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12 Prayers for the Sick to Bring Healing and Recovery

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12 Prayers for the Sick to Bring Healing and Recovery

Turn to these prayers for the sick to guide you in praying for healing of your mind and body. Secure peace when illness threatens to steal your joy.

Sickness can be quite a challenging thing to go through, especially when it lingers over a while. Not only does it affect you physically, but it can also do a number on your mental and emotional health. Even as Christians, it becomes harder to trust God when all you can see is the ailment.

But the Lord didn’t leave us helpless. He provided us with a tool that will guarantee us victory. And this tool is called “prayer”.

Prayer is how you can seek healing and also find peace in dark times. It stirs the confidence that comes from knowing that God is in control and He will see you through.

Prayer lifts the pressure and anxiety you may feel because of illness. It helps you remember that God is greater than the ups and downs in your life.

Need help in talking to God about your sickness or that of someone else? You can use this great selection of Christian prayers for the sick to bring healing, recovery, and comfort to you, your friends, or your loved ones.

12 Prayers for the Sick

A Prayer for Personal Healing

Father,
I thank You for the opportunity I have to come before Your presence this morning. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Lord, I may be ill in my body, but I know that You can make me whole. You’ve done it time and time again.

Please begin Your healing in my body and my life. Take away this disease that affects my body and restore me to perfect health. I want to spend a lot of time on earth, loving those around me and following Your plan for my life. When my faith is weak, Lord, strengthen me, for I will not die but live to give You praise all the days of my life.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Prayer to Heal the Mind

Lord Jesus,
I thank You for Your unending love for me. I am before You today to ask for healing for my mind.

A man’s spirit sustains him when his body is sick, but who can bear an ill spirit? I know You love me and You won’t let me stay down.

I ask that You heal me from fear, anxiety, depression, addictions, and every other mental issue that I am not aware of. Help me to heal from whatever hurt that people or life’s challenges have inflicted on me. Free me from the shackles of my mind so that I can serve You in wholeness. Refine me into the person that You have made me to be so that I can fulfill Your will for my life.

We ask this in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Prayer for Healing from a Chronic Illness

My Father,
Thank You for paying for our sickness and infirmities on the cross.

Today, I bring my diagnosis of this chronic illness before You.

You’re the same God who healed the woman with the issue of blood, even when doctors had given up on her case. You healed the man who had been lame for all 38 years of his life, You even raised the already dead back to life. I trust in Your unchanging power and Your willingness to rid me of this illness that also plagues me.

That is why I lay this sickness down at Your feet and trade it for perfect health. I know that I have the right to healing and I await a physical manifestation.

But even before the healing comes, I ask that You help me endure the pain and continue to have faith in this time. I know You work all things together for good, even this illness, so please help me not to lose sight of You and Your hand in my life.

I pray in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Prayer for Peace in Sickness

Almighty God,
I admit that this period of sickness has been a very tough one for me. I am constantly filled with anxiety about what the future holds for me. I know that true peace comes from You alone, as do health and wholeness.

So I ask that in my pain and heaviness, You speak Your peace that defies all logic and human understanding to my heart. Fill me with an awareness of Your presence and teach my heart to rely on Your promises.

Grant me the serenity to understand that You are always in control, even when I can’t see it or feel it.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Short Prayer for Healing and Recovery

Loving Father,
Thank You for Jesus, through whom You healed the sick in His time on earth and all Your children to this very day. I ask today that You extend this healing power to my life, and give me rest from this illness that plagues me, causing me so much pain. The doctors have done all they can, and I ask that You perfect it all.

Give me also the grace to be patient through my recovery process. Carry me on this journey to full recovery, which is only possible by Your power. Help me to wait on You and my total healing. In my weakness, be my strength. In my doubt, help my unbelief. Draw me closer to You with each passing day. This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for Healing for a Friend

Lord,
Your Word is filled with Your promises to heal and restore Your children, and I am grateful for them.

Today, I come before You on behalf of my friend who is ill. I claim those promises over them and ask that Your healing power be made known in their lives.

Father, we trust in You, but being ill of health is never easy. So I also ask that You give my friend the grace to keep trusting You, even as You continue Your work in their life. Shield them from the voices that try to discourage them and dampen their faith. Help them keep their eyes on You, and not their circumstances.

