And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
— Acts 17:30

“I’m an agnostic,” the man seated next to me on the plane answered proudly after I asked him about his religious affiliation. The two of us had been seated by each other for hours during that flight, talking openly about our political views, our different professions, and our educational backgrounds when suddenly the conversion shifted to the subject of religion.

This successful, wealthy man smugly told me about his impressive educational achievements, which were many. I listened carefully, and honestly, I was very impressed with his level of education. He then asked me about my own educational background and listened with great interest when he learned that I was an author and had knowledge of Classical and New Testament Greek. After hearing this, he wanted to talk in greater depth about history and the influence of Greek culture on today’s world.

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It was just before the plane landed that the conversation moved to the subject of religion. That is when I asked him about his faith, and he proudly answered, “I’m an agnostic.” I sat back, looked at him, and exclaimed, “Really, an agnostic!” He asked, “Why is it so amazing to you that I’m an agnostic?”

Since he opened the door, I decided to walk through it, and I answered him, “Do you know what it means to be an agnostic?”

“It means I’m not interested in religion!” he told me.

I responded, “I’m really shocked that a man as educated as you does not really know what it means to be an agnostic. You ought to know what you’re talking about if you’re going to use a term like that.”

He answered, “All right, tell me what you think it means to be an agnostic.”

Since the man was impressed with the fact that I knew Greek, I reached into my arsenal and pulled out a word that would help me reach this man’s heart. I said, “The word ‘agnostic’ is derived from a specific Greek word, and if you really knew what that Greek word meant, I don’t think you would want to use it to describe yourself.”

He pleaded, “Please tell me what the word ‘agnostic’ means!”

So I looked him in the eyes and said, “In Greek, the word gnosis is the word for knowledge. When you put an a on the front of it, it turns it into the word agnosis, from which we derive the word agnostic. That little a on the front of the word dramatically changes the meaning. It no longer means knowledge; rather, it means stupid, unintelligent, or unknowledgeable.” He looked at me in shock as I told him, “To be honest, every time you call yourself an agnostic, you’re actually claiming to be stupid.”

His mouth fell open and he said, “You’ve got to be kidding!”

I looked at him and said, “Nope, that’s exactly what you’re saying every time you claim to be an agnostic. You might as well just say, ‘I’m stupid’ because that’s what the word means.”

He said, “Well, I’m not stupid, and if that’s what the word ‘agnostic’ means, I’m not going to claim to be an agnostic again. I’m not stupid! In fact, after this conversation, I think I’m going to start studying so I can find out what I should believe about God. I refuse to be stupid about anything!”

Before we left the plane, I recommended reading material to help him start his spiritual search. The books I recommended would lead him directly to Jesus.

In Acts 17:30, the apostle Paul found himself with a group of intellectuals who wanted to hear about his faith. As he stood before them, Paul knew that God had opened a great door for him to share the truth with these learned men. Paul fearlessly told them, “And the times of ignorance God winked at; but now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent….”

When Paul began to speak to these Greek intellectuals about ignorance, it must have been quite a shock to them because these men were venerated scholars. Paul freely communicated in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, but because he was standing before the greatest living minds in Greece, he communicated with them in the Greek language. Just as I had delved into my verbal arsenal and extracted the word agnosis in order to reach the heart of this highly educated man sitting next me on the plane, Paul used the word agnosis to appeal to the minds of the Athenian judges and scholars who were seated before him.

Paul told them, “…The times of ignorance God winked at….” The word “ignorance” in this verse is the word agnosis, which, as we saw, is the same word from which we derive the word “agnostic.” Again, the root of this word is the Greek word gnosis, which simply means knowledge. But just as I related in the story about the man sitting next to me on the plane, the meaning of this word is reversed when an a is attached to the front of it. Therefore, agnosis doesn’t mean knowledge, but rather refers to a lack of knowledge, a lack of intelligence, ignorance, or even stupidity. Think about how bold it was for Paul to talk to these brilliant and educated scholars about ignorance and stupidity!

Paul went on to say that there was a time in the past when God “winked” at stupidity and ignorance, but now that day was over. The word “winked” is the Greek word hupereidon, which is a compound of the words huper and orao. The word huper means over, and the word orao means to see. When these two words are compounded, they form the word hupereidon, which means to overlook, to disregard, to discount, to ignore, or to take no notice of a thing. In fact, an accurate rendering of the word hupereidon could be to deliberately shut one’s eyes or turn one’s face to avoid seeing something. By using this word, Paul was plainly telling his listeners that the days of God closing His eyes and overlooking the ignorance of men is long past.

After Paul told his educated audience that God no longer ignored ignorance, he continued by courageously declaring, “…Now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” This word “command” would have been a difficult word for the Greek intellectuals to accept because they didn’t want anyone forcing a new religion upon them. It is the Greek word parangello, which means to instruct, to command, or to order. What was the order that God now gives to every man? As Paul unashamedly told those learned scholars, God commands all men — including them — to “repent.”

As we discussed in the last few days of Sparkling Gems, the Greek word for “repent” is metanoeo, which is a compound of the words meta and nous. The word meta means to turn, and the word nous refers to the mind. When these two words are compounded, the new word describes in its most basic sense a change of mind or a complete conversion. In the New Testament, metanoeo is used to denote a decision to completely change one’s thoughts, behavior, and actions.

Since metanoeo is a Greek word and Paul was addressing Greek intellectuals, the notion of a change of mind must have been very interesting to them. Paul was appealing to their intellect and reasoning with them to make a complete turnaround from the worship of idols to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He boldly told them this was God’s order and made no apology for the truth.

Acts 17:30 concludes by saying that repentance is God’s requirement for “all men everywhere.” This phrase is all-inclusive, which means there are no exceptions to God’s commandment. All men are commanded to repent! The word “everywhere” in this verse makes this point even stronger because it is the Greek word pantachou. This Greek word literally means every place and excludes no person, ethnic group, skin color, or nationality. The message of the Cross and God’s command to repent is for mankind in every part of the earth!

There was a time when God winked at people’s ignorance, but that time has long past. Jesus paid the ultimate penalty for our forgiveness with His own blood on the Cross, and on that day, the time of ignorance came to a grinding halt. Today God no longer winks at or overlooks stupidity. Instead He commands men everywhere to repent — regardless of their nationality, background, social status, educational degrees, or skin color. There is no option or way out from this command! This is God’s requirement for every person on planet earth if he intends to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

If you consider yourself a committed Christian, it is needful for you to recognize that you have a God-given responsibility to present the truth to people who are without Christ. Just as I shared the truth with the man on the plane, and Paul fearlessly presented the truth to the scholars in Athens, the Holy Spirit wants to use you to reach into your sphere of influence and bring the light of the Gospel to people who are still uninformed and sitting in darkness.

If you’ll let the Holy Spirit use you, He will speak through you to bring salvation to your family, friends, and acquaintances. It may be difficult to get started, but the Holy Spirit knows exactly how to appeal to every person’s heart. If you’ll listen to the Spirit and follow His directions, He will use you to put the key into every man’s heart to unlock it for Jesus Christ.

So ask the Lord today: Whom do You want me to reach in my sphere of influence with the good news of the Gospel?

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, please help me remember that there are people in my sphere of influence who need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb. I ask You to help me love them enough to tell them the truth. I know that You have the key to every person’s heart, so please give me the key to unlock people’s hearts with Your words of truth so Jesus can come into their lives. I am so thankful that someone was loving and bold enough to tell me the truth so I could repent. Now it is my turn to do it for someone else. I ask You to help me get started reaching people today.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that the power of the Holy Spirit is working mightily in me and that I am a bold witness for Jesus Christ. I walk in His wisdom, and I am not afraid to open my mouth to proclaim the truth because it has the power to set men free from the darkness that binds their souls. When I speak the truth in love, people open their hearts and listen to me. Because they see Jesus in me, they readily want to know how to come to God and commit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What person in your sphere of influence does the Holy Spirit want you to personally share the Gospel with in order to bring him or her to Jesus Christ?
2. When you pray, how often do you pray for unsaved people? Do you feel a sense of urgency for people who are unsaved, or do you forget that they are in need of salvation?
3. If you were an unsaved person, how would you want someone to approach you about Jesus Christ? Why don’t you take a few minutes to write down some ideas about effective ways to share the Gospel with someone who doesn’t know Jesus?

Refuse to Ever Let Go of Your Dream

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).
— Hebrews 10:23

What do you want God to accomplish through you in this life? What are the dreams you think about every night when your head hits the pillow, or every day when no one else is around? Do you daydream about what you’d like to become or do in the years that lie ahead? Have you considered the possibility that these daydreams may in fact be the will of God for your life — dreams He placed deep down inside your spirit that are starting to be awakened? Is it possible that this is the timing for God’s dream for your life to be ignited in your soul?

