Repent to Whom?

 To whom?     

We are discussing repentance. Last time we talked about the fact that YES. You need to repent. You cannot just say a prayer and willfully live on in sin. It is an action word meaning "to turn around," "to return," or "to reverse direction." It is used hundreds of times in a purely physical sense—like turning back on a road or returning home.

Today I’m going to ask you a question. A simple one. One that seems like an easy, one-word answer that you would hear in a Bible Study, or during Sunday School. To whom shall you repent? God? However, there is a bit more to it than that. Let us pray. 

Father, we come before you today with thanksgiving and praise. We thank you for all that we have. We thank you for life itself and for life everlasting. We give you praise because you are the Alpha and the Omega, the great I AM. There is none like you. Father, as we enter your Word today, we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and the Spirit to receive your truth and revelations. Father, please grant us wisdom today to learn what you want us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

We have a pretty good concept of what repentance is, which begs the question: to whom? When you dig into Scripture, repentance isn’t just a vertical transaction between a person and God; it has a massive horizontal component. To whom shall we repent?  Both the Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) terms match those vertical and horizontal directions perfectly. 

In the Old Testament, the primary word for repentance is shuv. It is an action word meaning "to turn around," "to return," or "to reverse direction." It is used hundreds of times in a purely physical sense, such as turning back on a road or returning home. When the prophets used shuv, they weren't asking Israel to feel guilty; they were telling them they were walking the wrong way down a one-way street and needed to do a physical U-turn. 

One of my favorite verses; I wish America would listen to this one. 

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Then you have the Prophet Ezekiel, who recorded this. 

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” Ezekiel 18:30-32 

Then, of course, you have Isaiah, who recorded this. 

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7 

Stop. How does God have compassion on you? How does God abundantly pardon you? Forgive you? Is it a blanket statement? God loves you, so He pardons you? No. It said you have to do something first. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord," THEN God can forgive you. In the New Testament? Jesus? Following His temptation, He said this. 

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15 

He told His disciples this. 

“No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3

One last one. 

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:19

Pretty clear. We are called to repent to God, meaning to turn away. To stop doing what we were doing. You mean I cannot live however I want? I thought He died for all sins, past, present, and future, so I can live how I want because He already covered it. That is a lie straight from the evil one. Do not be misled. 

Vertically: It means returning to the Covenant with God: "Return to me, and I will return to you," Malachi 3:7.

Then you have this. Horizontally: You cannot "turn back" to God while still walking away from justice and your neighbor. Shuv requires changing your actual behavior and how you treat others.

In the New Testament, the word is metanoia (the verb is metanoeō), which attacks the root of why we sin. Meta = change/transform (like metamorphosis). Noia (from nous) = mind/intellect/perspective. Put together, metanoia literally means "a change of mind" or "a transformation of your core perspective."

This is crucial for a modern audience because we often confuse metanoia with remorse (feeling bad). Remorse is Judas feeling terrible about betraying Jesus, but hanging himself anyway. Metanoia is Peter weeping bitterly, changing his perspective, and turning back to lead the early church. It is a complete paradigm shift. You see God differently, you see yourself differently, and more importantly, you see your neighbor differently.

When you combine the two testaments, you get a beautiful, complete definition of biblical repentance. Metanoia is the internal shift (changing how you think), and Shuv is the external action (changing how you walk).

If you change your mind (metanoia) but don't change your direction (shuv), it’s just empty philosophy. If you change your outward direction but your heart isn't in it, it’s just legalism. True biblical repentance requires both. Reshaping your vertical devotion to God and your horizontal relationships with the people around you.

 

Christ's crucifixion is the ultimate receipt of what our sin cost. Repentance here is aligning our minds with God's truth about our sin, turning away from it, and turning toward Him.

This is where the message gets practical and challenging. Scripture explicitly commands us to repent and confess to the people we have harmed. I know. I will say that again. Scripture explicitly commands us to repent and confess to the people we have harmed.

Think of it this way. True vertical repentance always bears horizontal fruit.

