“He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3).
John the Baptist announced that the Messiah, Jesus, was coming to establish God’s Kingdom.
Our response to Him would be our willingness to repent. Repentance is in itself a gift. How many times have we been in situations that leave us longing for change and a new start? That is what repentance means. It literally describes a change in the way we think.
When we repent we turn from our failures and turn toward God. In fact, the Old Testament word that describes repentance is the Hebrew word for “turn.” We couldn’t turn from sin if God had not provided freedom from its power through the death and resurrection of Jesus. When we believe in Jesus, we can overcome sin and guilt, change our thinking, and embrace salvation.
The benefit of repentance is that wonderful word, “forgiveness.” It means that God sends our sins away from us and we can begin a new life with a totally clean slate. Many Christians think that someday God will read their list of sins at the final judgment. That is so wrong!!
The writer of Hebrews quoted Jeremiah in describing the new covenant God has made with us because of Jesus Christ. “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. ‘Then he adds:’ Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:16-17). That is how complete our forgiveness is when we repent.