Dreams are powerful. They usually seem impossible at first, but those who dare to do the impossible are the ones who eventually see the impossible come to pass in their lives. Everything great starts as a dream. Consider the example of Thomas Edison, who worked so long and furiously to realize his dream of the light bulb. Although Edison failed literally thousands of times in the earliest pursuits of his dream, he learned from every failure and pushed forward. Finally, his dream came to pass, and it changed the course of human history.

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What if this brilliant man had given up and given in to discouragement? I’m sure someone else along the way would have invented the light bulb, but Edison wouldn’t have had the great honor of being a part of it.

There are myriads of Bible examples of individuals who had a dream. For instance, let’s consider the dream God gave Abraham — called the father of our faith — regarding a new land and a new people. When God first spoke to him about the son He would give him, Abraham and his wife had long been infertile and unable to conceive a child. The thought of having a baby probably seemed like an unattainable fantasy to them. They could have asked themselves, Is this really the plan of God for our lives, or is this a hallucination?

God also promised Abraham a new land but didn’t tell him where it was located. In their efforts to find that land, Abraham and Sarah were stricken with colossal challenges, problematic circumstances, and horrible internal family problems. First, Abraham’s father died. Then they lost their nephew Lot to Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham also took Hagar as a second wife, producing a son that didn’t belong to Sarah and a great deal of jealousy and strife. In addition, Abraham and Sarah experienced a terrible famine in their promised territory that forced them to leave due to a lack of food. Traveling to Egypt in search for food, they soon found themselves evicted from that land as well.

At any moment, it would have been so easy for Abraham and Sarah to say, “Enough is enough! Pack it up — we’re going back home to the city of Ur!” But instead of giving in to defeat and discouragement, they held tightly to the dreams God had put in their hearts and kept pursuing those dreams until they had witnessed their fulfillment.

If you want to see the dream God has given you fulfilled in your life, it is imperative that you have this same attitude. As Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).”

I want you to particularly notice the phrase “hold fast.” Abraham and Sarah “held fast” to their dream, and that is what you must do as well. The phrase “hold fast” is taken from the Greek word katecho, which is a compound of the two words kata and echo. The first word, kata, carries the idea of something that comes downward.

You could say the word kata carries the force of something that comes down so hard and so heavily, it is overpowering and dominating to the point of being subjugating. When this force arrives on the scene, it conquers, subdues, and immediately begins expressing its overwhelming, influencing power.

The second part of the word katecho is the word echo, which simply means I have and carries the notion of possession. This is the picture of someone who has sought and searched for one particular thing his entire life. After years of seeking and searching, he finally finds the object of his dreams. Joyfully he rushes forward to seize it and hold it tight. He wraps his arms around that object, making it his very own. Finally, he can say, “I have it! At long last it is mine!”

When kata and echo are compounded into the word katecho, it literally means to embrace something tightly. However, because of the word kata, we know that this is the image of someone who finds the object of his dreams and then holds it down — taking control of it, dominating it — even sitting on it so it doesn’t slip away!

The phrase “hold fast” is so strong that it can actually be translated to suppress. It is used this exact way in Romans 1:18, where Paul tells us about ungodly men “…who hold [or suppress] the truth in unrighteousness.” In other words, because these ungodly men don’t like the truth, they “sit on it” or “put a lid on it” in an effort to keep others from hearing the truth and getting set free. But in Hebrews 10:23, this same idea is used positively to describe you sitting on your word from God and refusing to let it slip out and get away from you!

This is the attitude you must have if you want to see your God-given dream come to pass. You have to wrap your arms around that word from God and never stop believing and pursuing your dream until it comes to pass. If you’ll katecho your dream, it won’t be able to get away from you, nor will anyone else be able to take it away from you!

The word katecho in Hebrews 10:23 could be interpreted this way:

“And let us hold fast to our confession, tightly wrapping our arms around it and embracing it with all our might, rejecting all attempts of anyone who tries to steal it from us.…”

When you finally discover God’s will for your life — when His plan finally begins to awaken in your heart and you know exactly what you are to do — hold fast to that dream. Tightly embrace what God has shown you. Seize it — wrap your arms of faith around it. Hold it down, and hold it tight!

Whenever you are tempted to get discouraged, give up, and release your dream, remember Abraham and Sarah. Although it took them awhile to receive their dream of a son, and although they had to overcome titanic hurdles along the way, they refused to let go of that dream and eventually saw it come to pass. In the end, they discovered that their dream was not a hallucination; it really was a word from God!

If you’ll hold tight and refuse to let go of YOUR dream, it will just be a matter of time until you see it come to pass! Place all your weight on top of that dream so that NOTHING can steal it away from you!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am well aware that events will occur in life that will tempt me to release the dream You put in my heart. So right now I ask You to fill me with the courage I need to refuse to let go of my dream. Even though my mind and the circumstances around me may send signals that the dream will never come to pass, I know that You are faithful to what You have promised. Help me wrap my arms of faith around Your promises and never let go until I see them come into manifestation!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that my word from God will come to pass! It may take a little while for it to happen, but I will firmly hang on to the promise God has given me. And because I refuse to let the dream slip from my heart, I stand by faith and declare that it is only a matter of time until I see the manifestation of what I’m believing God for!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. What can you learn about faith by looking at the lives of Abraham and Sarah?

2. In what ways does your own walk of faith compare with Abraham and Sarah’s walk of faith?

3. Can you think of a time in your past when you claimed a promise, hung on to it in the face of opposition, and later saw that promise come to pass? What was the blessing you received by faith?

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrines of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
— Hebrews 6:1,2

What would you think of a full-grown adult who never got serious about learning his ABCs and therefore had to keep repeating the first grade over and over again? Imagine 50 or so years passing since that person first entered grade school. As he nears his sixtieth birthday, there he still sits at a tiny little desk in a room full of first-graders.

Would you find that situation normal, or would you find it strange? It would be especially bizarre if that old man was mentally sound, yet found himself still sitting at a tiny desk in a room full of first-graders because he’d been too slothful to apply himself to learn.

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Strange as that scenario may seem, it happens all the time in the Christian community. Many believers who have known the Lord for years have remained at the same level of spiritual immaturity ever since they were baby Christians. They never applied themselves or got serious about their spiritual growth, and thus, they perpetually remain spiritually immature. Although they’ve been saved for many years, they are still sitting in “beginners’ class” in Sunday school with children, figuratively speaking. They should be much further along in their spiritual growth, but because they were never diligent about their walk with God, they just keep repeating the basics over and over again.

In Hebrews 6:1, the writer of Hebrews listed what he referred to as “the principles of the doctrines of Christ.” The word “principles” is the Greek word arches, which denotes something that is original, early, or from the beginning. In Hebrews 6:1, this word arches specifically refers to the elementary principles of Christ. These elementary principles comprise the fundamental doctrine for beginners. They encompass the basic spiritual principles that every new believer should know, as well as the first steps of faith that every baby Christian should be able to take. In other words, these are the ABCs of the Christian faith.

The problem is, most Christians aren’t very familiar with these elementary principles. In fact, some don’t even know them at all! Furthermore, this failure to know the fundamental truths of the Christian faith causes them to struggle in life. Had they applied themselves at an earlier age, they would be much further along in their walk with God and therefore able to overcome the difficulties that confront them in life. But because they never took time to learn the basics, they are still sitting in a spiritual “beginners’ class”!

The first vital, elementary principle that the writer of Hebrews listed was “…the foundation of repentance from dead works….” This word “foundation” is the Greek word themelios. It is an early combination of the Greek word lithos, which means stone, and the word tithemi, which means to place. When these roots are combined, the new compound word denotes something that is set in stone; a foundation that cannot be easily moved or shaken; or something so solid that it will endure the test of time. Taken together, these different nuances of meaning are the reason the word themelios came to be translated as the word “foundation.”

By using the Greek word themelios, the writer of Hebrews was teaching us that if we are serious about our walk with God, our understanding of repentance should be set in stone. This truth should be so rock solid in our lives that we are immovable and unshakable when it comes to the subject of repentance!

However, this is sadly not the case for many believers in the modern Church. In fact, the survey results we read earlier found that a majority of regular churchgoing Christians could not provide an accurate definition of the word repentance! This is very alarming to me because it reveals that most believers are in a stunted state of spiritual maturity. Regardless of their age or how many years they’ve been saved, most of them are still in “Beginners’ Class” spiritually. If they still can’t articulate an answer to such a simple question, they are still in spiritual kindergarten!

