Repentance & Fasting

Repentance was a theme of John the Immersionist and Jesus the Christ. Mark 1:4, Matthew 4:17. Repentance means change!  Is this present and ongoing in our lifestyle? In the parable of the Prodigal Son, both the younger son and older son had to change. The younger son showed change in “coming back” to the Father, the older son had to change in his attitude towards the Father. Luke 15:20-28. Would the older son, “come in”?   Repentance should affect every Christian throughout the whole of our life long walk.  One day we will be changed to be like “Him” in every aspect and in all of His glory, 

1st Corinthians 15:52.

† Changing from being foolish to being wise, Matthew 6:19-20

† Changing from being physical to being spiritual. Acts 28:27

† Changing from being short-sighted to being joyful, hopeful and long-sighted.

Philippians 4:4

† Changing from relying on our own righteousness to relying on God’s righteousness.

Hebrews 6:1-2, Romans 3:26.

† Changing from being taught to teaching others. Hebrews 5:12

The result of not changing can be fourfold. 

1…to perish, Luke 13:3. 

2...to bring upon us the wrath of God, Matthew 11:20, Romans 2:5. 

3…frustration or discouragement from not growing the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5:18-23. 

4…not growing into any kind of fasting, Matthew 6:16-18, 9:14-15.

Without begging for God’s strength and presence in our bodies by prayer, we cannot expect to change towards God, because the strength to change, lay with God, not in our body.  Remember, HEBREWS 12:4-11, divine discipline should not be self-inflicted, but we should be expecting consequences for our sins, and it is our responsibility to show appreciation for God’s loving forgiveness in our confession. Fasting has always been a good human reaction to God’s gracious forgiveness & mercy. King David fasted until his child died, as an act of remorse for his sin with Bathsheba, 2nd Sam. 12:19-23. 

Jesus made fasting to be from our own volition and was to help us not harm us, Mat. 6:16-18, to be closer to God or when we feel the strength of Jesus isn’t in our life and we want to be active or closer to him again. Often it is an act of preparation for a ministry. Jesus actually wants us to fast and said so, Mat. 9:15. The church used prayer and fasting to prepare themselves for service, Acts 13:1-3, 14:23, it was an obvious attempt to show God, not man, that they were serious about relying on Him for their strength to do the job. Faith is powerful, IJn 5:4.  We need to be humble enough to say we need stronger faith, so that what we need done can be done or provided for.  Joining fasting with prayer, may help us gain God’s strength to overcome sin, so that we can live righteous lives, instead of sinful lives. Before Jesus embarked on a mission, he prayed and fasted in preparation, Matthew 4:1-16. He had nothing to repent from, but He certainly had a new ministry to prepare for and his lifestyle would CHANGE!

God knows repentance is the hardest thing we must do.  It is like moving a mountain, and sometimes we feel like nothing short of a miracle is going to make us change, so what must we do to make ourselves available for God changing us? Drastic action is commanded by Jesus, read Matthew 5:29.  Paul wrote twice, the command to mortify or crucify the desires of the flesh, Galatians 5:24 & Colossians 2:11-13. Pick up your cross, deny yourself and follow Jesus in self sacrifices daily, Luke 9:23.

 

This week’s pointer in prayer; Is Godly sorrow ever felt in our prayers? If not why not?