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." James 5:16

In Matthew 5:23-24,  Jesus says if you are offering a gift at the altar and remember your brother has something against you, leave your gift. 

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” 

Jesus literally prioritizes horizontal reconciliation over vertical ritual. Zacchaeus, Luke 19:8

“And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, 'Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." Luke 19:8

When the tax collector repents, he doesn't just say, "I'm sorry, God." He looks at the people he cheated and promises fourfold restitution. Repentance to those we’ve wronged validates our repentance to God.

We always want to hide our sin. Always. It is our sin. It is our secret. Remember what Jesus said? 

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." John 3:19-21

However? 

 “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23 

 “There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.” Luke 12:2

“God will “bring to light the things hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts'” 1 Corinthians 4:5

In the New Testament, sin is rarely seen as purely private. Because believers are "one body," a sin by one member impacts the whole organism. When a believer's sin impacts the community or brings reproach on the church, repentance involves the community. In 2 Corinthians 2:5-8, Paul describes a man who had caused grief to the whole church, but because he repented, the church was called to "forgive and comfort him" and to reaffirm their love for him.

If we only repent to God, we treat grace as a cheap escape hatch that bypasses the mess we made on earth. If we only repent to people, we treat sin as a mere social blunder rather than a spiritual crisis. A complete biblical theology of repentance requires both the vertical cry for mercy and the horizontal step toward reconciliation.

So now we understand what true repentance is. Now we better understand them. The next question is? When? This is what we will discuss next time. 

Remember, you can always find this, and so much more, in the archives, over at TAG

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the Lord our God go before you as your way maker, as well as behind you as your rear guard, and may He be with you always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Song of Solomon 1

 Song of Solomon, Chapter 1

1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.

The Bride Confesses Her Love

She

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

For your love is better than wine;

3     your anointing oils are fragrant;

your name is oil poured out;

    therefore virgins love you.

4 Draw me after you; let us run.

    The king has brought me into his chambers.

Others

We will exult and rejoice in you;

    we will extol your love more than wine;

    rightly do they love you.

She

5 I am very dark, but lovely,

    O daughters of Jerusalem,

like the tents of Kedar,

    like the curtains of Solomon.

6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark,

    because the sun has looked upon me.

My mother's sons were angry with me;

    they made me keeper of the vineyards,

    but my own vineyard I have not kept!

7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves,

    where you pasture your flock,

    where you make it lie down at noon;

for why should I be like one who veils herself

    beside the flocks of your companions?

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

8 If you do not know,

    O most beautiful among women,

follow in the tracks of the flock,

    and pasture your young goats

    beside the shepherds' tents.

9 I compare you, my love,

    to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots.

10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,

    your neck with strings of jewels.

Others

11 We will make for you ornaments of gold,

    studded with silver.

She

12 While the king was on his couch,

    my nard gave forth its fragrance.

13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh

    that lies between my breasts.

14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms

    in the vineyards of Engedi.

He

15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love;

    behold, you are beautiful;

    your eyes are doves.

She

16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.

Our couch is green;

17     the beams of our house are cedar;

    our rafters are pine.

Footnotes

Song of Solomon 1:2 The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words

Song of Solomon 1:11 The Hebrew for you is feminine singular

Repentance, or Not?

 What the Word Says

This is a growing debate. I do not understand why, no. No, that is not true. I do understand why. Is repentance required? By whom? To whom? When? This is what we will be talking about. Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, LORD God, we come before you with joyful hearts today. We thank you for all we have, and we pray for forgiveness of our sins and our foolishness. Thank you so much for Your grace and all of the blessings You have and continue to bless us with. Father, as we enter into Your Word, we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a Spirit to understand what You want us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

I truly do not understand the debate. How would anyone read this (Holding up the Bible) and come away with the conclusion that repentance is not needed? Then you will have some who will respond ok, ok. Repentance is needed, but for everyone? To whom are we to repent? The God of the Bible? Does God’s grace not cover all of us? We will start today with what repentance is. 

