Greetings,
Repentance
Man was created to have a relationship with his Creator. The Father desires to have and is the process of creating an eternal spiritual family and man was created just for that purpose. Christ is the captain and author of eternal salvation (Hebrews 2:6-10; 5:8-9). Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden deprived man of the essential ingredient needed to bridge the gulf between mortal and immortal – that ingredient being the Holy Spirit. The personal relationship with God was broken and man’s mind, because of his rejection of God’s way, became hostile to God and His law (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 8:7).
The process of restoring that relationship begins with repentance. The Apostle Peter’s answer to a question about how to respond to Christ’s death was a simple three step program. Repent, be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
In the Old Testament the verb “shub” is used to convey the concept of repentance. The verb implies motion or movement – to “turn” or to “return”. It indicates a turning away from evil and a turning to good. In the New Testament, the word “metanoeo” strengthens this concept by addressing the state of mind – including the emotions – as well as the physical aspects of turning. Repentance is more than just an intellectual acceptance of the need to change – there must also be an emotional component of remorse or regret. Repentance is a complete transformation which brings the whole life of a person into a new relationship with the Father through Christ.
As we come to see our true nature – that is to see ourselves as God sees us – we recognize that the restoration of a relationship with the Father requires a deep emotional remorse for what we are, and not just for what we have done. The entire book of Job is a story of repentance. Job had to come to the realization that a relationship with God was not just about doing the right thing, but he had to see that by nature, he was wrong. When he finally came to the point of abhorring himself (Job 42:5-6), he had arrived at real repentance.
This mind-set allows man to be reconciled with his Father. It involves accepting in faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and committing to a life that will be lived according to the will of God. This restored relationship produces real change and spiritual development as the Holy Spirit becomes an active part of the human life.
Website Development
The above is a demonstration of how we are developing doctrinal material for the website. This is a short synopsis of two Bible studies which were given on the subject of repentance. When this is posted on our website it will reference the two studies. This way, anyone who wants to know what we believe can see the short statement to gain that information. If they are interested enough to know more, they will be able to access the transcript as well as the video and audio for a more detailed study of the subject.
In the future, from time to time we will present basic doctrinal material in our Bible Studies and sermons. A short write-up will be posted with the link to the full study or sermon. In this manner we hope to present fresh material which will totally support the doctrinal truth God restored to His Church through Mr. Armstrong.
Feast Registration
Registration has been slow so we ask you to consider registering soon. As with most things technical there were some glitches but changes were made to make the process smoother.
Services this Sabbath will be streamed from Concord CA.
Warm Regards,
Brian Orchard
