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The Kingdom of GOD – Mark 1:14-15
The Kingdom of GOD is the solution to all problems in this world.
Why? Because sin is the underlying reason for all problems.
How can one belong to the Kingdom of GOD?
By following the two (2) steps:
REPENT, and
BELIEVE the gospel
Meaning of Repentance – Luke 15:11-24
The LORD JESUS gave the meaning of repentance in the story of the prodigal son. JESUS showed the:
Picture of Sin – there are five (5) pictures of sin in the story, namely:
Self will – “Give me my inheritance” V12
Separation – “Journeyed to a far country” V13
The son was separated from his father.
Waste – “Wasted his possessions” V13
Sin is wasting the possessions that GOD has given.
In Want – “He began to be in want” V14
A Sinner is always wanting but is never satisfied.
Sunk so low – became so hungry he could have eaten pig’s food V-15, 16.
Sin will bring the sinner down so very low. The devil comes to the sinner in order to kill, to steal and to destroy – John 10:10
Steps to Repentance – There are five (5) steps to repentance, namely:
Realization – “He came to himself” V17
The sinner realizes and admits his sinful condition.
Decision – “I will arise” V18
The sinner decides to get out of his sins.
Carrying out the decision – “And he arose” V20
The sinner carried out the decision by leaving his sins.
Returning – “And he… came to the father” V20
The sinner returns to GOD by surrendering his life to the LORD.
Confession – “Father, I have sinned” V21
The sinner admits his sins before GOD, who is faithful and just to forgive all sins. – I John 1:9
Our sins are forgiven because the blood of JESUS was poured out in payment for all sins. – I John 1:7, Eph. 1:7, Rom. 3:24-25.
Power to Overcome Sin – I John 3:9
The Christian has the seed of GOD, which is the very LIFE of JESUS CHRIST.
This life is so powerful that it enables the Christian to overcome sin and live a holy life. I Peter 1:23, I Peter 1:15-16.
Lesson-2
REPENTANCE
“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
THE KINGDOM OF GOD:
The above mentioned verses are the first Words of Jesus to the people. The Lord is concerned about the problems of the people. To understand the significance of the Words of Jesus, we have to know the background and the people’s problems at this time.
Palestine was a part of the Roman Empire and it was under the rule of the governor appointed by Roman Emperor. The governor collected taxes from the people through tax collectors. These tax collectors, who had no salaries, arbitrarily collected taxes over and above the quota given them by the governor. These tax collectors pocketed the difference. They became rich, very rich, and many people became poor because of the system.
The tax collectors were given the power to confiscate the properties of people who refused to pay taxes and to put these people in jail. Soldiers abused and they just got any property they liked. Because of these abuses, many people arose in rebellion against the authorities. It was in this situation that Jesus gave the first message to the people.
Did Jesus say that the problems of the people were political and so the solution must also be political? Did Jesus say that the people’s problems were economic and so the solution must also be economic? Did Jesus say that the problems were social, and so the solution must also be social?
The Lord Jesus said the kingdom of God is now right here. That was the solution of their problems: “The kingdom of God.” Jesus was saying that they belonged to the kingdom of Satan or to the kingdom of darkness and that was why they were in their problems.
They sinned and they were under the kingdom of darkness. The problems they suffered were simply the symptoms of their sins. The root cause of their problems was sin. What was the solution? Get out of the kingdom of darkness and be transferred into the kingdom of God. Hence, the kingdom of God is the solution to the problem of sin.
How can a person be transferred from the kingdom of darkness in to the kingdom of God? Jesus says, “Repent and believe the Gospel.” These are the two steps in order to belong to the kingdom of God.
REPENT
BELIEVE THE GOSPEL
MEANING OF REPENTANCE:
We will now study the meaning o f “repentance.” What is to repent?
The Lord Jesus Himself gave us the meaning of repentance in the story of the prodigal son found in Luke:11-24.
“Then He said: “ A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want . Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’ And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
PICTURES OF SIN
In the first part of the story from verses 11-16, the Lord gives us the pictures of sin, namely:
1) self-will … “Give me my inheritance” – V12
2) separation… “Journeyed to a far country” – V13
3) waste… “Wasted his possessions” – V13
4) in want… “He began to be in want” - V14
5) sunk so low… “ Became so hungry he could have
eaten pig’s food. - V15-16
SELF WILL
Notice that the prodigal son asked for his inheritance while the father was still alive. This ought not to be done, because the inheritance is given only after the parent dies. In effect the prodigal son was saying to his father:
“I don’t care if you are alive. I want my inheritance. Give me what I want. Give me! Give me!”