What repentance is not is saying “Oops, sorry. I did it again. Forgive me until tomorrow.” Or even “Father, forgive me for what I’m about to do.” I have indeed prayed that prayer. I do not know about you. But I know people who are so entrenched in their sins that they ask for forgiveness before and after, sometimes during, their sin. So in love with their sin, they simply do not want to give it up. Some examples? Sex, drugs, greed, and even hate. 

I know, Father, you don’t like this. But I just cannot stop. I have to do this. I know, Lord, you say to love everyone, but I just can’t love this person. Or these people. I understand that sex outside of marriage between one man and one woman is sin. But it feels so good. Looking at uh, stuff? Who cares? I’m not hurting anyone, and no one knows anyway. 

God does. He wants what is best for you. Now make no mistake about it. I’m about to upset some people. Drinking alcohol is not a sin. Smoking marijuana is not a sin. Wait what? The Bible tells us often that people drank wine. Jesus Himself drank wine. The Bible is not anti-alcohol. It is anti-drunkenness. The Bible's concern is that you do not lose control. That you do not indulge to the point where your mental capacity is compromised. 

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” Ephesians 5:18 

And 

“Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!” Isaiah 5:11

But rather, God wants you to be filled with the Spirit. 

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:13 

What about greed? 

“A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.” Proverbs 28:25

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” 1 Timothy 6:9 

Of course, Jesus said this. 

“And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 

Let's talk about sex. Listen. Hear me. Anything, anything, outside of the marriage between one man and one woman, is sin. Anything.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24

Once married, 

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Hebrews 13:4 

Then, not only are you encouraged to, you are commanded to. 

“The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” 1 Corinthians 7:3-5

What is fornication? Again, ANYTHING outside of marriage is sin. Sex before marriage. Homosexuality, Transgenderism, Pedophilia, Beastiality- yes, all these are talked about in the Bible. Homosexuality- Leviticus 18:1-5, 22-24, 29, Leviticus 20:13, Ezekiel 16:49-51, Romans 1:18-32, just to name a few. Transgenderism- Deuteronomy 22:5, Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 11:14-15, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, Pedophilia - Mark 9:42, Luke 17:1-37, 2 Timothy 3:1-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-6, Beastiality- Leviticus 18:19-30, Exodus 22:19 

Did you know that sexual sin is the worst? I’m not some old fudy dudy; oh, I’m never saying that again; that is just making this up. 

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

Therefore, there is no doubt that sin is real and against God. 

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

Read that again. “Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” What do we need to do then? Repent. Repentance (along with faith) is a covenant requirement of both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. But what is repentance?  Is it spiritual sorrow?  Is it a cessation of sinning?  The best place in the NT for understanding the different connotations of this concept is 2 Corinthians 7:8-11, where three related, but different, Greek terms are used. 

“For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it--though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point, you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.”

The word " sorrow" (lupeō, cf. Verse 8 [twice], V 9 [thrice], V 10 [twice]. It means grief or distress and has a theologically neutral connotation.

"Repentance" (metanoeō; cf. V. 9, 10).  It is a compound of "after" and "mind," implying a new mind, a new way of thinking, and a new attitude toward life and God.  This is true repentance.

John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:2, Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3,8.  Peter Acts 2:38, 3:19, 8:22,11:18, 2 Pet. 3:9.  Paul Acts 13:24, 17:30, 20:21, 26:20, Rom. 2:4, 2 Cor. 2:9-10. Jesus Matt. 4:17, Mark 1:15, Luke 5:32, 13:3,5, 15:7, 17:3.  So yes. Repentance is important and is called for. 

The definitions of both the Hebrew and Greek terms are required to grasp the full meaning of repentance. The Hebrew term demands "a change of action," while the Greek term demands "a change of mind."  

The saved person receives a new mind and heart 

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Ezekiel 36:25-27

He thinks differently and lives differently.  Instead of "What's in it for me?" The question is now, "What is God's will?"  Repentance is not an emotion that fades or a total sinlessness, but a new relationship with the Holy One that transforms the believer progressively into a holy one. 

