A Change of Mind

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..." (Hebrews 3:15)

Another misty morning dawns. Time is obscured along with the vegetation around our cabin. A day for planting, copious cups of cocoa, reading, learning and writing. Plans for brush-cutting and work on the newly dug garden pond, are put on hold. Minute droplets float gently, consistently - refreshing all that breathes and grows.

This piece of mountain land that we live on, was a wattle forest when we bought it. The first time we set foot on it, we “bundu-bashed” our way through dense forest and bramble, with a kind neighbour and a flustered, huffing estate agent.

Many years later, we are still taming the wilderness. And at times, just letting it be. It is not a garden to show off. But it is home. A place where children can play freely, with no finicky flower beds or high walls. It has critters and crawlies and secret hide-outs to delight curious boys’ minds and senses.

But not only have our children experienced freedom here. Apart from freedom from the demands of an affluent society and the pressures and expectations attached to it, there is another freedom that is growing gracious roots in our hearts.

After the last blog that I wrote, I felt that there were some aspects concerning how we are truly set free from sin, which I needed to clarify . And how we come to have free access to the loving, just Trinity of God. While it is true that Jesus loves all sinners, regardless of the sin or the condition of the individual - it is not true that He accepts all sinners to come before His throne without the sinner's acknowledgement of their sinful state.

This remains impossible as long as the sinner considers him- or herself "acceptable" in a way of living which is unacceptable to God. With no regret or deep sorrow for sins of the past and the sins of each day. Which continue to block our access to God and are a hindrance to our prayers being answered. Please note: sorrow and regret - not guilt.

Isaiah 30:15 reads: "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

And: Acts 3:19: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

There are two Hebrew words used for repent/repentance in the Old Testament:

1. נחם - naw-kham' The Hebrew word is used 108 times in the OT and is translated, “comfort” 57 times, “repent” 41 (plus 2 more including the noun), “comforter” 9, and “ease” 1. It can mean “regret,” “be moved to pity,” “have compassion” and similar.

2. שׁוּב - shoob A common word in the OT, used over 1,000 times and is usually translated “turn,” “turn back,” “return” or similar.

In the New Testament forms of the word “repent” or “repentance” are used 66 times in 60 verses. The majority of the time it is translated from the Greek words μετάνοια (met-an'-oy-ah), noun, and μετανοέω (met-an-o-eh'-o), verb. It simply means “a change of mind". The object of the change of mind must be determined by the context.

The way I understand this and is made clear in Scripture, is that even though God calls all sinners to Himself through Jesus, we cannot be set free from sin and "turn" to a new joyful life with Him, without repentance towards each other and before God.

This is a hard teaching of Christ. It is unrelenting and direct in its objective; but – as are all things with Christ – it is rooted in unconditional love. The word that Christ would have used to say “repent” is the word “Metanoia”. While the concept of repentance has been distorted into meaning to simply stop sinning, the word that Christ used is a word that means “to think differently”. God’s heart is not focused solely on our actions, but rather, on our motivations. Therefore, His charge to those that follow Him is not only to resist the urge to act negatively. It is to use the opportunity (with His strength) to act positively, according to His will.

In Luke 13:3 Jesus says: "...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

A group of people came to Jesus and told him about how Pilate had murdered some worshiping Galileans and taken their blood and mixed it with the blood of their sacrifices—their sheep and pigeons and doves. It was a dreadful thing that took place.

Jesus hears it in their voices—these slain Galileans must have really offended God that He allowed something so horrible to happen to them. In other words extraordinary tragedy must signify extraordinary guilt.

But Jesus answers simply, "No, I tell you, BUT unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

These are words that have become hurtful to people's ears. Words like: sin, repentance, judgement.

Scripture says, "Your iniquities have made a separation  between you and your God and your sins have hid His face from you so that He does not hear." (Isaiah 59:2). Even our prayers will not reach God's ears, we are left without spiritual authority.

Revelation 1:5,6 teaches that Jesus "loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father". 

And therefore, as the Old Testament shows us, coming before God as a priest, means having clean garments and clean hands each time one enters the sanctuary for prayer.

Without cleansing (repentance), we cannot come before God's throne; without cleansing, we lack authority. This does not mean that we are made righteous through our repentance alone. It is still only with and through Jesus that this is made possible. A close relationship with Him, will move us to repentance, as those who love Him, and want to live in right standing with Him.

"The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears toward their cry" (Psalm 34:15). This is why only the entirely righteous One, who lived on this earth could say: "I knew that you always hear me..." (John 11:42)

God longs for us to be priests who will step into the breach, repenting first for ourselves (for judgement always begins with the household of God - 1 Peter 4:17), and then for others. But sadly, often our ears are deaf, because our hearts, in love with this world, have grown hard and insensitive to God's judgements. How can a nation be roused from its apathy if the priests of God (the Christians) do not wake up first?

"We are challenged to confess our sins, to separate ourselves from the world and to be purified, so that we may live in the sanctuary as priests. Then, as priests, we can, with authority, place the saving and freeing name of Jesus ever anew on all the suffering people in our land and throughout the world. Judgement will be transformed into blessing, as many who do not know the Lord or even hate Him, come to a saving faith in the Redeemer. The forces of destruction will be held back. Amid all the hardships, an eternal weight of glory will be prepared for those who love the Lord, a glory incomparably greater than the sufferings of this present age." (M Basilea Schlink)