Our series follows the popular series Evangelistic Apologetics – The Church Under Attack, which published as a 33-part series on FaithandSelfDefense.com from January 2014 to March 2020. That series is now available for free as a set of five eBooks.
Even as we acknowledge that the Church is under attack, we also want to emphasize the challenge the Lord Jesus Christ has given to members of His Church. We are looking closely into the basics of the Gospel and how we can share it effectively with family, friends and others God leads into our lives. We are looking at the importance of personal evangelism and how to use apologetics (a reasoned defense) as we tell others of the wonderful grace of our mighty God.
Here’s what we’ve looked at so far:
- Evangelism is the job (work) of every Christian, not just the professionals. Jesus Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to His Church, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
- In the second part of our series, we looked at what Jesus had in mind when He gave His Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. What role do they play in the Lord’s Eternal Plan?
- In the third part of our series, we looked at what real ministry looks like. A Christian’s ministry is to do whatever Jesus says we should do. Jesus said He had all authority in the universe and that we should make disciples and teach them to obey the teachings of Jesus. We also follow the example, the pattern, that Jesus gave us for life and ministry. We took several steps with Jesus from His childhood to His baptism and wildness experience to see how He ministered.
- In the fourth part of our series, we looked at what Jesus preached after He left the wilderness and began traveling through the cities of Galilee.
- In the fifth part of the series, we looked at what Jesus preached in the Jewish synagogues.
- In the sixth part of the series, we looked at the Gospel that Jesus preached in Israel.
Repentance
We want to continue with a point made in the last part of our series. It comes from Luke 24:46-48:
Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.
Notice that Jesus presented both what He accomplished for the Gospel and what He wanted the apostles to accomplish. Jesus suffered death at the hands of Roman soldiers, was buried, and rose from the dead the third day. That’s what Jesus did. What Jesus wanted His apostles to do was preach repentance and remission of sins “in His name” to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. As we know from the Book of Acts, that’s what the apostles did as soon as they received power from the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. Acts 2:38-39
You can hear the Lord’s words in Peter’s response to questions from Jews who heard his sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus told Peter and the other apostles to preach repentance and remission of sins and that’s what Peter did.
Here are some other examples of “repentance” preaching in Acts:
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19
Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Acts 5:31
Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. Acts 8:22
The Apostle Paul also emphasized the importance of repentance as he preached the Gospel:
From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus— after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel … Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Acts 13:23-24, 38-39
Paul’s preaching stirred the hearts of many of the Jews and devout proselytes and Gentiles. Other Jews became jealous when they saw how many people were following Paul and Barnabas. They opposed Paul and Barnabas to the point that they grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).
Paul’s message to the philosophers in Athens also concerned repentance:
Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. Acts 17:29-31
When Paul met with the elders of the Ephesian church, he reminded them of the importance of preaching repentance:
You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:18-21
Paul said the same thing to King Agrippa:
Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Acts 26:19-21
The preaching of repentance is at the heart of the Gospel message. Repentance (metanoia) means “a change of mind, change of inner man.” The word repent (metanoeó) means “to change one’s mind, change one’s purpose, change the inner man.” The idea of both words is to “think differently after.” True repentance affects the way a person thinks. The Gospel changes people from the inside. It is truly transformational. The preaching of the Gospel “transforms” people from one type of thinking to another, from one purpose to another, from one way of living to another. In order to change spiritually, a person must repent of their sins and believe the Gospel.
Transformation
True repentance, true change in the inner man, produces a marked transformation in the inner man. Because the heart and mind are changed, behavior will change as well. The Bible calls that “sanctification” (hagiasmos), which is the process of being set apart for holy service. Some would say that sanctification is the process of advancing in holiness.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
Even as we are being sanctified daily, we are being transformed into the image of Christ.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
How doe this happen? A day at a time as we grow in Christ. It is a process of being “transformed” by the renewing of our mind.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2
Notice the two sides of sanctification —
- be transformed by the renewing of your mind
- do not be conformed to this world
The objective is to “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Change
Jesus and His apostles preached “repentance” – real change. It is real change in the way we think, what we want, and how we behave. All of that testifies to our true salvation. How do we know if we have really changed?
One way is to “examine” yourself from time to time. The Greek word is dokimazo and means to “test.” The idea is to distinguish by testing and approve after testing.
For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. Galatians 6:3-5
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6
Change, true repentance and transformation, is what we should want. It is God’s objective for our lives. We should want that change more than anything in the world.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. Romans 8:28-30
[Listen to a Podcast of this study by clicking this link.]
eBook
You can download a free eBook of Chapters One – Five of this study here. Please share with family and friends as God leads.
Next Time
In the next part of our series, we will look at how the Gospel that Jesus preached transformed lives.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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