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is no Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave free; but Christ is all, and in all.” Colossians 3:9-11

It is not so much what one ceases doing or gives up, but a new focus or direction in life. The Fall causes us all to face ourselves, but the gospel allows us to face God. Repentance is the turning from, and faith is the turning to. 

Is repentance required? Yes. Now that we've got repentance clear, the next question is, to whom are we to repent? Seems like a pretty silly question. Or is it? This is what we will talk about next time. 

Remember, you can always find this, and so much more, in the archives, over at TAG

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the Lord our God go before you as your way maker, as well as behind you as your rear guard, and may He be with you always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Coming up, Song of Solomon.

 

Hey Folks, it is that time again. The time when we dedicate Wednesdays to a more in-depth look at an entire Book in the Bible. Starting next week, we will begin in Song of Solomon, often The Song of Solomon (also known as the Song of Songs) is a unique book in the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. Unlike much of the surrounding scripture, it is not focused on law, history, or prophecy; instead, it is a collection of deeply passionate love poetry.

Here is a synopsis of its core themes, structure, and interpretations:

The Core Narrative - At its heart, the book is a lyrical dialogue celebrating romantic and physical love between two main speakers. The Beloved (a young woman): Often referred to as the Shulammite woman, who speaks with intense desire, longing, and independence. The Lover (a young man): Frequently associated with or portraying a king (historically attributed to Solomon), who praises her beauty in rich, naturalistic metaphors. The Chorus ("Daughters of Jerusalem"): A group of women who observe, question, and interact with the lovers, acting as a sounding board for the narrative.

The poetry does not follow a strict, linear plot. Instead, it moves through a series of waves, cycles of longing, searching, finding, and celebrating. The lovers express mutual desire, describe each other’s physical beauty using vivid imagery of the ancient Near Eastern landscape (like spices, vineyards, and wildlife), and navigate the intense, sometimes overwhelming power of love.

Key Themes - The book explicitly celebrates the emotional and physical intimacy of human love, presenting it as inherently beautiful, pure, and worthy of praise. It famously describes love as a fierce, unyielding force: 

"For love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame." Song of Solomon 8:6

The frequent imagery of a locked garden, fruit, and flowing springs evokes the themes of purity, exclusivity, and a return to the unashamed innocence of the Garden of Eden.

Because the book explicitly focuses on romantic love and does not directly mention God (with a possible exception in chapter 8 regarding the "blazing flame"), it has historically been understood through two primary lenses:

The Allegorical / Spiritual View: Jewish Tradition: Historically read as an allegory of the deeply passionate, covenantal love between God (the Lover) and the people of Israel (the Beloved).

Christian Tradition: Frequently interpreted as a symbol of the profound spiritual union and love between Jesus Christ and the Church (or the individual human soul).

Modern scholarship widely views the text as a celebration of human romantic love and fidelity, ordained by God as a beautiful and natural part of creation. Join us, won't you, for a walk through this very interesting book. 

You can always reach out to me for questions, comments, or just say "Hi" at truthbygod1@gmail.com. 

Join us every Sunday for various messages, led by God, from His Word, without the traditions of men called religion. Just the Truth According to God.

May the Lord be your way maker, as well as your rear guard. May God be with you. 

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Too Late

 Time's up. 

I want to start by saying this. Well, not I but the Word says this.

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." Matthew 24:36

If I or anyone else tells you, on XYZ day, at XYZ time, Jesus is coming back, do not believe them. Do not believe me. Could the world end tomorrow? Yup. Could Jesus descend from heaven, open that door in the back, walk down that aisle before I'm done speaking today? Yup. 

Let us pray. Father, we come before you today with thanksgiving and praise. We acknowledge you for who you are, God. The creator of all there is, was, or ever will be. We thank you for life itself, for life everlasting, and all things in between. Father, we want to sound the alarm, to blow the trumpet, to tell people the time is near. Please Father, help us to understand by giving us eyes to see, ears to hear, and a spirit to receive what you want us to know today. The time is near; people need to be ready. In Jesus' name we ask and pray, Amen!

