Mar 1:4 -
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Repentance is the word metanoia, whose definition is "a changing of the mind, a changing of the atitude, and even a changing of the direction or plans one has made."
I tell my students that if you want to put it in a math term, it is a 180 degree turn, going from what you were doing or the direction you were heading, and going in the completely opposite way.
Meta = "change"
Noia = "intellect, mind"
When I come to Christ, I change from my old habits, my selfish ways and my greedy life. I become the opposite by the leading of the Holy Spirit. I form new, good habits; I become unselfish; I am giving, not greedy. I show Jesus by these actions.
Look how John presented a Jesus-pleasing repentance. In the words of Bible scholar Matthew Henry: "John...told people that there must be a renovation of their hearts and a reformation of their lives, that they must forsake their sins and turn to God, and upon those terms and no other, their sins should be forgiven."
Wow. A full renovation of the heart. I remember seeing buildings that have been renovated. They are changed and come out looking for the better. I've seen people whose lives have been reformed, and it's a wondrous thing to see the new direction.
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STARTING SEPTEMBER 2ND!!!
The Christian Academy of Knoxville is letting me teach an evening Bible study on campus. We have a new college Bible study going on. Starting next Tuesday, we will meet at 6 p.m. for pizza and serious Koine Greek in-depth Bible study. Room 501.
