Sunday Shorts: A Old Fashioned Word

Mark 1:4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (NRSV)

It’s an old-fashioned concept which many people don’t think about today, not even Christians. The word is ‘repentance’ and most folks avoid it because it requires honesty and humility. In order to repent, we have to honestly confess that we have made a mistake which is difficult for a society that justifies everything. We also have to be humble and confess that we have weaknesses and faults which damages our pride and deflates our prestige. We are fiercely individual and self-reliant, so to repent would mean giving up striving for power, perfection, and position.

The word in Greek that Mark uses to describe repentance in his gospel is ‘metanoia,’ which involves a realization of being wrong, of feeling our guilt, and seeking to reverse our mistake. The old way of describing this act of repentance is ‘turning away from ourselves in order to turn back to God.’ It requires us to sacrifice our pride and let go of what is holding us back from returning to God. It’s not an easy process and it truly takes a great deal of effort. It’s not just a matter of saying ‘sorry’ and moving on – it’s about knowing that we’ve deeply offended God which causes us to humbly seek divine mercy.

In John’s time, people were required to publicly profess their sins before being baptized. That took a lot of courage, especially in a community that strove to be perfect in both God’s and other people’s eyes. However, when Jesus appeared on the scene and eventually humbled and sacrificed Himself for our mistakes, God’s grace was offered in a different way. We still have to repent and humbly confess our mistakes to Christ, we still have to turn away from ourselves and look to God for forgiveness and grace, but instead of being baptized publicly in the River Jordan, we can now be baptized personally by the Holy Spirit in order to eliminate our sinful, prideful, and past mistakes. With Jesus, we can be restored to God; with Christ, we can be reconnected to God’s love, compassion, and care.

So, today, as we reflect on repentance, let’s ponder for a moment about the things that we sinfully do which create a barrier between ourselves and God. Let’s honestly come to Jesus with our humble confessions, so that He can fully forgive us our past mistakes, strengthen our present resolve, and lead us into a better future.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, You came into our world to save us from ourselves. We know that Your perfection eliminates our imperfection and Your humility humbles our pride. Help us to turn away from ourselves in order to seek God. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor who now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

Today’s image is one of John’s latest baptism drawings. If you would like to see a larger version, please click this link: Baptism.

Thought for Today: A Beautiful Faith

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” – Isaiah 44:22

            The beauty of our faith is that we worship and serve the God who forgives. God has the power to invade our lives and punish us for our sins; instead, He sends His Son Jesus into our world to offer mercy, forgiveness, and grace.

            Perhaps you are carrying guilt from the past or still burdened with regrets. Maybe those mistakes depress you and cloud your life with shame. Re-read today’s verse and know this: God can disperse those clouds and open up your life to His brightness. Jesus can and will forgive us, especially of those things that we cannot forgive ourselves. Through Him, we can return to God for Christ is our Redeemer, the One who is willing to delete our guilt, reboot our lives, and reset us on a path which leads to God’s everlasting love and favor.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for saving us from ourselves by forgiving us completely. Let this new day begin a fresh path for our lives. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Please feel free to share today’s message. God bless you J.

Encouraging Devotion: Needing Grace - Psalm 25:8

Psalm 25:8    Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.

            Sometimes when I sin, I get both angry and disappointed with myself. I get angry because I've let temptation or pride overcome me again; I feel disappointed because I've let down God once more. There are also times when I think that if I wasn't a Christian, my conscience would'’t bother me and I could freely set aside my sins as insignificant mistaken choices. However, as I try to be a follower of Christ, so my sins afflict and convict me constantly.

            The Book of Psalms was written for sinners just like me. I constantly find that King David of old has put into words what I’m feeling or experiencing. He didn't pull any punches or dismiss any of his sins. Like me, he knew that he was sinful and therefore needed God’s forgiveness. Like me, he understood that his sins messed up his relationship with God, as well as those with other people.

            To me, Psalm 25 deals with sin through God’s grace. King David saw God as being constantly patient and consistently willing to forgive sinners, in order to help them start again. God could have condemned David completely and judged him terribly; instead, God allowed David to repent, and then begin again to relearn God’s ways and reapply His truths in the king’s life.

            We all sin. We all feel bad about disappointing God or hurting other people. We all want to make things right and start again. As Christians, we are given this wonderful opportunity to be forgiven through Jesus. His death on the Cross has paid all of our debts; His amazing resurrection has brought about our restoration to God’s favor and love.

            So wherever we are today, let’s take the gracious opportunity to let go of our sinful past, to be released of our constant struggles, and to experience the forgiveness of God and reassurance of Christ. Let’s begin again. Let’s embrace this new day as a new start in the rest of our lives.

Questions for reflection

What sinful things do I constantly do? When I ask Christ for forgiveness, do I also ask for my faith in Him to be renewed?

Prayer:           Lord Jesus, You know us completely and are totally aware of all of our sinful ways. You perfectly know how many times we sin and why we choose to defy, disregard, or disappoint God. Forgive us for our foolish and sinful ways. Restore us to God’s love and favor. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest stained glass designs. It’s called “Spirit of Communion.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Communion.