Could Jesus return a thousand years from now? Yup. See, the truth is, we have no idea. Jesus even told us we have no idea. However, the Bible does tell us this.

"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all, so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17:26-30

The Bible also tells us this.

"Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!” Luke 12:37-38

We could spend all day talking about the end times. Armageddon. Revelations. The return of Christ. Oh, we could spend weeks breaking it all down. It will happen. It is coming. However, when does it happen? We do not know. But this I know. When it does, it will then be too late to do anything.

Remember, it was not raining, nor even cloudy, when Noah started building the Ark, when God told him to. All those people who died waited until the last minute. But when the flood came, it was too late. In Sodom, the same. They continued to live in their routines. In their sins. They went about their daily lives. Then the fire fell from the sky. Too late.

The Bible says it is coming. So the question is not, will it come, or what do we do when it comes? The question is, what do we do now? As I said, we could talk for weeks about the end times. We could talk for weeks about the Anti-Christ. We could look around and see the decline of America. The slaughter of Christians all around the world. We could talk about the hatred of Jews. The cashless society. The one-world government. We could talk about all the signs and wonders that are depicted in the Bible. We could question: Are we in the End Times?

However, none of this would be all that helpful. What is the best thing for us to do? We should do what the Bible tells us we should. "Occupy till I come." Luke 19:13. In the ESV version, it is said this way: "Engage in business until I come." "Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes."

Remember, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says this.

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."

That last part? You can use the word "religion" here. This move includes the sins of mankind with the teachings of God. In some cases, doing away with God to justify man. Turn away from such. Do not be sucked into believing that compassion and compromise have any place whatsoever in the teaching of the truth according to God.

So what should we, as children of God, be doing in these times? Should we become recluses? Should we lock ourselves away and wait? No. "Occupy till I come." Live your life, "Engage in business until I come," but be watchful and ready. We must not join in with the world but be separated from the sins of the flesh. Jesus told us this.

"If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:19

In Isaiah, we read this.

“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:30-31

You see, even though we know that this end time is coming, and even though we know that the very world we know will indeed pass away, we also know that we are children of God. Look at this in 1 John 3:2

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is."

It doesn't matter if the world sees us as anything special. It doesn't matter what man says at all. It doesn't matter what they believe. We should all be living our lives every day. Then one day, tomorrow or a hundred years from now, Jesus will return. People will be going to work and/or perhaps coming home. People will be eating dinner. People will be sleeping. People will be planning out the next few days, weeks, months, and years.

Then the sky will grow dark. The clouds will form. Jesus will ascend in the clouds. "We shall see him as he is." Oh, He will not be coming as the Lamb this time. He will not be coming to tell you that you must accept all people, no matter who or how they live. He will not be coming to remind us to turn the other cheek. No, no, no. He will be coming as a lion. As a warrior. As a conquering King. 

People will run to Him and fall on their faces. "I did not believe it. But I do now." Too late. Jesus could ask them, "Why did you mock me?" Their answer? "I did not believe it. But I do now." Too late. "Why did you persecute my people?" "I did not believe it. But I do now." Too late. "Why did you kill my people?" "I did not believe it. But I do now." Too late. "Why did you not believe them when they warned you this was coming?" "I did not believe it. But I do now." Too late.

The Religious will run to Him. However? It will not be well for all.

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:21-23

Too late. We do not need to hide. We do not need to fear. We need only to wait on the Lord. Now, today, while there is time. Today. Today, we need to tell people the truth. Today we need to be sowers of the seed. Today we need to be the children of God we claim to be. Share the Gospel. Especially with those you love. Let them know that although these dark days are coming, and they are coming, we have no reason to worry. This same Jesus who will be coming to destroy everything will also be coming to bring us home. What are you waiting for?  Close your eyes. Hear these words. 

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." 

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." 