Surround them and their family with peace and strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for Healing and Strength in the Face of Sickness

Dear Lord,
I pray for strength. Your Word tells me that You give strength to the weary and power to the weak.

And in all honesty, I admit that I am weak and this illness threatens to drown my faith. But Father, I also know that one with You is the majority.

Remind me each day that I don’t have to be afraid of anything because I have You. You alone know the struggles I face daily, please be with me through them all. Carry me and wrap me in Your arms. When I stumble because of my doubt, forgive me and replenish my trust with Your Word.

Help me so that at the end of this season of my life, I will be standing tall, singing Your praises for the world to hear.

I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for Good Health

Mighty God,
Thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross for us all. By His death, resurrection, and glorification, we not only have a hope of life after death but also access to good health of mind and body here on earth. He has broken the curse of sickness and established a covenant of new life, bearing all our afflictions and pain.

Grant to each of us an awareness of all that we have received through Christ so that we may live in that reality. Increase our faith in Your healing power so that even when we feel sick in our bodies, we can be assured that we will always recover. Keep our minds also from anxiety and all other illnesses that afflict the heart.

Thank You Great Physician. Amen.

A Prayer for a Sick Loved One

Father,
Thank You for Your healing power made available to Your children in Christ Jesus. I ask for healing over (name) who is so dear to my heart. Sickness vanishes at the mere whisper of Your command and so I ask Lord that You will only speak over their bodies and mind.

Restore their energy and let Your life-giving power flow through every cell or fiber of their being that is broken.

I declare that they will not die, but live to declare Your goodness in the land of the living.

Even when it seems hard, light their hearts with hope. Be their refuge and fill their hearts with peace. Thank You, for You always listen to my voice and prayer.

Prayer Against Disease

Father,
Thank You for Your Word helps me understand that You have given us victory over every disease and whoever believes in You will not perish but have eternal life. You demonstrated Your power over the forces of illness while you were here on earth. You healed every sickness and cast out every devil. No ailment can stand before You.

It is with this confidence that we pray that no disease will come near us or our dwelling places because we have You. Set a wall of protection around us so that no affliction will come close. Help us to enforce our authority over all the powers of darkness and grant us good health so that we may live to praise and glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer to Ease Pain

Mighty God,
Thank You for Your loving-kindness towards me. Your Word tells me that You are near to the brokenhearted and save the crushed in spirit. I admit that this pain in my body has indeed crushed my spirit. I ask, Lord, that You save me from this pain and be near to me in this hard time.

Bring an end to all my agony and suffering. Reinforce my faith and supply my body with Your strength. Sustain me by Your grace that I will not give in to this pain. Inspire me with Your word, so that every cloud of doubt, depression, or darkness will be chased away and faith will break through. Thank You Father for You are ever with me when I feel utterly alone.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Prayer for Healing the World

Father God,
The world You created has been ravaged by diseases and is hurting. Many of Your children need healing. Healing from ailments, past hurts, physical pain, and a broken spirit.

We ask You to stretch Your hand over Your people, mend them and make them whole.

Free them from illness and make them aware of the power of restoration that is available to them in You.

Only then can we also bring healing to the world around us and show people Your strength at work in us and with us.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Conclusion

Praying for healing is the best way to keep yourself reminded that God is able and willing to take ailment away from your body. The recovery process, however, differs for each person. These prayers for the sick offer comfort when the situation seems to get the better part of you.

Though believers are not promised a life without pain, Scripture helps you understand that one day, you will be raptured to the paradise that the Father has prepared. A life without the pain of sickness or loss forever. Going through life with this hope is how we can truly have victory over sickness and death.

Build your confidence in God with these tips and prayers. By trusting Him, you will find your inner peace. https://www.bestdailyprayer.org/

Loving the Risen Lord

Bill Alderson
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Loving the Risen Lord

“15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love [agapao] Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know [oida –intuitive] that I love [phileo] You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My lambs.’  16 He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love [agapao] Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.’  17 He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love [phileo] Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know [ginosko – experiential] that I love [phileo] You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’” (John 21:15-17)

So much of Jesus’s efforts during the last days and weeks of His life on earth was trying to prepare the disciples for life without Him physically there. In this exchange with Peter in verses 15-17, Jesus is teaching Peter how he and the disciples will be able to express their love to Jesus after He is ascended by asking questions and giving them the answers.

