killed someone; God will not let you go." This became a kind of bondage, and in the end, this sister did not want to live anymore; she just wanted to jump off a building. The Bible does say, "Whoever kills will die by the sword," but how do you use it on your brothers and sisters? This is called lack of wisdom; it is called dead knowledge. Dead knowledge can kill people.
We have the Holy Spirit guiding us; the Holy Spirit brings you life, not death. Amen! In the Holy Spirit, Romans 8 says, "Those who are led by the Spirit are the ones who have life and peace." The Holy Spirit is in your heart; He will guide you to make the right repentance, not to die like Judas Iscariot. Today, the Holy Spirit will guide you to repent and walk towards life, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Repentance is changing your thoughts. Perhaps you have encountered many problems, and you say, "Lord, I do not know what to do?"
The Holy Spirit has already dwelled in your heart, so you must follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide you according to the words in the Bible at the right time, letting you know what His will is. At the right time, He will give you eloquence, allowing you to speak words that build others up because the Holy Spirit will not lead you to death; He will lead you to life. You must believe this.
Let us pray together:
We are currently in the process of repentance. Lord, through Your words, You are renewing my thoughts. You are being renewed; you are in the process of repentance. Repentance is not a one-time event or a one-day event; it happens every time during gatherings when you are being renewed. Every time you read the Bible, you are being renewed. Every time you pray, you are willing to let the Holy Spirit help you; you are being renewed and are in the process of repentance.
When you encounter problems and pray to God, you are in the process of repentance. Because of Jesus, you begin to repent to Him. Therefore, repentance is the renewal of our thoughts. I wish for my brothers and sisters to renew your thoughts. This week is an extraordinary week; it is a week blessed by God, a week where Jesus Christ is with you, a week where the Holy Spirit is with you. It is not about asking the Holy Spirit to come down; the Holy Spirit has already dwelled in your heart.
At the moment you accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit has already dwelled in your heart; He will never leave you. You say, "Holy Spirit, please help me; grant me wisdom so that I can have the wisdom of Jesus in my life." He will help you. If you have never heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, you can also pray, "Holy Spirit, let me hear Your voice." One day, perhaps when you calm down, you will hear a voice inside saying, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
I believe many people have had such feelings and experiences; they have heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, and this comfort comes from within. You must believe that today, when you accept Jesus, you are immersed in the Holy Spirit; you have not come out. The Holy Spirit dwells in you, and you are in the Holy Spirit. From a spiritual perspective, you are immersed in the Holy Spirit; this is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You have never left the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has never left you because you are a child of God. When the precious blood of Jesus forgives all your sins, you are in the Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for this. Thank You for loving me this way. Let the Holy Spirit renew me; let Your words renew me. I thank You for this. I believe I will see miracles manifest in my life. I will see Your life-giving power displayed in my family and my life. I am also a channel of the gospel; many will be changed through my hands and my mouth. Jesus, You will convey this message of life through me. Hallelujah! I thank You for this. All glory be to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen! Hallelujah!