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 

In his right hand, he held seven stars; from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.  When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Revelation 1:1-18

As sure as you just heard these words, it will happen. Open your eyes. Look around. See what you see. Roman 1 is being played out right in front of us. 2 Timothy 4:3 is happening right in front of us. There is a drop of rain. Did you feel it? Some dark clouds are rolling in. Do you see them? It is getting darker. Time is almost up. 

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Luke 12:40

Be ready. Look around. Then look up. 

“For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

What will tomorrow bring? You do not know. Will it even come? You do not know that either. Today is now. He is available. He is warning us. He is waiting. He will not wait forever. 

Live your life. "Occupy till I come." Be watchful and ready. "When he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Even though it will happen "as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." We need to be assured that we have nothing to fear. Not, as the world does. For we will be with Him. 

Remember, you can find so very much in the archives at TAG 

The Email is, as always, truthbygod1@gmail.com 

May the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

2 Peter 3

 Chapter 3 

The Day of the Lord Will Come

1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them, I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 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. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Final Words

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

God Does Not Force

 God does not want robots. 

If there is an all-knowing, omnipotent God, then there is no free will. He knows who will serve Him and who will not. What is the point? There is, in and of itself, a problem for some. The concept of a Creator who holds ultimate power but chooses to restrain that power to allow for genuine love and free will is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Christian faith.

This is what we will discuss today. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you today in praise and thanksgiving. We thank you, Father, for allowing us to be adopted into your family rather than being forced to be slaves serving you. As we enter your Word, we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to receive and understand your Word and your love. In Jesus' name we ask and pray. Amen!

Here is the main thing. True love requires a choice. If God forced us to serve Him, we would be programmed, not partners. Love forced is not love at all; it’s coercion. From the very beginning, God placed a tree in the garden. The presence of the tree wasn't a trap; it was the presence of a choice. Without the ability to say "no," saying "yes" has no moral or relational value.

Then God gave man a choice. To be obedient, or not to. 

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17

Now I want you to see two things. One, God gives man a choice. Obey or not. Live or die. Two, notice this also. Eve was not there yet. Do you see that? This is also man’s first opportunity to lead in a Godly direction. 

Sounds a bit like this, does it not? 

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:15-20

God desires a relationship, not mere obedience. Robots can obey; only free-willed beings can love. Do you want more examples? Here are a few more powerful passages that highlight God’s invitation versus coercion.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

Jesus knocks; He doesn't kick the door down. He waits for an invitation.

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Joshua echoes God's heart here. The choice is laid out clearly, but the decision is left to the people. Also here. Remember when Jesus was heartbroken? 

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" Matthew 23:37

This shows the heartbreak of God. He has the power to force them, but He respects their will, even when it grieves Him. Imagine a man who wants to marry a woman. Instead of asking her, he uses a chemical to brainwash her into saying yes. Is that a marriage? Does he actually have her love? No. God wants a bride, not a hostage. 

We are going into this detail for a reason. Hang in there. Remember the prodigal Father. No, not the son, although if not for the son, we would not know about the Father. When the prodigal son wanted to leave, the father didn't lock him in his room. Deny his inheritance. No. He gave it to him. He let him go. He watched him walk away with a broken heart. Then, he waited patiently for the son to choose to come home on his own. Luke 15

Knowing this. Should it not change how you live? Not only on Sunday morning, but on Monday? Everyday? See, we can rest knowing that God genuinely wants us. We aren't draft picks who were forced into His army; we are chosen, and we chose Him back.

Now we talked about this aspect before. If God doesn’t force people, we shouldn't either. Our job is to invite, love, and reflect Christ. Not to manipulate or coerce others into faith. Sharing the Truth with others is our obligation; however, their acceptance is not our responsibility. No matter how much you may want someone you love to follow Christ and be saved, it is up to them to do it. To accept and live, or reject and die.  

Now I know, I understand, some disagree with this. Often called "double predestination" or strict Calvinism, they argue that if God is completely sovereign, He must choose every individual outcome, leaving human free will as an illusion. However, this creates a massive theological crisis when it comes to the character of God. 