As the disciples finally recognize, “It is the Lord” (verse 7) on the beach, they respond with affection that has been accumulating toward Jesus over the three-year period they were with Him. They eat breakfast together and now Jesus confronts Peter with three similar, but very different questions that appear to put him on the defensive. To fully understand the passage, we must understand that there are four different Greek words that are translated “love” in English. These are:

  1. storge represents love within the family between siblings, between parents and children, etc.,
  2. eros speaks of love between a man and woman in an intimate relationship,
  3. phileo is usually related to love between friends, and
  4. agapao is love between God and man and has an unconditional characteristic.

In this exchange, Jesus and Peter use phileo and agapao which obviously can change the meaning.

He who has found his life will lose it

Jesus’s first question to Peter is: Do you love me with God’s love more than the physical things in life that you have attached yourself to, including friends, family, money, position, etc.? God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14) and He desires our primary devotion. In Matthew 10:37-39, Jesus taught this principle when He said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it”. Notice that Jesus asks about loving with God’s love, while Peter answers with phileo, speaking of the love he had for Jesus as a friend. Jesus is trying to tell Peter that his friendship love is not going to be enough. In either case, Jesus’s answer is, “Tend my lambs” meaning your love for me should be expressed in the way you take care of the sheep (believers) of God.

The second question is focused completely on the quality of Peter’s love for Jesus and is not a comparative. Instead, He asks Peter for the kind of love that is different than Peter had ever experienced before; speaking of total devotion to Jesus. Of course, it needed to be more than friendship. I am sure Peter remembered what happened when Jesus was taken away for trial and Peter denied knowing Him three times (Luke 22). The fact is that this kind of love does not reside with man, but is only possible when we consider the quality of God’s love for us (1John 4:19). A successful believer is one who learns to live the supernatural life that begins with God’s love! Jesus’ response was basically the same as the first: “Shepherd My sheep”.

Tend my sheep

In the third question, Jesus uses the Greek word phileo instead of agapao. He is asking Peter if the relationship Peter has with Him has changed since His resurrection. Peter is now grieving at the question because he thinks that Jesus should know (Greek word ginosko, meaning knowledge by experience) that Peter is a devoted friend. Again, the answer Jesus gives is “Tend My sheep”. Whatever type of love we have for Jesus, the answer is always the same, take care of the sheep. This reminds us of Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 25:34-40 which concludes with the statement, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me”. In the passage, Jesus speaks of feeding the hungry and thirsty, visiting the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned as some ways we show our personal love of Jesus. In Galatians 5:6, faith works by agapao love.

No longer living for me

“14 For the love [agapao] of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer”. (2 Corinthians 5:14-16)

The apostle Paul teaches this principle of agapao love in 2 Corinthians 5:14. This love is meant to “control” us, literally to be closely held by love. The basis of this happening in a believer’s personal life is that he finally comes to the conclusion that Jesus’s death means that he died too. It means that because Jesus was willing to die for each believer personally and therefore a sufficient reality, it means each believer need no longer live for personal interest, but are now controlled by agapao love. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “…and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price…”

Then in verse 16, he speaks of recognizing or knowing no one according to the flesh, not even Jesus. Our relationship with others, spiritually speaking, should no longer be according to any type of love that is natural, of the flesh, because that kind of love is still conditional. Only God’s love is unconditional and therefore the Christian requires this kind of love. This means there needs to be a decision to die to one’s own personal interests and only then can he find agapao love. This is the very same message Jesus was trying to teach Peter and the disciples on the beach. This agapao love is also the basis of the relationship between believers within the body of Christ.

