From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17
Fred lifted the heavy ring of ancient keys and tried another, but the rusty gate held fast. Jorge pointed to a shiny new key marked Gate. “Why don’t you try that one?” Fred chuckled. “Nah, I think one of these’ll do it. This is the way I open everything. This gate is rusted shut and that key looks too new.” Thirty minutes passed while Fred struggled with the gate until finally Jorge jerked the set of keys from Fred's hand, grabbed the shiny silver one and jammed it into the lock. With a loud click, the gate opened. Fred’s eyes widened, then he shook his head. “Wow. I didn’t think it would be that simple."
We are like Fred when it comes to entering the kingdom of God. We can't imagine it is that simple, so we continue through our ring of keys, trying to open the door into God’s presence with Excuses, Justifications, Denials, or Bargains. God offers us the only key that will open the door. It’s called Repentance and it was the first sermon Jesus preached. Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of direction. We must agree with God about how bad our sin is and purpose to work with Him to change it. We cannot enter the presence of a holy God while defending the very things He hates.
Defended Sin is a rusty key that keeps us away from God's presence, blessing, and favor. Defended Sin won’t unlock anything but regrets; Repented Sin opens the door to forgiveness and restoration. Repentance prepares us for becoming all God created us to be.
A Christian is a person who constantly prepares for the next season by living in a state of ongoing repentance.
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