If Sue goes to hell simply because God skipped over her, it makes salvation an arbitrary lottery and turns God's unconditional love into something highly conditional. If God chooses Sue and forces her to love Him without her consent, it completely redefines the biblical definition of love.

If Sue has absolutely no choice in the matter, how can she be held morally responsible for rejecting God? You cannot justly punish someone for failing to do something they were physically and spiritually incapable of doing. Right? 

Scripture repeatedly commands humans to "repent," "believe," and "choose." If we have no choice, those commands are empty theater. God wouldn't command us to do something we are utterly incapable of doing just to mock our inability.

The argument for absolute predestination usually hinges on verses that say we are "chosen" or "elect." But a closer look at the context of those words often reveals a different meaning. In the ancient world, "choosing" was often corporate, not just individual. God chose the Nation of Israel to be His vehicle for blessing the world. He chose the Church, or the body of believers, to be His bride. Anyone who chooses to enter Christ becomes part of that "chosen" group. Think of it like a cruise ship: God chose the ship and its destination, but individuals still choose to step on board.

In the New Testament, when God "chooses" an individual, it is almost always for a specific task or ministry, not just a ticket to heaven. He chose Paul to carry the gospel to the Gentiles, but Paul still wrote about the necessity of running the race so that he himself wouldn't be disqualified, 1 Corinthians 9:27.

Whenever someone argues this with me, I always have to ask, then what does the word 'whoever' mean? Whoever, whosoever, all, everyone- what do these words mean? These are all part of the universal invitations of the Bible. The Greek word pas ("whosoever" or "everyone") is used intentionally to show that the door is open to all.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

If salvation were restricted to a pre-selected few, it would say "that the elect believe in him." 

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4

If God wants all people saved, but only some are, and He is the only one who has a say, then God's own will is being thwarted by Himself. That makes no sense. Remember,

"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

God is all-powerful. He could force Sue to love Him. He could drag everyone into heaven or push them into hell like chess pieces. But supreme power doesn't mean supreme control. True sovereignty means God is so powerful that He can create a universe with free-willed creatures, allow them to genuinely choose or reject Him, and still ensure His ultimate plans are accomplished. He doesn't need to manipulate Sue to be God’s. He wants her heart, and hearts cannot be forced.

If God doesn't force anyone, then the ball is entirely in our court. That changes everything about how we view our relationship with Him. If salvation isn't a cosmic lottery, if God isn't pulling strings to force some in and lock others out, then that means something incredibly beautiful, but also incredibly urgent for every single one of us here today. It means God is looking at you right now, holding out His hands, and waiting for your reply.

Many people live their lives waiting for God to hit them over the head with a lightning bolt or force them into obedience. They say, "Well, if God wants me to stop this habit, He'll take away the desire," or "If God wants me to serve, He'll make it happen." Sorry, that is an excuse—a copout. God is a gentleman. He won't drag anyone into modern discipleship. If they want a deeper relationship with Him, they have to choose to wake up and pursue it actively.

When people believe God forces or coerces us, Christianity becomes a religion of checklist obligation, of doing things just so we don't get punished. Because God invites rather than forces, our service to Him shouldn't come from fear or guilt. It should come from gratitude. We serve Him not because we have to, but because we want to. It turns "I have to go to church/pray/give" into "I get to."

This is a massive point for how we live on Monday. If the Almighty Creator of the universe refuses to force people to align with Him, we have no right to force, manipulate, or badger people into alignment with us. This changes, or should change,  how we parent, how we treat our spouses, and how we share our faith with neighbors. We stop using guilt, anger, or coercion to get our way. Instead, we learn the patient, long-suffering art of loving invitation. Just like God does.

God’s love is vulnerable. By giving us a choice, He gave us the power to break His heart. And yet, Jesus still chooses to stand at the door and knock. Today, the door doesn't need to be kicked down from the outside. It just needs to be opened from the inside. Are you getting up? Are you ready to open it? He is patient. However, there will come a time when it is too late. 

This is what we will be discussing next time. 

  

Remember, you can always check out the vast archive here at TAG

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!