Furthermore, Hebrews 6:1 clearly states that our knowledge concerning repentance should be so set in stone that it should never have to be repeated or taught to us again. It reads, “…not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works.…” The words “not laying again” are derived from the Greek word kataballo, which is a compound of the words kata and ballo. The word kata means down, and the word ballo means to throw. When these two words are joined together, the new word means to throw something down or to lay something down.

The use of the word kataballo in Hebrews 6:1 tells us something very important: The elementary principles of the Christian faith should be laid down in our lives like a strong foundation as soon as we come to Christ — and once this foundation is set in place, there should never be any need for it to be laid down again.

In fact, Hebrews 6:1 says that seasoned believers should be able to leave the fundamental truths behind and “go on unto perfection.” The word “leaving” in this verse is from the Greek word aphiemi, which means to leave it or to let it go. It does not refer to the abandonment of truth, but rather the realization that maturity requires pressing upward to the next level.

The beginning is not a stopping point — it is only a beginning!

This is the reason the writer of Hebrews continued by saying we must “…go on unto perfection….” The words “go on” are derived from the word phero, which means to carry or to bear. However, the tense used in this verse paints the picture of a force that carries one onward or a force that bears one further. It could literally be translated let us be carried, and it conveys the idea that as we grow spiritually, the Holy Spirit picks us up and personally carries us forward in our knowledge and understanding of God.

Where is the Holy Spirit carrying us? Hebrews 6:1 tells us that He is carrying us toward “perfection.” The word “perfection” is the Greek word teleiotes, which refers to a child graduating from one class to the next until he finally reaches maturity. This means that until we meet Jesus face to face in Heaven, there is no end to our spiritual growth. That’s why it is so very serious when an older Christian who has been saved for many years can’t even articulate the meaning of the word “repentance.” He should be much further along in his spiritual growth, but instead of reaching maturity, he has been content to remain in spiritual kindergarten.

Why is it so essential and elementary that we know and understand the doctrine of repentance? As we have already seen in the March 18 Sparkling Gem, the word “repentance” in the New Testament depicts a complete, radical, total change. It is a decision to completely change or a decision to entirely turn around in the way that one is thinking, believing, and living. It describes a person who is undergoing a complete and radical transformation that literally affects every part of his or her life.

Repentance is not a fleeting, temporary sorrow for past actions. Rather, it is a solid, intellectual decision to turn around and take a new direction in order to completely change the patterns of one’s life on every level. It is a mental choice to turn toward God with all of one’s heart in order to follow Jesus. It is the birth canal through which we are born into the Kingdom of God.

Repentance is the starting place for all believers, and that is why Hebrews 6:1 lists it as an elementary principle of the doctrines of Christ. It is the place where our turning away from sin begins, and it is the point from which we submit our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Repentance is your starting place — so make sure that your understanding of it is laid down like a strong, immovable foundation in your life. Then once you know you are well established in your own personal act of repentance, let the Holy Spirit carry you onward and upward as you reach toward spiritual maturity.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I want to thank You for helping me understand the importance of repentance and the need to establish this truth as a strong foundation in my life. Please help me meticulously examine my life to see if there are any areas in which I have never fully surrendered to your Lordship. I make the decision now to turn those areas over to You, starting today. I have made my choice that I will no longer live for myself. I purpose to live the remainder of my life to please and serve You with all of my heart. By the help of the Holy Spirit, I move onward and upward in my spiritual growth and press on toward spiritual maturity!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that Christ set me free and I have turned from the past sins, habits, and bondages that once held me captive. Those chains may no longer lord themselves over my life. Since I came to Jesus, I have renounced my past ways of thinking and living. Now I live to please Jesus. To serve Him with all of my heart and strength is my highest priority. Jesus is Lord of my life! I live to satisfy Him, and I am being carried onward and upward by the Holy Spirit to new levels of spiritual growth and maturity!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever known a Christian who never seemed to grow in his or her walk with the Lord and kept repeating the same basic lessons over and over again? What qualities did you observe in that person’s life that hindered him or her from graduating from “spiritual kindergarten”? If that person is you, what steps do you plan to take to move forward and to grow spiritually?
2. Are you growing in your walk with the Lord? Can you say that you are well- established in all the elementary principles of the doctrines of Christ listed in Hebrews 6:1,2?
3. What elementary doctrines listed in Hebrews 6:1,2 are you not well-versed in right now? If there are principles in these verses in which your knowledge is deficient, what are you doing to get established in those principles in order to further your spiritual growth?

The Necessary Attitude for Success

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord….
— 1 Corinthians 15:58

Today I want to talk to you about an attitude you must possess if you wish to achieve success in your life. If you study the lives of achievers and history-makers, you will find that all of them remarkably share certain attitudes that helped them reach success. However, the attitude I wish to speak to you about today is so essential that it should be considered non-negotiable, especially if you wish to do anything significant with your life.

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This non-negotiable attitude is found in First Corinthians 15:58, where Paul urges us, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord….” The word “stedfast” in this verse is dealt with in the March 12 Sparkling Gem, but today I want you to consider the word “unmoveable.” This word refers to one of the most critically important attitudes for those who want to please God and do something noteworthy in their lives.

The word “immovable” is the Greek word ametakinetos, which has several meanings:

•  It means not easily excited, shaken, or affected.
•  It describes something that is not changeable or unpredictable.
•  It was also frequently used in connection with stone structures or to refer to people who are known to have a strong and unbending character.
•  Thus, this word portrays something that is solid, unbending, and not easily excited, shaken, or affected; a person, building, or place that is constant, stable, enduring, and dependable.

In other words, this is not a flighty, fickle, “here-today, gone-tomorrow,” “on-again, off-again” type of person; rather, this is someone who is constant, stable, and dependable. Because the word ametakinetos describes something immovable, it carries the idea of someone whose attitude can be described as:

• Rock-solid
• Fixed
• Grounded
• Established
• Rooted
• Anchored
• Unvarying
• Permanent
• Stable

When you start a new project or step out in faith to do something new, there will always be obstacles that try to get in your way. If you aren’t determined to be tougher than the problems that arise, it won’t be long until you throw in the towel and give up. That’s why this word ametakinetos is so vital. It is an attitude that says, “I’m not moving until I see my dream come to pass!”

Anyone who wants to be great or to do great things must learn to be constant, stable, dependable, inflexible, unbending, and unyielding in the face of challenges. This is a common characteristic shared by all great achievers.

First Corinthians 15:58 could be translated:

“…Be constant, stable, enduring, and dependable — one who is always abounding in the work of the Lord….”

When you know God has called you to do something, you have to develop this kind of rock-solid, immovable attitude about that task or project because one thing is certain: Satan will attempt to sidetrack you. That’s what the enemy does to anyone whom God calls to do a job!

The devil will try to use people’s negative words, a lack of finances, adverse circumstances, discouragement, and a host of other tactics to move you off course from your intended goal. That’s why you have to make up your mind to be fixed, rooted, grounded, anchored, and unwavering in your commitment to accomplish the task God has set before you!

So don’t allow yourself to be inconsistent and wavering in your commitment to accomplish your God-given assignment. Remember — others around you are watching your example. In this world where a lackadaisical, “who cares?” attitude predominates, people need to see what true commitment looks like!

Be steadfast and immovable in the place where God has called you. Make the rock-solid decision that you will be a “permanent fixture” within your divine call until your task is completed with excellence, regardless of what it costs you! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, as I step out in faith to do something new, I realize there will always be obstacles that try to get in my way. So today I am asking You to help me stay tougher than any problems that may arise. Help me maintain the attitude that says, “I’m not moving until I see my dream come to pass!” I understand that if I am going to do great things for You, I must be constant, stable, dependable, inflexible, unbending, and unyielding in the face of challenges. With Your help, I know this is exactly the kind of person I will be!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare that I am steadfast and immovable! I have a non-negotiable attitude of absolute determination to do what God has called me to do. I am fixed, solid, grounded, established, anchored, unvarying, permanent, and stable in my tenacity to grab hold of all that God has destined for me to accomplish with my life. I will not stop, give in, give up, or surrender to anything that tries to discourage me or to throw me off track. I am committed to stay in the race until I’ve made it all the way to the end.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. If others were asked what they think about you, would they say you are flighty and fickle or stable, consistent, and solid?