This is a picture of a sinner. The sinner says: I don’t care about God, what I want, I do. I want myself to be the king, I want myself to be followed.” Self-will is a picture of sin.
SEPARATION
The prodigal son took his inheritance and journeyed to a far country, and away from his father. It was the son who went away from his father. His self-will separated him from his father. Sin separates the sinner from God. (Isaiah 59:2)
WASTE
The son wasted his possession with prodigal living. Sin is a waste. When the sinner sins, he is wasting the possessions that God has given to him. What are these possessions? The gift of speech, the gift of sight, the gift of the body, the gift of thinking, the gift of loving, etc. These are all gifts of God to everyone. When we sin, we misuse or abuse these gifts. We waste God’s gifts.
IN WANT
The prodigal son began to be in want. A sinner is always wanting and yet is never satisfied. For example, the sinner says: “I want that woman.” But even if he gets that woman, he still is not satisfied and he will want some more. The sinner is never satisfied. He wants, and wants, and wants, and he is always in want. Man’s heart will never be satisfied unless God Himself is living and enthroned in his heart. God created man and there is a vacuum in man’s heart that only God Himself can fill. The things of this world will never satisfy the God created vacuum in our hearts. Man will always be in want apart from God.
SUNK SO LOW
The prodigal son lost his possession became so hungry, and he became a servant taking care of pigs. The Jews considered pigs as unclean animals and they would not touch them. Here was the son of a very rich man, and this son had sunk so low because of his sin. He became a pigs herd, the lowest among servants. And he was so hungry that he wanted to eat what the pigs were eating but “no one gave him anything” V16.
This is the picture of a sinner. Sin will bring the sinner very, very low. The devil comes to the sinner in order to kill, to steal and to destroy (John 10:10).
I remember a classmate in the university. He would come in his red convertible car and many beautiful girls in our class would go and ride with him. He spent his life running after “woman, wine and song.” He was the only child of a very rich man. He failed to graduate from the university. After ten years, I met him on the street begging.
I inquired what happened to him. He said that when his parents died, he spent all the riches running around after women and taking drugs until all the riches were gone. Then he became involved in criminal acts. And one day he was caught and imprisoned. There in the prison, his health was destroyed by more drugs. Now he could no longer do anything except to beg. Truly the devil had brought him down, so very, very low.
STEPS TO REPENTANCE:
After giving us the above five pictures of sin, the Lord Jesus gives us the five steps to repentance, namely:
1) realization … “He came to himself”– V17
2) decision… “I will arise” – V18
3) carrying out the decision... “And he arose” – V20
4) returning… “And he … came to the father” - V20
5) confession… “Father, I have sinned” - V21
REALIZATION
The prodigal son “came to himself”. He realized his sinful condition. This is the first step to repentance. The sinner must realize and see his present condition, namely: that he is in sin. If one refuses to admit that he is in sin, he cannot repent. For example, a friend I invited to a Bible study replied: “Why do you invite me? I am not a bad person. I am not a criminal, nor an adulterer. I send my children to school and support my family. I give alms to the poor. I am not a sinner. Why do you invite me to your Bible Study?” This man will never repent because he does not realize that he is in sin. The Bible says “For all have sinned”… (Romans 3:28).
The first step to deliverance is therefore to realize that one is in sin.
DECISION
“I will arise. “The sinner must decide to turn away from his sins. This is the second step to repentance.
A person may know that he is in sin, but if he refuses to decide to turn away from that sin, then he cannot repent. I remember my student (when I was teaching in the university), who came to me for counseling. She was crying, because she knew she was in sin and the Holy Spirit was convicting her. She said, “I am living with a man who loves me very much, but I cannot marry him because he is already married.” I said, “Separate from him.” She replied, “I cannot, because he is paying for my school expenses, and if I go away from him, he will not give me any money. Can I separate from him after I finish schooling?” I said, “You are postponing what you ought to do. And you refuse to make a decision, so you are not repenting.”
