#2191 1011 15P

            The importance of repenting and returning to faith and trust on God is emphasized throughout Scripture.  After committing the worst sin possible, the people were told—Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus said Mark 1:15 “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” 

            True repentance is a true change from one direction to another; it means being converted from doing things the world’s way and to start doing them the Lord’s way.  Repentance brings the greatest results—the first being a full pardon and a total forgiveness of sins—through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ—nothing could be more valuable than that!

            Erasing of past sins is the foundation of a Christian life of faith—not everyone has that foundation.  Repenting enables us to surrender our self will to be God’s divine will.  Repentance in its full meaning is being willing to give up every unscriptural attitude, and to learn under God’s teaching, how to be scriptural in all attitudes toward everyone and everything.

            Being scriptural is opposite to what we were before repentance.  Since Adam sinned, everyone born is under the dominion of the devil—all the ways of humanity are the ways of the devil.  If someone has not truly repented and received the Holy Spirit, they would not realize that Satan was controlling their thoughts—but he can be and he does by thoughts put in their mind—thoughts that always seem like their own sensible reasoning.

            Another strategy that works for the devil is to have people accept a false religion—of which there are millions today—and each one claiming to give a gospel message.  Anyone who is still under the control of the devil, because they have never truly repented of their sins, can easily accept a false belief system.  The Bible predicts that huge numbers of people would be following huge numbers of false religions in the closing days—where we are today.

            There are more false religious organizations than ever; Jehovah’s Witnesses, a delusion that is directly from the devil, has deceived huge numbers of people.  They have used various names—Zion’s Watchtower; Millennial Dawn; International Bible Students, and recently Jehovah’s Witnesses.

            Satan’s only objective is to have people pass from this earth still in their sins, and unprepared for Heaven—resulting in spending eternity with him in Hell.  Anyone who accepts a delusion will find themselves in that horrible place.  Jesus told the religious leaders John 8:24 “If you do not believe that I am, THE ONE I CLAIM TO BE, you will indeed die in your sins.”

            Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh—even though the Bible clearly says 1 Timothy 3:16 “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

            Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the doctrine of the Trinity, and they teach there is no Lake of Fire—just annihilation of the wicked, even though the Bible again clearly says Revelation 14:11 “The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night.”  The Watchtower’s Bible—New World Translation—is full of errors and is a very misleading translation.  Titus 1:16 “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”

            We are told 2 John 1:10 “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine [God’s full Truth], receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.”  We are not to have fellowship with anyone who is in any delusion—Islam; Mormonism; Hinduism; New Age; New Thought; Wicca; Seventh-Day Adventists; Buddhism; Scientology;  and thousands more.  All such groups reject the Blood of Christ and His Atonement sacrifice; they reject a personal God; a personal Savior; and a personal Holy Spirit.

            The serious aspect of such teaching—and it is a fatal error in all delusions—is that their doctrine does not lead a person back to God—to deal with Him on a personal level.  They do not teach that we have to die to self, live for Christ, and that we can receive the benefits of Christ’s Atonement Blood—for this life and for eternal life.

            The first result when we repent is—God takes possession of our life and becomes our Teacher Who guides us away from every unscriptural thing in our life, and leads us into His full Truth—then we are scriptural in His sight.  We must be led out of every human thing we trust in; and be led to the place of total trust on God alone for everything.

            At this point we are free from the grip of sinful ways; unscriptural attitudes; and unprofitable interests—we will have God’s protection; His healing from oppression; we will enjoy peace in our home; and will be protected from anything that could disturb our peace.  We are to enjoy the same health, healing, victories, and manifestations of God’s power as Bible Christians did.

            Clear evidence of Satan’s control is when God is shut out of a person’s life—which means that the individual is trying by their own methods, plans, and ways to get what they want in this life.  Satan’s main method is to have people follow those worldly ways of self, but with a religious covering about them.

            Millions of religious groups today follow the devil’s methods—totally ignoring God in this life, and depending on their own ways to get what they want.  The facts are, however, that God is the same today; Jesus came to deliver us from Satan’s power; and the Holy Spirit is given to anyone who truly repents, believes, and accepts God’s Truth.

            To profess to serve God, and yet be doing Satan’s will, is a very serious sin.  Trusting in anything, every plan, and anyone but God, is a sin that is deep-rooted and supported by the devil himself.  We should not financially support any religious organization that does not teach God’s full Truth 2 John 1:11.

            Repentance is not real, unless a real and a final decision is made to turn from all unscriptural things in our life, and accepting God’s will and Word as our rule of life.  Every evil thing that has ever happened to anyone, has been caused by an unscriptural attitude toward God and His Word.  When a person is willing to confess, repent, and forsake their evil ways, and they fully accept God’s Truth, they will be delivered from self and Satan.

            Job was self-righteous because of self-efforts—even though he was honest and sincere in wanting to serve God.  Outward actions, however, do not make a person’s inward heart scriptural.  Honesty, sincerity, and determination does not mean we are truly spiritual.

            The Bible says Acts 10:1-2 that Cornelius was “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.”  These right ways did not give him right standing with God.  Job was determined to hold on to his own ways; but Cornelius was willing to get rid of his ways—and to fully accept God’s ways and plans.  Cornelius sent for the apostle so he could hear words of God’s Truth.

            Previously, both Job and Cornelius were on their way to the Lake of Fire.  It was difficult for God to bring Job to repentance.  Horrible things had to happen to him; the loss of his children; loss of much property, loss of friends, and then his health.  He came to the end of everything—in pain and deep despair.

            Elihu said to Job Job 36:7-9 God “does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.  But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, he tells them what they have done—that they have sinned arrogantly.”  It is not God’s fault—he is saying—but the stubborn attitude of your own heart that caused all your own trouble.

            Elihu said that God Job 36:10-12 “makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil.  If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.  But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge.”

            The Lord came on the scene and convinces Job that his wrong religious beliefs is what caused his own trouble—Job had been deceived by Satan.  World wars are the result of false religions.  Not one government, that has ever attacked another government, has ever lived according to God’s Word or trusting Him in faith for all things.  The worst form of hypocrisy is to cover self and Satan with a pious coat of religious words.

            When Job was willing to admit that his own ways robbed him of everything, and which brought him to the very gates of Hell, he was then in a position to repent, confess his sins, forsake them by God’s mercy, and return to the will of God.  Job had only heard about God, but now he said—Job 42:5-6 “mine eye seeth thee.  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

            Most people claiming to be Christians, think there is no spiritual cause for the trouble they encounter, but the Bible teaches that a spiritual lack is the cause of every trouble—from the least to the worst.  When we are willing to repent as Job did, God will deliver us as He did Job.

            When Job asked God to forgive his friends—who had given him wrong advice, and had believed what most religious people believe today—that God permitted these troubles to come on Job for no spiritual reason—then everything changed, and Job received back all that Satan had taken.

            The Lord said to Eliphaz Job 42:7, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”  Job prayed for his friends, 9-10 “and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.  After Job had prayed for his friends—[having made a true repentance and fully accepting God’s Truth], the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.”

            The result of truly repenting and returning to God is that Job 42:12 “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.”  He was given back, all that Satan had taken because of following a false doctrine.  God restored and blessed Job with children, grandchildren “and their children to the fourth generation” 16.  He lived a hundred and forty years; 17 “And so he died, old and full of years.”

            Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly;” but instead, rejects the ways of the world; makes a true Bible repentance; returns to God; willingly accepts His full Truth, and walks in the light of it every day by the power of the Holy Spirit.