2. If you were looking for someone you could depend on to do a job, would you want to choose someone like you?

3. If you’ve been consistently unstable in the past, can you think of ways to correct this in your life?

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
— Matthew 27:3-5

In yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, I started talking about the subject repentance. Over the next few days, I’d like to continue to explore this all-important subject further with you, because so many don’t really understand what true repentance is or why it’s so foundational and necessary to the Christian walk.

I remember an experience as a young boy growing up in church that made a huge impact on my life and helped me understand the vast difference between two words: remorse and true repentance. Each year we had annual revival meetings in our church. It was at one of these revival meetings that I heard an evangelist preach about hell, and I became so convicted of my sin that I committed my life to Jesus. However, not long after I walked the aisle and received Christ, I began to seriously doubt whether I had really been saved. This doubt stemmed from watching what happened when others got saved, which was entirely different from my own personal experience. Adults often wept and wept when they bowed at the altar, but I didn’t shed a tear the day I got saved. Preying on my insecurity and fears, the devil began to torment me every day with thoughts, such as:

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• Why didn’t you cry when you came forward to give your heart to Christ?
• Maybe you’re not really saved!
• If you were really sincere, shouldn’t you have cried like all the others did when they repented and got saved?

As time passed, I began to notice a very important trend. Frequently the people who cried buckets of tears at the altar were the same people who came forward in the altar calls each year during revival meetings. Growing up in church gives a person time to watch people and learn — and I began to recognize that many of these criers were the same people each year. I noticed that after they walked out the back door of the church, many of them didn’t show their faces in church again until the next year’s revival meeting. Then once again, they ended up back on their knees at the altar — crying buckets of tears and profusely sobbing. Finally, it dawned on me what was happening!

Many of those who cried profusely never changed. Although they nearly used a whole box of tissues sobbing at the altar, it appeared that nothing much deeper occurred than the shedding of tears. I began to realize that a show of emotion isn’t always a sign of repentance; sometimes it’s only evidence of remorse.

Repentance produces change, whereas remorse merely produces sorrow, which is often confused with repentance. But there is an enormous difference between repentance and remorse. A perfect New Testament example of remorse is found in Matthew 27:3-5, where the Bible tells us about Judas Iscariot. It says, “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

Notice the Bible says that Judas “repented” himself. Usually a person who repents doesn’t go out and hang himself afterward, so what really happened in this verse? The answer lies in the word “repented” that is used in this verse. This is not the word metanoeo, the word most often used meaning “repent” in the New Testament. Instead, this particular word for “repent” is the Greek word metamelomai, which portrays a person who is completely overwhelmed with emotions. This word is used five times in the New Testament, and in each instance, it expresses sorrow, mourning, or grief. The word metamelomai rarely gives the picture of someone moved to change, but rather depicts a person who is seized with remorse, guilt, or regret.

1. Metamelomai can depict remorse that grips a person because of an act he committed that he knows is wrong. If he were willing to repent, he could change and be forgiven. But because he has no plans to repent, stop his sinful activities, and rectify what he has done, he is therefore gripped with remorse. Consequently, this emotion produces no change in a person’s life.
2. Metamelomai can also express the guilt a person feels because he knows that he has done wrong, that he will continue to do wrong, and that he has no plans to change his course of action. He feels shameful about what he is doing but continues to do it anyway, which results in a state of ongoing guilt. This guilt produces no change in a person’s life or behavior. Yet genuine repentance would fix this feeling of guilt and remove it completely.
3. Metamelomai best denotes the regret a person feels because he was caught doing something wrong. He isn’t repentant for committing the sin; instead, he is sorrowful only because he got caught. Now he’s in trouble. Rather than being repentant, this person is regretful that he got caught and must now pay the consequences. Chances are that if he’d never been caught, he would have continued his activities. This kind of regret likewise produces no change in a person’s conduct.

Because the word metamelomai is used in Matthew 27:3, it means Judas Iscariot did not “repent” in the sense that he was sorry for what he did and wanted to make it right with God. Rather, it confirms that he was remorseful, seized with guilt, and filled with regret. Because of his actions, Judas blew his opportunity to be a high-ranking member of Jesus’ inner circle. Judas was more sorrowful for himself than he was for his participation in Jesus’ betrayal. This wasn’t a demonstration of repentance that leads to salvation, but of sorrow, guilt, and a deep-seated remorse that ultimately led to death. This is precisely what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote in Second Corinthians 7:10 about “the sorrow of the world that worketh death.”

Don’t misunderstand me — emotion and tears may accompany repentance. If we have sinned against the Holy Spirit, it is normal for us to experience godly sorrow for our actions. In Second Corinthians 7:10, Paul wrote about “godly sorrow.” Unlike the sorrow of the world that produces death, he wrote that “godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.” But godly sorrow produces more than tears; it produces a desire to change that leads us to deliverance, freedom, and salvation. What a contrast to the sorrow of the world that produces hopelessness, defeat, and despair.

When I was a child and Satan tormented me because I didn’t cry at the altar when I got saved, I was as saved as it was possible to be saved. I had no tears to cry about my horrid sins because I was five years old when I committed my life to Christ. Even though I didn’t cry, my decision to serve Him was firm and therefore absolutely real. As a result of this experience, I learned not to confuse sobbing with repentance, for although tears and emotions may accompany this act, they’re not requirements, nor are they necessarily evidence that repentance has occurred.

Remember, the word “repent” is metanoeo — referring to a complete turn in the way one thinks, lives, or acts. For a person to repent, he must simply make up his mind to change.

So what is the difference between guilt, remorse, regret, and repentance?

• Guilt is a prison that will keep you perpetually bound and unchanged.
• Remorse enslaves you in sorrow that engulfs you emotionally and leaves you feeling sad, depressed, hopeless, and unchanged.
• Regret is self-pity that is focused more on your own personal loss than on the pain or loss you caused to others or to the heart of God, and it leaves you unchanged.
• Repentance is a quality decision to change — and when genuine repentance occurs in a person’s heart and mind, you can be sure the Holy Spirit will release His power to effect change in that person’s life and lead him to freedom!

So in light of what you have read today, are there any areas in your life in which you have felt guilty, remorseful, or regretful — but unchanged? Could it be that you’ve never really made a firm decision to change, and that’s why you’ve had no enduring victory in these areas of your life?

If you’ve confused tears with repentance, now you know that you don’t have to depend on your emotions to repent. If God is dealing with you about something that needs to change in your life, you can repent right now at this very moment, regardless of what you do or do not feel. God is waiting for you to make a decision!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I thank You that You have given me the power to choose life. Today I make the decision to turn away from those actions and thought processes that are negative, detrimental, and destructive to my life. I don’t want to grieve Your heart in any way. What a joy to know I don’t have to wait for emotions to repent! I made the mistake of thinking I had to “feel” something in order to repent, but now I realize that feelings and tears are not requirements for repentance. Therefore, I am responding to the Word of God and to the voice of the Spirit who is speaking to me about making concrete changes in certain areas of my life. Right now I choose to repent of those things that I know are wrong. I make the decision to walk free of them and to stay free of them for the rest of my life. This is my point of no return.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I joyfully declare that I walk free of things that have long bound me. God is on my side! He sent His Son to die for my freedom and deliverance; He sent His Spirit to empower me; and I do not have to sit in a spiritual prison any longer. I proclaim that today is the day of deliverance for me! I permanently walk free of those things that have been a hindrance to me. Jesus died so I can be free, and I am free! Today is the day that I begin walking in my victory!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of a time when you were so engulfed in sorrow and remorse about something you had done that you were unable to really repent? How did your emotions get in the way of your repentance?
2. When you think back on your life to times when the Holy Spirit required you to repent about some attitude, action, or habit in your life, was your repentance more effective when it was dominated by emotions or when it was purely a decision of your will to obey? It’s different for everyone, so there isn’t a right or wrong answer. Which was most effective in your life?
3. What are the areas of your life right now that you need to turn from and leave behind? As you read this Sparkling Gem, did the Holy Spirit speak to you about specific areas in your present life? If yes, what were those areas, and what do you intend to do about it?

Don’t Be A ‘Bone out of Joint’!

From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling.
— 1 Timothy 1:6

Have you ever been in a situation where you found it hard to submit graciously to the orders of the person in authority over you? Maybe you thought that the orders were unfair or that you had a better idea. Or can you think of a moment when a fellow employee, staff member, or volunteer became so obstinate, disagreeable, or uncooperative that it made everyone else feel uneasy?

We’ve probably all had experiences in which one person’s belligerence caused us and those around us to feel ill at ease. This uneasy circumstance is particularly awkward when everyone else is in agreement and willing to do what is being asked, but one person decides to defy those in authority. Refusing to budge, unwilling to give an inch, this kind of person can put the entire group and project “on hold” because a stubborn, quarrelsome, provoking, “pig-headed” attitude stalemates everything!