One tactic of the devil is to make us postpone our decision. To postpone what you ought to do is the same as to refuse to make a decision. The second step to repentance is to make a decision. One who refuses to make or who postpones the decision does not repent. He may cry and cry because the Holy Spirit is convicting him. He can even cry the whole day and the whole night. But if he refuses to make a decision to get out of that sin, then he is not repenting at all.
He must decide to leave his sin, this is the second step to repentance.
CARRYING OUT THE DECISION
The prodigal son arose and left his sinful condition. He carried out his decision. This is the third step to repentance. The sinner, after making the decision to arise from his sin, must follow through or carry out his decision.
RETURNING
The prodigal son returned to his father. Please notice that he was very hungry and, therefore, must be very weak. The way to his father must be very far. But the moment the son carried out his decision, he received the strength and the ability to return to the father. A sinner is never too weak to leave the sin. Once he decides to return to God and to leave his sin, God enables him to do so. What is important is the decision to leave the sin and return to God.
Repentance is the opposite of sin. When a sinner sins, he turns his back against God and faces sin. But when the sinner repents, he turns his back against sin and returns to or faces God. In other words, repentance is a 180-degree turn. Repentance is a complete about-face from sin to God.
CONFESSION
This is the fifth step to repentance. The prodigal son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.” The son admitted his sin and he did not give any excuse. This is confession. To confess means that the sinner admits his sin before God. The sinner does not give any excuses.
After doing all the five steps above, the sinner was forgiven. The father embraced his son and accepted him and he said, “… let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (VS 23-24)
God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. 1 John 1:7 & 9 says:
“… the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanse us form all sin… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.”
The above Word of God tells us to confess our sins directly to God. When we do that, God is faithful and just to forgive us all our sins.
Why can our sins be forgiven? Because the blood of Jesus was poured out in Calvary to pay for all our sins (Hebrews 9:11-12, Romans 3:24-25; 5:9). The blood of Jesus is precious and meritorious before God our Father.
POWER TO OVERCOME SIN:
The Christian has in himself the power to overcome sin.
“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:9
“Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever.” 1 Peter 1:23
In 1 John 3:9, the Word tells us that every Christian has been born of God and the very seed of God is in the Christian. What is the seed of God? This is the very life of God, the eternal life of God, which the Christian received. This life of God is so powerful that it enables the Christian to overcome sin. Hallelujah!
DO YOU NEED TO REPENT?
Is there any sin in your life? Perhaps it is very grievous act like killing someone. Or it may be something you repeatedly do and you excuse yourself in saying that it is not evil but simply a weakness in your character. But now, the Lord has convicted you that it is sin.
The blood of Jesus is able to cleanse you from all kinds of sin. But you must repent. if you have made now a decision to repent, then pray:
“Father in heaven, I admit that this act which I have done is sin, I now decide to turn away from it. I ask you to cleanse me by the power of the blood of your son Jesus. Thank you, Father, for your forgiveness and for the cleansing of the blood of Jesus.”
REPENTANCE: GUIDE QUESTIONS
What is the solution of Jesus concerning the problems of this world?
How are you transferred to the kingdom of God?
What are the 5 picture of sin as discussed in Luke 15:11-16 and explain each?
What are the steps to repentance and explain each.
To whom do we confess?
Why are our sins forgiven?
What is the power of a Christian that enables him to become holy?
ANSWERS TO LESSON-2
REPENTANCE
We must be transferred to the Kingdom of God.
Repent and believe the Gospel.
Five (5) Picture of Sin.
Self-will – The self is king and all its desires are pursued and indulged in.
Separation – Sin separates us from God.
Wasting possessions – The possessions given by God are wasted or use improperly.
In want – Sinner is never satisfied but continues wanting for more and more.
Sunk so low – Sinner is placed under the power of Satan who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
STEPS TO REPENTANCE
Realization – Sinners realizes his sinful condition.
Decision – Sinner makes a decision to arise from and leave his sinful condition.
Carry out decision – Sinner has arisen and left his sinful condition.
Returning – Sinner comes back to the Father.
Confession – Sinner admits what he has done IS SIN and asked for forgiveness.
We confess our sins directly to our heavenly Father who is faithful and just to forgive us all sins.
Because the blood of Jesus was poured out in payment for all sins. The blood of Jesus is precious and meritorious before God our Father.
The life of Christ in every Christian is the SEED that remains in him (1 John 3:9, I Peter 1:23). It enables him to live a holy life.