A CALL TO REPENTANCE AND EXPERIENCING OUR INHERITANCE IN CHRIST NOW.

I was so blest and encouraged as I read Rom. 2:4 NKJV today, especially the second part of the verse, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, NOT KNOWING THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADS TO REPENTANCE?

Let us look at a number of other translations.

AMP.N.T. Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will).

PASSION Do the riches of his extraordinary kindness make you take him for granted and despise him? Haven’t you experienced how kind and understanding he has been to you? Don’t mistake his tolerance for acceptance. Do you realize that all the wealth of his extravagant kindness is meant to melt your heart and lead you into repentance?

N.L.T. Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

MESSAGE Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

The longer I have been a Christian, the more I bow in awe of “God’s so great Salvation”, which was planned in eternity past, and had its fulfilment and outworking in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Paul I am a wretched sinner Rom.7:24, but I can come boldly and confidently into the presence of God all because of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which gives me permanent access into the throne room of our God. Heb. 4:16 NKJV Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

I sincerely do not believe that I am capable of repentance myself, that is having aa change of mind and action to walk away from my sinful lifestyle, unless the Holy Spirit CONVICTS me of my sinful state and I repent I will be eternally separated from God. Let us thank God for the ministry of the Holy Spirit

Repentance is not just a word for unbelievers, but it is even more a word for Christians, because of our sinful nature we must develop continually that attitude OF A CHANGE OF MIND, A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE, A CHANGE OF DIRECTION AND A CHANGE OF AFFECTION. Like a grass bowling ball we have a permanent bias in us, which we must forever be contending with.

So Paul tells is in Rom.2:4 that because of the CONTINUAL GOODNESS OF GOD it leads us and gives us a desire and ability to repent, may we never take God’s goodness for granted, nor abuse His goodness, but seek to live a life that truly pleases Him. Part of God’s so great Salvation is an awesome inheritance which we have access to now, Peter tells us this in 2Peter 1:3-4 NKJV His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

AMP.N.T. For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).
By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

PASSION Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.

N.L.T. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

MESSAGE Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

Let me encourage you to meditate on the various translations of Paul’s words regarding REPENTANCE, and Peter’s words regarding our INHERITANCE NOW.

I do pray this blog bless and encourages you, may 2022 be a year of blessing, victory, holiness and purity reaping much fruit for the Kingdom of God.