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Can you think of a person you know who acts like this? Have you ever been that person I’m describing? Can you remember an instance when you were the one who acted like a “bone out of joint” with the rest of the team?

Today I want us to look at the phrase “a bone out of joint” and see what it means. I’m taking this phrase from First Timothy 1:6, so let’s go there first to see how Paul used it and how it applies to you and me today.

When the book of First Timothy was written, young Timothy had only recently stepped into the position of senior pastor. In the early months of his pastoral ministry, he was simultaneously enjoying phenomenal successes and huge challenges. The successes had to do with the growth his church was experiencing. However, Timothy also had to deal with rebellious leaders who didn’t like him or who thought he was too young to be the pastor of such a large church. These leaders had no desire to submit to Timothy’s authority or follow his vision.

The attitudes of these argumentative leaders became so rank that Paul wrote to Timothy about this problem. Referring to the belligerent people under Timothy’s authority, Paul said, “From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling” (1 Timothy 1:6).

I want you to especially pay close attention to the words “turned aside.” These words come from the Greek word ektrepo, which means to turn or to twist. This word was also a medical term used in the medical world to denote a bone that had slipped out of joint. So when Paul used this word to picture these argumentative and stubborn leaders, he was making a powerful statement about them and their bad attitudes. He was calling them “a bone out of joint”!

When a person has a bone that is out of joint, it’s a very difficult, painful experience. Although that bone is still located inside his body and isn’t broken, it isn’t properly connected. Therefore, it becomes a major source of pain and irritation, sending signals of pain throughout the entire body. If you’ve ever had an out-of-joint bone in your body, you know how excruciatingly painful it can be. Nearly every movement of the body is affected as that out-of-joint bone screams misery throughout your entire central nervous system!

This is exactly the image Paul had in mind when he used the word ektrepo to describe the unruly, difficult church members Timothy was trying to work with. Although these people were saved and valuable to God, they had become a source of pain and irritation to the pastor and ultimately to the entire church because of their rebellious attitude and refusal to cooperate. The strife they had caused in the church was a distraction that pulled Timothy from what he needed to be doing, constantly demanding that he try to bring peace. All these problems resulted from the rebellious attitudes of a few people who didn’t want to follow the senior leadership of the Ephesian church. In the end, they became “out of joint,” not only with their pastor but with the entire congregation.

Paul’s words in First Timothy 1:6 could be interpreted:

“Some among you have become like a bone out of joint — a source of real pain and irritation to the whole body.”

A sincere act of repentance can snap “out-of-joint” people back into their rightful place so they can begin to function properly and become productive members of the church. But no one can make them repent and get their attitude right. It’s a decision only they have the power to make. Once they make this decision, they can again become a benefit and a joy to everyone around them.

Do you know anyone who fits this “out-of-joint” description? Is it you? If it is you, it’s time for you to reevaluate your attitude and the issues you have allowed to become so divisive in your life. Are those issues really so important that you should let them make you a “thorn in the side” of everyone else in the group? Is it possible that you’ve allowed the enemy to use you to bring division? Have you become a source of distraction, pulling the group’s attention from where it ought to be?

If you’ve become a “bone out of joint” in your home, in the workplace, in your church, or in any other area of your life, do everything you can to snap yourself back into the godly attitude and behavior you ought to be displaying. Get back in place, for you have a divine call to fulfill! Your gifts and cooperation are needed by those who are running their spiritual race alongside you!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to never be viewed as an argumentative, belligerent, disagreeable person by those who know me — especially by those who are working with me toward a common goal. If I’ve done anything to be perceived this way, I am sincerely asking You to forgive me right now. But I know that I don’t just need Your forgiveness; I also need to ask for forgiveness from those who felt uncomfortable with my wrong behavior so my relationship with them can be made right. I need Your help to keep a right attitude, Lord, so I am asking You to help me to stay open-minded and correctable. Help me to always maintain a humble spirit and to strive to get along with the key people You have placed in my life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I have a teachable, correctable spirit. People love to work with me because I strive to be cooperative and to show appreciation for those who are working with me toward a common goal. When an idea is presented that is new or different to me, I think carefully before I open my mouth to respond. Even if I disagree, I don’t show disrespect for anyone in the group. I realize that I am not always right and that others may be correct, so I make room for others to express themselves and to speak their hearts, and I honor their right to hold a position that is different from mine

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you recall an experience when you were in a group where someone’s belligerent attitude made everyone feel uneasy? What did you learn from that experience?

2. When that happened, how did it affect the entire group?

3. If you have ever been that “bone out of joint,” did you later apologize and ask for forgiveness? If not, don’t you think it’s time that you went back to those who were involved and make things right?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent….
— Acts 2:38

In a recent survey, people who regularly attend church were asked to articulate what the word “repentance” meant to them. The survey resulted in an intriguing and interesting assortment of answers. The majority of those who participated in the survey stated that they believed the word “repentance” meant one or more of the following:

1. To feel sorry about something one did or failed to do.
2. To feel remorseful about some act and to ask for forgiveness for it.
3. To walk forward in a church service to formally ask Jesus into one’s heart.

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

Although these answers are interesting, none of them is correct! What’s most shocking about this survey is that it was given to people who regularly attend church yet who could not accurately articulate what it means to “repent.”

Before we go any further, let’s include you in the survey. How would you define the meaning of the word “repent”? Try to answer that question before reading on.

The word “repent” is a very important New Testament word. The first time it is chronologically used in the New Testament is in Matthew 3:2, Mark 1:4, and Luke 3:3, where we are told that John the Baptist preached, “…Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). John’s ministry was literally launched with that one word “repent.” According to the preaching of John the Baptist, the only way to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven was through repentance.

Jesus, too, began His public ministry by beckoning His listeners to repent. In Matthew 4:17, Jesus commenced His preaching ministry when He said, “…Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Like John the Baptist, Jesus knew that the only way to enter the Kingdom of God was through repentance.

Then in Acts 2:38, we read that Peter launched his preaching ministry on the Day of Pentecost with the same requirement of repentance. Just as John the Baptist and Jesus had called on men to repent, so Peter told his audience in Acts 2:38, “Repent.” Peter understood that repentance is the “birth canal” through which people enter the Kingdom of God. In other words, it is the only way to truly be delivered from the kingdom of darkness and to emerge spiritually reborn and filled with the God-kind of life.

Real repentance is very different from remorse. Yet feelings of remorse for a past action was one of the most frequent definitions given by people who participated in the aforementioned church survey.

The Greek word for “remorse” in the New Testament is metamelomai, which is very different from the Greek word for “repent,” the word metanoeo. Metamelomai expresses sorrow, mourning, or grief. It seldom refers to someone moved to change; rather, it gives a picture of a person consumed with remorse, guilt, or regret.

For example, the word metamelomai is used in the gospels to describe the remorse, guilt, and regret that seized the heart and mind of Judas Iscariot after he betrayed Jesus. What Judas experienced was not true repentance, which brings personal change and transformation. Because the Greek word metamelomai is used to describe the emotions that captured him, it tells us that Judas was inundated with distressed, regretful emotions. Such sorrow should not be confused with repentance, for there are many who undergo a flood of regret and sorrow for something they have done, yet they don’t truly repent.

Personal change and transformation — NOT remorse, regret, and sorrow — are the true proof of repentance.

The word “repent” that was used by John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter, is the Greek word metanoeo. This is very different from the word metamelomai. The word metanoeo — “repent” — means a change of mind, repentance, or conversion. In Old Testament and Classical Greek language, metanoeo first and foremost meant a change of mind. Thus, the use of metanoeo is the call to turn or to change one’s attitudes and ways. As used in the New Testament, it demands a complete, radical, and total change. It is a decision to completely change or to entirely turn around in the way one is thinking, believing, or living. The word “repent” in the New Testament gives the image of a person changing from top to bottom — a total transformation wholly affecting every part of a person’s life.

The Greek word metanoeo is a compound of the words meta and nous. The word meta in this context refers to a turn or a change. The word nous is the word for the mind, intellect, will, frame of thinking, opinion, or general view of life. When the words meta and nous are compounded, as in the word “repent,” it portrays a decision to completely change the way one thinks, lives, or behaves.

Metanoeo reflects a turn, a change, a change of direction, a new course, and a completely altered view of life and behavior. This is not the same as a fleeting sorrow for past actions, but a solid, intellectual decision to take a new direction, to turn about-face, and to revise the pattern of one’s life.

