A lesson in repentance and God’s forgiveness
Isaiah 55:6-9
¶ Seek ye YHWH while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto YHWH, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith YHWH. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
First, we are told to “Seek ye YHWH while he may be found and call ye upon him while he is near” we must each first seek after God and call upon him.
Second verse 7 says “let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to YHWH,” this is the idea of repentance.
To repent means to feel remorse or sorrow, to be sorry for one’s sins committed against our holy God, and it means to think differently turning away from our sins turn away from our wickedness and away from our past sinful wrong actions.
When we repent to God of our sins and we humble ourselves before God, we not only acknowledge to God he exists, but we acknowledge to God we have committed wrongs against his holy being, his holiness, and his holy laws.
We truthfully acknowledge our sins before God and accept that we are not only sinners, but we seek his redemption in the mercy and forgiveness from God.
Just as verse 7 says “He will have mercy upon him and to our God he will abundantly pardon” this is the idea of God’s mercy and his forgiveness of our sins.
Lastly, verse 8 and 9 say, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith YHWH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Thank God that his thoughts are higher than our thoughts!
God does not think like we do, and seek immediate retribution for our sins, he has a higher thought process and higher aims for his creation, his children, he is willing to have mercy and forgive us of our wrongs committed against God if we listen to God and seek and repent of our ways before him.
As the apostle Peter taught,
2nd Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
We have many examples how God’s thoughts work in the mind of Jesus the Christ.
A powerful example of God’s mercy is shown in the story of where Jesus is tested by the Pharisees, or the religious class of his day, to condemn an adulterous woman to death according to her sins committed against the Law of Moses and God.
John 8:1-11
Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
In the story of this event the religious leaders found a woman who committed an act of adultery and they have a mind to stone her according to the penalty of the law God gave to Moses and Israel.
The Pharisees have self-righteous vengeance on their mind and they intend to try to test Jesus whether he obeys the Law of God.
But Jesus catches the religious self-righteous Pharisees in their own trap, and reveals to them their own righteousness before God.
Jesus says “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
Jesus essentially said, “Let him who is without sin, let him condemn this woman to death and stone her to death according to God’s holy law.”
None of the men of the religious class could truly meet this standard and they each realized their own sins and one by one they dropped their vengeance, anger, and stones, and left one by one from his presence.
Now Jesus, God in the flesh, was left alone with the woman guilty of adultery.
What does he do?
He pardons her sin and shows mercy and commands her to sin no more.
What is amazing about this story is that the only man present, without sin, who knew the very holy law of God more than they all, who could actually stone the woman to death for breaking the law of God, was Jesus himself, and instead he shows us an example of Mercy and God’s forgiveness of sins.
No doubt Jesus also saw the hypocrisy of self-righteous Pharisees, and it is a lesson for us as Christians not to become self-righteous or ‘holier than thou’ and look down upon sinners outside of Christ to condemn them, but to preach to them the gospel and remember we too were once sinners and all of us fall short of the glory of God.
The apostle Paul taught:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Jesus himself said:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Another example of how God’s thoughts are higher than ours involved Jesus’ disciples who wanted to exact vengeance on some Samaritans who would not receive Jesus.
Luke 9:51-56
¶ And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Jesus came not to destroy sinners, but to bring them redemption and save men’s lives chiefly by his own sacrifice of giving his own life on the cross.
As Paul wrote to the Church at Rome:
Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Only God can forgive sinners and have mercy on the merciless and this was shown in Jesus’ final moments on the cross where Jesus shows us God’s forgiveness.
Luke 23:34
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
In this act forgiveness of God, we can see what Jesus meant when he tried to teach about loving our enemy.
Matthew 5:43
¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
We all were enemies to God once, before we come to God and know his Son Jesus Christ, we were all walking in sin and we needed a savior.
Two verses of scripture that relate this idea are:
Romans 5:8-10
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Colossians 1:19-22
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Another example of God’s thoughts differing higher from our own thoughts is found when Jesus taught his disciples about forgiveness.
Matthew 8:21-22
¶ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Luke 17:3-4
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Seventy time seven is a lot of forgiveness!
What mercy God has for those who truly come to repent of their sins to God.
So, in conclusion we have learned that if we seek God and call upon him and repent of our sins, God is willing to pardon us or forgive us of our sins.
God is calling someone who is outside of Christ now!
Jesus said:
Mathew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Come to Jesus and repent of your heavy and burdensome sins and Jesus will give you rest.
God is calling you to repent just as Jesus did in the day he first ministered to the people of Israel.
Mark 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
The kingdom of God is at hand for you now reading this.
Repent today of your sins and God is willing to pardon you and God will forgive you of your sins and you will receive not only God’s mercy, but his Holy Spirit as the apostle Peter proclaimed on day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:38-39
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Repent to God of your sins and be saved in name of Jesus the Christ receiving the forgiveness of your sins!
Believe on the work of Jesus the Christ on the cross; his death to atone for your sins and his Life being risen from the dead by the power and the glory of God.
Romans 10:8-10
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
It is my prayer that if you do not know Jesus you come to learn of him and trust in him, to repent to God of your sins and God will forgive you and give you rest and give you his Holy Spirit and you will receive everlasting life.
Jesus died for your sins on his cross in 33 AD and shed his precious blood so that you might be made free from your sins. Believe in his work on the cross, believe in his resurrection from the dead, and you will be saved.
Do you know Jesus?
He came and died for your sins!
Are you covered by his atoning blood?
Will you repent of your sins to God?
Will you be baptized in his holy name?
There is salvation the name of JESUS!