True Repentance

 

 

The book of Luke provided us with a revealing description of the apostle John’s character as a young man.

 

Luke 9:52-56

….and they went, & entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him (Christ).

 

53-And they (the Samaritans) did not receive him (Christ), because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

 

54-And when his disciples James & John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, & consume them, even as Elias (Elijah) did?

 

55-But he turned, & rebuked them & said, ‘Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

 

56-For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ And they went to another village.

 

Evidently, Christ looked Jewish & the Samaritans rejected him for that reason. John’s impulsive & violent reaction was to destroy their whole city. Thankfully, John’s unbridled surge of anger served as an opportunity for Christ to demonstrate his love for humanity, as well as providing John with the vision of a higher life standard.

 

Was the lesson effective? Let’s take a look at the evidence of John’s transformed heart in his later biblical writings:

 

1John 2:9-11

 9-He that saith he is in the light, & hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10-He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, & there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11-But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, & walketh in darkness, & knowth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

 

1John 3:10

….whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

 

1John 3:14

….He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

 

1John 1:15

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: & ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

 

1John 4:8

He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.

 

1John 4:20 

If a man say, I love God, & hateth his brother, He is a liar.

 

Yes, indeed, this was a life genuinely & wholly transformed by the love & example of Christ. 

This is the way repentance is done.