I must point out the importance of the word nous contained in this definition of repentance. The word nous, as previously noted, is the Greek word for the mind. This means that the decision to repent lies in the mind, not in the emotions. Emotions may accompany repentance, but they are not required to repent. Real repentance is a mental choice to leave a life of sin, flesh, and selfishness, and to turn toward God with all of one’s heart and mind in order to follow Jesus.

A prime example of such a turning can be seen in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian believers when he commended them for the way in which they had “…turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). The word “turned” in this verse is the Greek word epistrepho, which means to be completely turned around.

Note that Paul said the Thessalonian believers turned from idols “to serve the living and true God.” The word “serve” is important, for it tells us that the turn they made produced a life change with visible fruit that reflected the change. The word “serve” is the word douleuo, the word for a servant, implying that the Thessalonian believers had fully left behind idolatry and had completely dedicated their lives to serving Jesus.

By using this word douleuo, Paul informed us that the Thessalonians didn’t just claim to have repented; they showed it by changing the way they thought and lived and served. Their dramatically different outward behavior was guaranteed proof that real repentance had occurred.

Repentance is not the mere acceptance of a new philosophy or new idea. It is a conversion to truth so deep that it results in a total life change. The idea of an across-the-board transformation is intrinsic to the word “repent.” In fact, if there is no transformation, change of behavior, or change of desire in a person who claims to have repented, it is doubtful that true repentance ever occurred, no matter what the person claims. Real repentance begins with a decision to make an about-face and to change, but its proof can be witnessed as one’s outward conduct complies with that decision.

Repentance is God’s requirement as presented by John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter, as well as in other places in Scripture too numerous to count. This means that a person cannot come to God and continue to live as he did before he received the Lord.

We sing the old song, “Just as I Am, Without One Plea”1 — and certainly we do come to God “just as we are” to receive God’s gracious gift of salvation. However, God does not expect us to remain the way we are. He expects change, and that is what repentance is all about. With godly repentance, there must be an abandonment of our past and a complete and absolute surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, evidenced by our living according to God’s righteous standard.

1 Charlotte Elliott, “Just As I Am,” The Christian Remembrancer Pocket Book (Poetry, 1835).

As you grow in your walk with God, the Holy Spirit will continue to reveal things in your life that need to change. When He opens your eyes to those things that are displeasing to Him, you must be willing to repent — to make an intelligent, intellectual decision to adjust your thinking and behavior to conform to God’s ways. It’s a conscious choice. Will you remain belligerent in your attitude and thus defy God’s requirement to change — or humbly bow before His holiness and adjust your thinking and behavior to get in agreement with Him and His Word?

More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus began His earthly ministry by preaching, “…Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8). Today He is still speaking to people’s hearts, telling them to turn from wrong ways that are detrimental to living a life that is holy and pleasing to God. So ask yourself if your ministry to other people reflects that same priority. But first and foremost — what is the Holy Spirit saying to you, and how should you respond today?

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I am deeply convicted by Your Spirit about areas of my life that need to change. I admit that I’ve been tolerating things that are unacceptable for a child of God. I have been living far below what You expect of me. I see areas where I have fallen short of Your glory in my thoughts and attitudes, and it has negatively affected my life, my relationships, and my conduct. But starting today, I am choosing to repent. I make up my mind that my life is going to change. I’ve been wrong to think the way I have thought, and I’ve been wrong in the way I’ve behaved. I am no longer ignorant because You have spoken to my heart about these things. Since I am accountable for my attitudes and my actions, I am making the choice to repent and to change –– and it starts today!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am unwilling to tolerate sin in any area of my life. I submit myself to the Holy Spirit and allow the Word of God to cause my thoughts and desires to become conformed to the mind of Christ and agreeable to His will. I align my thoughts and imaginations with the Lord so I can stay in step with His Spirit and in sync with His Word. I am obedient to the Lord, and I live a life that brings glory to His name. I do not just talk about making changes in my life — I prove my repentance is genuine by demonstrating the fruit of a transformed heart.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of areas in your own life that are not pleasing to God? If you’ve given yourself too much latitude and have allowed yourself to hold on to unacceptable attitudes, habits, grudges, and so forth, make it right with the Lord today by deciding to repent and change.
2. As you’ve ministered to people through the years, have you ever seen someone walk the aisle to give his or her heart to Jesus and yet never really change? What adjustments can you make in the way you preach about repentance to make sure people don’t take God’s requirements lightly?
3. In what ways did the Holy Spirit help you walk away from who you used to be before you received Christ so you could embrace the new person God created you to be? What habits did you turn away from, and what attitudes and actions did you replace them with in Christ? How can you become more effective in helping others through this same dramatic transformation process?

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent….
— Acts 2:37,38

None of us likes pain. Yet pain is very important because it is a signal designed to alert us when something is wrong in our bodies. Our response to pain may be to determine the root of the problem or to simply numb the discomfort with painkillers. The painkillers may work for a while, but when the numbing effect wears off, the pain often reemerges because its source was never identified and corrected.

Generally speaking, the only way to permanently get rid of pain is to go to the root of the problem. Once the source is identified and the correct treatment is applied, the pain can usually be eliminated.

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

This principle is also true spiritually, especially for people who are unsaved or are out of fellowship with God. For example, a sermon about the coming of Jesus that simply thrills my heart and fills me with joy can create great pain in the heart of an unsaved person or a Christian who isn’t walking with God. When they hear that Jesus will soon return, it scares them and causes them inner pain and discomfort because they know they’re not right with God. That unsettled feeling in the pit of their stomachs — that pain — is a signal to let them know things are not well in their souls. Otherwise, they’d be rejoicing!

We live in an age when people want to be comforted and told everything is going to be all right. The truth is, some things are not going to be all right unless a change is made. We must love people enough to be graciously honest with them, regardless of how painful it is for them to hear the truth. Especially regarding people’s salvation, we must speak the truth and not be fearful of their response. If we are not forthright with unbelievers regarding their spiritual condition, they could spend an eternity separated from God.

It’s good to preach positive, uplifting messages. In fact, this is something we need to do in a world where there is so much hurt, depression, difficulty, and disappointment. Certainly we need to be a source of encouragement to fellow church members and other people who feel put down by life. But when unbelievers are in our midst, we are obligated to make sure they understand that sin separates them from God. As much as we may like them and enjoy their company, the unsaved are not all right with God. It may be painful for them to hear the reality of their situation, but we must not merely toss “painkillers” at them to numb them and keep them ignorant of the truth. We must open their eyes to the root of the problem in their lives –– their spiritually lost condition.

Especially when we are talking about reaching unbelievers or the subject of sin, we must address the root. All the motivational and “how-to” sermons in the world cannot cure a sinner’s heart. The sin nature cannot be changed by a pat on the back or a hug around the neck. We must come to grips with our responsibility to allow the Holy Spirit to help us be lovingly candid with unsaved people about their spiritual status. If they are lost, there is only one remedy: repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. It may be difficult at first for them to hear the truth, but it’s good for them to experience that kind of pain. It will make them inwardly aware that things are not right between them and God.

In Acts 2:37, we see how God used the apostle Peter to address unbelievers on the Day of Pentecost. With a no-nonsense, unapologetic, and direct approach, Peter preached the Gospel with power. He didn’t attack his listeners, and neither should we attack those we are trying to reach. There is never a reason to attack or to speak disparagingly to our audience. Even if people are dead in sin, they were made in the image of God, and they deserve to be spoken to with dignity and respect. Peter was respectful, yet he was forthright and honest as he went straight for the root of his listeners’ problem, preaching a message that made them so extremely uncomfortable and inwardly pained that they cried out to learn how to be saved!

Let’s look at the effect Peter’s message had on his listeners and see what we can learn from this New Testament example. Acts 2:37 tells us, “Now when they [the unsaved crowd] heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” I want you to especially notice that this verse says, “They were pricked in their heart.” Let’s look at the word “pricked” in this verse, which is the Greek word katanusso, a compound of the words kata and nusso.

The word kata means down. However, used in the word “pricked,” it gives the idea of something that is deep or something that is deep down. The second part of the word katanusso is nusso, a Greek word that means to prick, to puncture, to stab, to sting, to stun, or to pierce.

The only other time the word katanusso is found in the New Testament is in John 19:34 where John writes about Jesus: “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” The word “pierced” in this verse is from this same root word nusso. It tells how the soldiers with a spear pierced, punctured, stabbed, and sliced open Jesus’ side. It was a deep puncturing of His side that pierced even His lungs.

