#DailyDevotion Today The Lord Jesus Calls You To Repent And Trust In Him
November 13th
Read Jer 26:1–19
Jer 26:1-6 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: (2) “Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. (3) It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. (4) You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, (5) and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, (6) then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.'”
It’s not as if the Lord doesn’t know what is going to happen beforehand. He does. Never-the-less he works with us in time because that is where we exist. So in time he sends the prophet Jeremiah to preach repentance to the Jews. In time they might listen. On occasion when the Lord prophesied doom people repented. Remember Jonah how the pagan people of Ninevah heard the Lord’s warning and they repented and were spared. Even the elders of Jerusalem remembered how the Lord had dealt similarly with the Jews in the days of Hezekiah. But, despite that they did not repent.
But you today, listen to the voice of the Lord. Do not be like those who claimed the name of the Lord but went and did their own thing, sinning against the Lord. Jesus has warned us through St. Paul, Gal 5:17-21 “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, (20) idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, (21) envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” If we see ourselves living like this and we claim to be Christians, we need to repent!
But you have been called out from the rest of the world with its ways. He also reminds us, Gal 5:24 “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Indeed, in baptism, we have been crucified, died and buried into Christ. (Rom. 6:3ff) We have a new life, with new impulses, desires and affections. We have been given the Spirit of the Living God. Gal 5:22-23 “[Now] the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Having been forgiven and received the Holy Spirit, these characteristics should be the mark by which we are known. If they are not, go back and repent, confess your sins and receive absolution that is forgiveness and believe that for Christ’s sake it is yours. Only with faith in the forgiveness of sins in Jesus do we possess the Spirit and the Spirit bears this fruit in us. We need more gospel, more promises. For in the promises of God we become partakers of His nature and he begins to live his life in and through us.
Lord, God, Heavenly Father, grant us the gift of repentance and faith, that we may crucify the flesh and live in the life of the Spirit, bearing his fruit and living in your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.