Exhorted: Rethink

Repentance has nothing to do with “making amends”, as one may think? The word is derived from the greek “metanoia”, which consists of two words: Meta and Noia, which means “altered or changed” and “thought” - altered thought or re-think (a mind-change)! This exhortation to rethink logically implies that the sinful man (which we all are) previously thought wrong about God, the purpose of life and himself. Benedikt Peters wrote that being a Christian commences with a mature, reasoned decision to rethink, which is my responsibility and God does not deprive me of it. Ultimately, it is a single act of grace from the commencement of our faith life to the end of our earthly life. It is the goodness of God which leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Although we are called to repentance, if God didn't want to forgive us, and enable our redemption, there would be no salvation or eternal life. God is the Creator of life (Acts 3:15) – not only the temporal, biological life, but also the eternal, redeemed (new) and spiritual life. It is nevertheless clear, that no person is forcefully saved. Heaven will be filled only with those who are there of their own free will. In Acts 17:30-31 we read: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” It is God's will, that all people will come to the knowledge of the truth and are saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Precisely what does this rethinking process refer to? Whereby must we be saved?

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Jews would look upon the Son of God as “we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3) and would indeed ask themselves cynically with regard to Jesus “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) Perhaps Jesus is not exactly despised by many people, however they still regard Him as insignificant and hardly of interest. In the daily lives of many people, He plays no personal role. What He said is often hushed up, or people humanize and moralize the Son of God and only perceive Him as a “good person” with a fixed idea that went horribly wrong and led to His death. God put all things under the feet of Jesus of Nazareth, making Him Head over all things (Ephesians 1:22) and He raised Him from the dead. Jesus Christ is God over all (Romans 9:5). He is the First and the Last, He was dead and is alive (Revelation 1:17-18). He is the Forgiver of sins, the Way, the Truth and the Life and the only Way to Heaven and Salvation (John 14:6). We are a perverse generation (Philippians 2:15) sorely in need of salvation – rethinking is due to necessity! We must realize who Jesus Christ is, and correct our thinking where we have perceived Him incorrectly or previously ignored Him. He is the Cornerstone, which holds everything together and Whom (so-called believers) arrogantly and blindly rejected (Acts 4:11). And where we, as Christians, become slothful and negligent (Ecclesiastes 10:18) we must rethink anew – Ephesians 4:22-24: “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Amen.

Jörg Bauer