{"id":2873,"date":"2025-04-17T06:20:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T06:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/answeringtoday.com\/staging\/4887\/?p=2873"},"modified":"2025-04-18T11:09:57","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T18:09:57","slug":"is-jesus-calling-me-to-repent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/answeringtoday.com\/staging\/4887\/is-jesus-calling-me-to-repent\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Jesus Calling Me to Repent?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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QUESTION:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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IS JESUS CALLING ME TO REPENT?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Yes, Jesus is absolutely calling you to repent!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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From the very beginning of His ministry, His message was clear and urgent:<\/p>\n

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\u201cFrom that time Jesus began to preach and to say, \u2018Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u2019\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Matthew 4:17<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n


\u201cThe time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Mark 1:15<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is the first preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.<\/strong> His very first message to the world was not about success, happiness, or religion \u2014 it was about the arrival of God\u2019s Kingdom<\/strong> and the requirement to enter it:<\/p>\n

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    Repent<\/strong>, and<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Believe in the Gospel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    But why is Jesus calling us to repent? <\/strong>Because the day of judgment is already set.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cTruly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Acts 17:30\u201331<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    God is not suggesting repentance \u2014 He is commanding it<\/strong>. A day is coming when every person will stand before Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge. The purpose of Jesus\u2019 call to repentance is simple yet eternal in consequence: to save you and me<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Saved From What?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    Before we talk about how to get saved, we must first understand what we are being saved from<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    The Bible is clear: we are not just facing physical death<\/strong>, but something far more dreadful \u2014 the second death<\/strong>, which is eternal punishment<\/strong> and eternal separation from God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cBut the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Revelation 21:8<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    This is not a temporary punishment. It is <\/span>forever<\/strong>. Jesus Himself spoke of this final judgment:<\/span><\/p>\n

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    \u201cAnd these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Matthew 25:46<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Even the Old Testament foresaw the terrifying reality of eternal judgment:<\/p>\n

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    \u201cAnd many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Daniel 12:2<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The second death<\/strong> is not annihilation or unconsciousness \u2014 it is conscious, eternal separation<\/strong> from the presence of God, full of torment and regret. This is the horrible future that awaits every sinner who dies without being forgiven.<\/p>\n

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    But here is the good news<\/strong>: there is a way for our sins to be forgiven, and for us to be saved from this horrible future<\/strong>. God Himself made a way \u2014 and it is through His Son, Jesus Christ.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    God\u2019s Provision: The Gospel<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    God did not leave us without hope. He made a way for us to be saved by sending His Son, Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cFor the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Romans 6:23<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law. He died on the cross to take the penalty of our sins, and He rose again to offer us new life.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cMoreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel… that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day…\u201d<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 1 Corinthians 15:1\u20134<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    This is the Gospel<\/strong> \u2014 the Good News \u2014 that Jesus paid the price<\/strong> so we can be forgiven of our sins so we don\u2019t have to suffer the second death.<\/p>\n

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    This was God\u2019s part in the salvation process.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Our Part: Repent and Believe<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    While salvation is a free gift and the forgiveness of sins has been made available through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is only accessible to those who respond<\/strong> \u2014 not with pride, indifference, or delay, but with a humble heart that is willing to be reconciled with God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Jesus made this clear: \u201cRepent, and believe in the gospel.\u201d<\/em> <\/strong>These are not two separate options. They are two sides of a coin and one divine requirement<\/strong> \u2014 inseparable and essential.<\/p>\n

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    First Side of the Coin: Repentance<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    Repentance is the first action Jesus commands. But what does it really mean?<\/p>\n

    Repentance is not about achieving perfection or cleaning yourself up. It is not just sorrow or regret over sin. It is, most importantly, a decision to return to God<\/strong> \u2014 to stop ignoring and rejecting Him in your life and humbly acknowledge your need for Him.<\/p>\n

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    Let us take a moment to reflect:<\/strong> Where is God in my life? Am I acknowledging Him in all that I do? Is God truly my God\u2014and is Jesus truly my Lord? How close am I to Him\u2026 or how far have I drifted? Do I need to return to God? Do I need to surrender and make Jesus the Lord of my life? Are my sins forgiven? Am I saved?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    As explained in greater detail at “What is True Repentance”<\/a><\/strong>, repentance is turning away from a life lived apart from God and making the firm choice to come back to Him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    \u201cSeek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him…\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Isaiah 55:6\u20137<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    This is the first side of the coin<\/strong> \u2014 a personal, inward return to the God who created you and longs to forgive you.<\/p>\n

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    Second Side of the Coin: Believe in the Gospel<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    Now here\u2019s the question:<\/p>\n

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    What assurance do we have that when we return to God, He will accept and forgive us?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The answer is found in the second part of Jesus\u2019 command: believe in the gospel<\/strong>. This is where faith in Jesus Christ<\/strong> comes in. (See also: “What Does it Mean to Believe in Jesus?”<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n

    To believe in the gospel means to entrust your life to Jesus<\/strong> \u2014 to rely completely on what He has done for your salvation. This is not about believing facts, but about staking your life on the truth that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again for your justification<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    The moment you put your faith in Him, you are declared righteous before God<\/strong>. Your sins are forgiven. You are saved.<\/p>\n

    Here are some powerful truths from the book of Romans:<\/p>\n