This same root word nusso that describes such a deep puncturing is used in Acts 2:37, where it is translated as “pricked.” This alone tells us that the unsaved people in the crowd that day were deeply affected by Peter’s words. In fact, it means that his words had the spiritual effect of puncturing their hearts and that they felt sliced wide open by his message.

However, when the words kata and nusso are compounded to become katanusso, the new word is even more profound, for it describes not just a piercing but an extremely deep piercing that would produce enormous pain and discomfort.

The word katanusso in Acts 2:37 emphatically means that Peter’s listeners were deeply disturbed when they heard his message. That message gave them such an intense stab to their hearts that it penetrated their conscience, sliced open their souls, punctured their hearts, and cut them so deeply on the inside that they cried out for help. The message stung their hearts and minds as they became aware of their sin. Suddenly their souls felt an ache, and their hearts were filled with anguish.

When Peter stood before that lost crowd on the Day of Pentecost, he was standing before sinners in dire need of repentance. They needed truth that would change them, not a painkiller that would make them feel good while failing to remedy their problem. The root of the problem had to be identified so it could be dealt with and eliminated. For those unbelievers to have a supernatural change of nature, it would require repentance, so Peter presented the truth boldly, plainly, and with no apologies.

That day the Holy Spirit reached deep into those people’s hearts and convicted them of their sinful condition. The crowd wasn’t offended by Peter’s message at all. Acts 2:41 tells us that the unbelieving crowd “gladly received his word.” The words “gladly received” are from the Greek word apodechomai, which means to take quickly, to take readily, or to take with a welcoming attitude.

People are thankful when someone tells them the truth, even if it is painful to hear at first. They appreciate an honest approach. That day more than 3,000 souls came into the Kingdom of God as a result of the katanusso produced in people’s hearts by Peter’s honest preaching of the Word. Those are very impressive results!

As we present truth to people — especially to unbelievers — we don’t need to be ugly or harsh, but neither do we need to water down the truth or act apologetic for what the Bible teaches. When truth is presented clearly and powerfully, it puts a sharp, doubled-edged sword into the hands of the Holy Spirit, which He uses to penetrate the hearts of the unsaved. When the message is watered down, it dulls the edge of the blade and makes it more difficult for the Holy Spirit to slice through the demonic strongholds created in people’s minds by sinful habits, bondages, and general spiritual darkness.

Of course, we should always allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in knowing how and when to present the truth to someone who doesn’t know the Lord. Then as we speak in a spirit of compassion — and as we do it boldly, straightforwardly, and with no apologies — the root of the listener’s problem will be identified and eliminated.

We must never forget that the Gospel is the power of God that leads to salvation (Romans 1:16). There is never a reason for us to be ashamed of the Gospel or to apologize for the requirements God has set forth for all who would come to Him.

When the unsaved crowd heard Peter preach that day, their hearts were sliced so wide open by the truth Peter preached that they cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (see Acts 2:37). The people asked Peter and the other apostles to tell them what steps were required for them to be made right with God. That’s when Peter boldly told them: “Repent.”

Think about the way you address unbelievers, and ask yourself the following:

• When I share truth with unsaved people, do I present it compellingly, compassionately, and clearly enough for them understand the real root of their problem?
• Do I comfort the lost and leave them feeling like they’re all right in their sin, or do I help them understand their need to be saved?
• If I were unsaved, would I feel the urgent need to repent and to give my life to Christ as a result of what I’ve been telling unbelievers?
• Have I been tossing “painkillers” at unbelievers instead of lovingly identifying the root of the problem in their lives and thereby leading them to Christ?

When we speak to unsaved people, we must not jeopardize their opportunity to receive salvation by watering down the message. To refuse to speak the truth because we feel embarrassed or don’t want to be rejected by others is actually selfish because we’re placing our desire to be accepted above their need to hear truth that has eternal implications for them. To restrain ourselves in fear that we’ll hurt their feelings or offend them isn’t justified either.

The truth is, people may feel stung by what we tell them, but that sting may be the very thing that brings them to Jesus Christ. Truth is truth — and we must stand on the side of truth and make it clear that God is calling unbelievers to repent. Sin and its consequences are eternal and unchangeable after death. Before lost people leave the sound of our voices, we must make sure they understand the consequences of sin and God’s requirement to repent.

Can you think of people you know who need Jesus Christ? Do you love them enough to sit down with them and lovingly tell them the truth, explaining how serious their spiritual condition is according to the Word of God? If you were unsaved, wouldn’t you hope someone would love you enough to tell you the truth? Is the Holy Spirit directing you to go to those individuals, share the truth of the Gospel with them, and lead them to Christ?

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I ask You to help me be bold when I speak the truth to people who desperately need Your gift of salvation. In the past, I’ve been timid and shy about telling the truth, and I ask Your forgiveness for it. At times I’ve even backed away from witnessing to lost friends and family and failed to tell them about their need to repent. I know I shouldn’t be embarrassed about my faith. You said whoever is ashamed of You and Your words, You will be ashamed of them before the Father (see Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26). The truth is still the truth. Many people are lost and headed for hell, and they need to know You in order to be saved. Father, I ask You to give me a heart of love for the lost and the boldness of the Spirit so I may unashamedly proclaim the truth to them and give them the opportunity to escape future judgment and to secure a home in Heaven. Teach me to understand that there is nothing in this world more precious than a soul, and help me reach out to souls in love with the saving message of Jesus Christ.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I make myself available for God to use me to share the truth with people who are lost and who are headed to an eternity in hell. Hell is a very unpleasant thought. However, the Bible teaches that it is a very real place of suffering and that those who die without Christ will inevitably go there. Starting right now, I make the decision to let God’s Spirit put a new love for the lost in my heart. I repent for being calloused and insensitive to the spiritual needs of the lost, and from this moment forward, I will allow the Holy Spirit to release His love for them through me. I am yielding my life to God so He can use me as a vessel to reach into the fires of judgment to pull people out before it is too late. Christ died for the unsaved, and I confess that I will be His vessel to proclaim the Good News that Jesus saves!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you remember the specific moment in your life when you came to a place of true repentance and asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life? Did someone reach out to you to help you come to that moment when you received Jesus? How was your life different from that day forward?
2. If you were sharing the Good News with an unbeliever, how would you explain the Gospel to him? How would you explain his spiritually lost condition? Would you tell him about the eternal ramifications of hell? How would you walk him through the process of becoming a child of God?
3. How long has it been since you’ve reached out to someone who was lost to tell him or her about Jesus? If it’s been awhile since that has happened, what’s the reason you haven’t done it?

Stick Your Neck Out — Commit Yourself to Someone!

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
— 2 Timothy 2:2

Can you think of an occasion when you were hurt by someone so badly that you were tempted to think, That’s it! I’ll never give my heart to anyone like that ever again! This hurts too much to go through this a second time. I’ve had all the abuse I can take, and I’ll never put my neck back on the chopping block again!

I think everyone has been through heart-wrenching experiences of betrayal, disloyalty, deception, and unfaithfulness in his or her relationships with others. Sometimes people put on one face in front of you but show a totally different side when they are out of your presence. Maybe it was a close friend you thought would be faithful to you forever; but then that person walked out on you, stabbing you in the back as he exited! Or perhaps you had a trusted friend whom you confided in, but he violated your trust by repeating all the private things you had shared with him.

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There’s no doubt about it — it hurts when you find out that certain people in your life have been unfaithful, especially if they were people who you sincerely believed would be loyal to the end. These feelings of hurt must be exactly what Timothy felt as he was serving as senior pastor of the church of Ephesus. After investing his life into his group of leaders for three years — spending time with them, loving them, caring for them, teaching them, forgiving them, and literally pouring his whole heart and soul into them, as pastors are required to do — Timothy correctly expected a return on his investment. In other words, he expected those leaders to stay with him forever!

The return Timothy anticipated from his leaders was commitment and faithfulness. For those same men to deny him their loyalty after all he had poured into them was a flagrant violation of relationship, yet that is precisely what they did. The majority of those leaders walked out of the church and deserted Timothy.

It is a historical fact that because of Nero’s persecutions against the Church, masses of believers left the Ephesian church and returned to their old pagan temples. The fires of persecution had revealed the genuine level of these people’s commitment to Jesus. When they realized they might die for their faith, they reevaluated their commitment and deserted the Lord, the Church, and their pastor in order to save their lives.

Many of those who left the church of Ephesus were the leaders Timothy had trained and poured his life into. Timothy thought he could count on these leaders to serve at his side in both good and hard times. But now hard times had come, and the ones he had assumed he could trust walked out and abandoned him.

