Repent | January 6
…’Return…says the LORD, ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not remain angry forever.
Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, …and you have not obeyed My voice,’…
“Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you.
“…I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Jeremiah 3:12-15
Father, it could not be more clear. You extend Your hand to us and You tell us to “return”. How Father could we return if we had not “been there”? You tell us here and You have told us elsewhere that we are “married” to You. You chose us from the beginning to be Yours. You created us in Your image and call us Your children, heirs to eternity, if we but “repent”.
Father, we know that the word repent means to turn in the other direction, to make a life-changing decision, to do a 180°. None of us can, in and of our own strength, declare our salvation. We are saved by Your grace and mercy and our faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, Lord and Savior.
If we ever “backslide”, as Your children, we are walking away from the marriage of our spirit and Your Spirit, committing what amounts to an adulterous act as evidenced by our infidelity. Father, You have told us there are two judgments: The separation of saints and sinners by Jesus and His angels and then the judgment of the saints, by You, personally. We are accountable for those things we do after we commit to serving You.
Thank You Father for Your mercy; it is both our hope and our salvation, sent by You. Jesus, we are so grateful for the presence of Your enabling Spirit in our lives. Bless us we pray, in Your name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project
