“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2) So began the ministry of John the Baptist. You might say, “Of course this guy would come proclaiming such an ‘in your face’ message, for he was such an unusual character–a prophet of old.” Before you make such an assessment of John, consider how our Lord Jesus kicked off His ministry in Galilee.

After spending forty days praying and fasting, and having overcome temptation by the Devil, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “…Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:12-15).

You may be asking, “What does it mean to repent?” If so, I’m glad you asked. To repent means “to have a change of heart and mind which results in a change of your actions.” It means you make a 180 degree turn and begin heading in the opposite direction. It’s like you were driving due west to California, then decided to turn and head due east to Washington, DC. Throughout the Old Testament, Yahweh uses His messengers, the prophets, in calling His people to turn from their own evil ways and to turn to Him and His way of goodness (1Samuel 7:3; Isaiah 55:7; Jeremiah 3:10-14; Ezekiel 14:6, 18:30, 33:11; Joel 2:12-13).

Ever since Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, humanity has continuously gone its own way. We are prone to deviate from God, and are often diametrically opposed to His ways. Given that this is humanity’s plight, we’re desperately in need of a means of turning back onto the right path. The means God has provided is none other than repentance. To use a metaphor, repentance recalibrates the GPS of our heart, turning it to the direction and manner of life our Creator intended for us to enjoy from the beginning.

In addition to the “turning” aspect of repentance, repentance also carries with it an aspect of remorse for both our willful and our often ignorant disobedience to our Creator. When we undergo genuine repentance, there’s often an experience of deep sorrow when we realize how our attitudes & actions have offended our holy and loving Creator. It’s at this point that we must be careful to not fall into the mindset of trying to earn forgiveness from God on the basis of some works that we might perform. Our forgiveness is obtained exclusively on the basis of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ via His sinless life, perfect sacrifice and substitutionary death upon the cross. Jesus Christ alone is our all-sufficient atonement and righteousness. He alone assuaged the just punishment of God that was due to be meted out upon us for our rebellion against the Holy God. Thank You Jesus, for Your precious and priceless sacrifice!

Now you may be wondering, “Why do I need to repent? I’m a pretty decent person who believes in God and tries to do good to my fellow man.” To which I must respond, “That’s precisely why you need to repent. Even on your best day, all your goodness does not measure up to the standard of righteousness to which God calls us and for which He created us” (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23). We have departed from our Creator’s original design and intention for humanity–reflecting and reproducing His image and likeness throughout the earth. The Most High created us to be His representatives upon the earth operating under His benevolent rulership and showing forth His marvelous glory (Isaiah 43:7). However, our father Adam rebelled against that rulership, seeking to be his own master rather than following the divine leadership of our Creator. Ever since Adam’s transgression, mankind has been on a degenerating path of disobedience, destruction and death. This was never our loving Creator’s desire. So in His never-failing love for us as His earthly representatives and family, He has provided a means of restoring our relationship with Him. That means of restored relationship is through putting our faith in the finished work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The first step in accepting and trusting solely in Christ’s finished work that commends us to God is repentance–changing your mind to synchronize with the will and ways of our Creator.

“The first step in accepting and trusting solely in Christ’s finished work that commends us to God is repentance–changing your mind to synchronize with the will and ways of our Creator.”

So now the message heralded by John the Baptist, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His messengers is directed to you, me, and everyone else who would desire to be a follower of Jesus–“Change your mind, for God’s rulership is at hand!”

In light of the foregoing, what should you do now?

Ask yourself the following questions to see if you’re in need of changing your mind:

1. Do my thoughts, attitudes, and actions honestly reflect alignment with the Bible (God’s word)?
2. Do I routinely consider what the Bible has to say before doing whatever I might desire?
3. Do I hold following in the steps of the Lord Jesus Christ (our example for living) as a priority in my life?