As a result, Timothy had a severe deficit of leaders whom he could rely on and was facing the task of selecting new leaders. So Paul tells him, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men….”

These are pretty heavy instructions for Paul to give his young disciple! Timothy had already been “burned” once after giving his life to a group of people. He knew what it felt like to have people he trusted stab him in the back. Nevertheless, Paul now tells Timothy to choose a new group and start all over again!

At that moment, Timothy’s emotional pain must have been enormous. I’m sure Paul’s words were hard for him to hear. Just as you and I have felt in the past, he probably thought, Forget it! I’ve already been through this pain once, and I don’t like the idea of going through it again. I’ll just pastor this church by myself!

But it’s not possible to do any monumental job alone. Therefore, if a person has been hurt, he eventually has to get over it, choose new leaders and friends, and start over again. That is why Paul told him, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men….”

The word “commit” comes from the Greek compound word paratithimi, a compound of the words para and tithimi. The word para is a Greek word that means alongside. It refers to something that is near or close by. But in Second Timothy 2:2, it presents a picture of close relationships.

The second part of the word is the Greek word tithimi, meaning to place, to lay something down, or to position something. When the words para and tithimi are compounded together, creating the word paratithimi, it means to come close in order to make some type of deposit, like a person who goes to the bank to place a deposit into the repository for safekeeping. Significantly, this is now the word Paul uses when he tells Timothy to “commit” himself to a new group of leaders.

Timothy clearly understood Paul’s instruction. He was to pick a new group of leaders, come closely alongside of them, and deposit his life into them. The Greek word para made it plain that this was not something that could be done from a distance. Timothy would be required to push aside his hurt and pain and to make himself vulnerable to a new group of leaders; in other words, he had to give his heart a second time.

Because of Timothy’s past experience with leaders who had defected, this order from Paul may have been one of the scariest thoughts the younger minister had ever had. Timothy may have thought, Wait a minute! I already poured my life into one group of people. But when I needed them — when I needed to draw on that deposit — they were gone! My last deposit in people didn’t work out too well. They hurt me. I don’t know if I’m willing to make that kind of investment in people again!

Timothy may have asked himself, Isn’t this taking things one step too far? Does God really expect me to stick out my neck all over again after I’ve been hurt? But that is exactly what Paul was telling him to do — and it’s what you must do as well! Stick out your neck and your heart, and try again!

The use of the word paratithimi meant that Paul wanted Timothy to understand this message:

“…You need to choose some new people who have proven themselves faithful. Pull up alongside those people; get as close to them as you can so you can deposit everything you are and everything you know into them.”

Timothy’s future depended on how well he was able to connect and work with other people. The same is true with your future. Rather than allow the pain from past experiences to paralyze you today, you must do what Paul commanded Timothy to do: Put the past away; decide to quit focusing on how others have failed you; and begin to search for a new group of people or friends so you can start over again. If you don’t do this, the devil will have the victory over you — paralyzing and immobilizing you, effectively preventing you and your gifts from ever being fully realized. Don’t give the devil the pleasure of that victory!

It’s time for you to grab hold of the power of God and to emerge out of your place of hiding! It may be true that a person or a group of people hurt you in the past, but there are friends out there who are just waiting for you. They are the ones who will be faithful and steadfast all the way to the end. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and direct you to them. Once you connect with them, you’ll be so thankful that you didn’t hide from relationships for the rest of your life and that you took the bold step to start all over again!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me overcome the hurts and disappointment I’ve experienced because of people who proved to be unfaithful. When I am tempted to judge those who have wronged me, help me remember those whom I myself have wronged in the past. Just as I never intended to hurt anyone, help me realize that my offenders probably didn’t intend to hurt me either. As I was forgiven then, I am asking You now to help me forgive — and not just to forgive, but to stick out my neck again and begin to rebuild my life with other people in the Body of Christ!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I don’t hold grudges or bitterness against anyone who has wronged me in the past. Just as I’ve been forgiven, I freely forgive. As others gave me a second chance, I give people the benefit of the doubt and allow them to prove themselves even if they’ve done something to hurt me. The devil can’t paralyze me with fears of being hurt again, because I refuse to allow that kind of fear to operate inside me. I have too much to do to let the devil immobilize me with something that happened to me in the past, so I confess right now that I am freed from every past hurt and I am moving forward to possess all that God has for me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Has anyone ever let you down so badly that you felt like you never wanted to stick out your neck and risk getting hurt again?

2. Have you ever been the source of this type of pain to someone else? If your answer is yes, did you ever go back to that person to repent for being the source of his or her pain?

3. What can you do differently in your relationships today to make sure that never happens again?

Whose Faith Are You Following?

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
— Hebrews 6:12

Let me ask you a question today: Who is the most influential spiritual leader in your life right now? Is there one leader whom you respect and admire so exceptionally that you would want to emulate him and try to be like him in your own life? Is there one certain leader producing the type of fruit you long to see generated in your own personal life? If so, who is that leader?

You may wonder if it’s right to follow someone so closely that you actually start emulating them. But the Bible is replete with scriptures that instruct us to be followers of spiritual leaders. One such scripture is Hebrew 6:12: “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Notice that this scripture says we are to be “…followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” The word “followers” is taken from the Greek word mimetes, from which we get the English word “imitate.” Other words that are derived from mimetes are “mimic” and “mime.” However, the best translation of this word is actually the word “actor.” (For more on the word mimetes, see March 6.)

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Therefore, the command to “follow” isn’t referring to a casual type of following; rather, it implies an intentional study of the deeds, words, actions, and thoughts of another person in an attempt to fully understand that person and then to replicate his attributes in one’s own life. This type of following enables a person to think like his subject, walk like his subject, mimic his subject’s movements, make the vocal intonations of his subject, and act like his subject in a masterful way. However, this can only be achieved by those seriously committed to the act of replication. Such a commitment to act, mimic, or replicate a respected leader is the result of true discipleship.

Therefore, you could actually translate this phrase:

“…But skillfully and convincingly act like those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

A good actor studies the character and life of another and then portrays that person on a stage or on film. The actor obtains every bit of information he possibly can about the person in order to better portray him in his acting role. Then the actor begins to practice acting just like that person — trying to talk like him, think like him, and even walk and dress like him. If the actor acts long enough and consistently enough, the character role he is playing can actually become a part of the actor’s own identity. That’s the power of acting!

The writer of Hebrews understood the power of imitation. That’s why he said in essence, “If you want to walk in faith, find someone who successfully walks in faith. Watch what he says, how he behaves, and how he lives — and then act like him! Do what he does; say what he says; and behave like he behaves. Be an imitator of those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises!”

You may ask, “But isn’t it hypocritical to act like I feel great when I really feel bad?” Absolutely not! Acting and imitating is foundational to the Christian life. It is for this very reason you are instructed to “…put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh…” (Romans 13:14). When you wake up in the morning, you may not feel like smiling, talking, or saying anything nice to anyone. But because you want to please the Lord, what do you do? You choose to be nice, to smile, to speak kindly; in other words, you choose to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. You make the decision to act differently than you naturally feel.

Putting on Christ is a daily mindset — a daily, hour-by-hour determination. So wake up and declare that you have the mind of Christ! Find some godly people who live according to who they truly are in the Spirit — new creations with the nature, character, desires, and behavior of Jesus Christ. Study their lives, and follow their example. In other words, ACT like those who through faith and patience inherit the promises! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I need an example that I can follow and imitate! Your Word commands me to imitate strong and successful spiritual leaders, so I am asking You to help me find that exact leader whom You want me to follow and imitate. Give me the grace to do what he does, say what he says, and act the way he acts, until finally I no longer have to act because I have become like the person I have been imitating. Holy Spirit, I want to be obedient to God’s Word. Since God tells me to mimic those who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God, I’m asking You to please help me recognize the people whom I should look to as spiritual examples in my walk with God.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I do not have to find my way by myself! By locating godly examples, I can imitate these people’s lives and produce the same fruit they produce in their lives. So right now I choose to follow the examples of those who have preceded me — acting like them and replicating both their acts and their godly fruit in my life. God’s Word says this is what I am to do, so I will do it as I am commanded. The Holy Spirit will help me know exactly who should be the supreme examples in my life, and He will help me follow their example as I ought to do.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Who is the most influential spiritual leader in your life right now? Have you ever taken the time to let that leader know that you appreciate him?

2. What have you done to establish a relationship with that leader? Write down ideas regarding what you can do to strengthen your relationship with him.

3. What in particular do you respect about this leader, and what fruit is demonstrated in his life that you want to see reproduced in your own life? Take the time to really think about this question, and write down your answers.