Forgiveness

The most obvious evidence a believer has of God’s love is knowing he is forgiven without doing anything other than believe (Romans 5:8). In Luke 7:40-50, the woman who was of questionable character (a sinner in verse 37) is moved to tears as she wipes her tears and very expensive perfume on Jesus’s feet. She is demonstrating love toward Jesus because her faith believes in who Jesus is and that she is forgiven. And the expression of that forgiven condition is loving much. Jesus commends her as an example of one who recognizes the degree of forgiveness and is now divinely enabled to love Jesus with agapao love. The opposite condition is also true, as Jesus says, “but he who is forgiven little, loves little” (verse 47). The love cycle begins with God’s love toward us (“We [agapao] love because He first [agapao] loved us” (1 John 4:19).

When we talk about forgiveness, we must also talk about the debt that has been forgiven. Paul says that the only debt we should have in Romans 13:8 is to owe agapao love to others. Once we come to grips with the fact that we have no debts because of Jesus, we are ready to take on His debt, which is the agapao love of others. In fact, he says that this agapao love of others fulfills the law and relates this love to the fulfillment of a number of the Ten Commandments. When Jesus was asked by a scribe “which is the great commandment in the law?” His response in Matthew 22:35-40 was that you shall love God and love your neighbor. In Verse 40, “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets”. The essence of our faith in Jesus is the expression of agapao love in loving God and loving others.

Security in God’s love

“10 I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me. 11 Come, my beloved, let us go out into the country, let us spend the night in the villages. 12 Let us rise early and go to the vineyards; let us see whether the vine has budded and its blossoms have opened, and whether the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love. 13 The mandrakes have given forth fragrance; and over our doors are all choice fruits, both new and old, which I have saved up for you, my beloved.” (Song 7:10-13)

Falling in love with God is not something that takes place immediately, but like any relationship it is a process. The Song of Solomon, written by Solomon, is the account of a romance between King Solomon and a Shulammite woman. It is also a picture of the love relationship between the bride (the church) and the bridegroom (Jesus Christ). In looking at this process of love between the two, we can glean from three particular verses what this process looks like from the bride’s (Christian’s) perspective. In the first (Song 2:16), the bride says, “My beloved is mine, and I am his”. The idea is expressed that He belongs to me first, then I belong to Him. In Song 6:3, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”. Notice that she now recognizes that she belongs to Him first, then He belongs to her. We go through the same process in the growth of our relationship with Jesus, becoming more and more confident in His love. In the context of Song of Solomon, Song 2:16 takes place before the wedding and Song 6:3 afterwards.

The third verse above completes the process, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me”. The woman is so convinced about the bridegroom’s love for her that she does not need to express it. This is the fulfillment of God’s love for us and how we become more and more secure in that love. Our passage above in Song 7 continues with the bride and bridegroom going out into the country, in the villages, going to the vineyards, and looking at the fruit of the vine, the pomegranate, and the mandrake. When the believer is fully convinced of Jesus’s personal love for him, he is excited to participate in the work of God in the world to love others, thus producing fruit of all kinds. In verse 12, “there I will give you my love”. Loving others becomes an integral part of our relationship to Jesus.

A way of life

We see the ultimate picture of agapao love in Romans 12:9-13 with the principles of being diligent, devoted to one another, preference others in honor, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of others, and practicing hospitality. This type of love produces a way of life within the believer and is the fulfillment of God’s agapao love in us (1John 4:12). The transforming life of the Holy Spirit produces an amazing change in the believer’s heart to live the supernatural life of agapao love!

Recognizing The Risen Lord

Bill Alderson
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Recognizing The Risen Lord

There are a series of accounts of disciples encountering the risen Lord that, like Mary Magdalene in the John 20 account, did not recognize Jesus right away. In fact, in each of the accounts, it was a different stimulus that caused the disciple to finally know it was Him. In Mary’s case, it was when Jesus said her name, “Mary” in verse 16. She had originally thought Him to be the gardener even after he asked her why she was weeping. It is clear from this and other accounts of Mary that the relationship was a close and meaningful one to her. Jesus’s use of her name, not just the name, but the unique way he spoke it was so very familiar to her and caused a light to go off in her mind: this is not the gardener. It is Rabboni, my teacher.

Once she recognized Him, there was His command, “stop clinging to Me”. Scholars do not agree on the reason for this command. One thing is clear, Jesus had not yet ascended to His Father. We also notice that Jesus tells Mary to go to “My brethren”, not friends or other intimate terms. This signifies that the relationship with the Risen Jesus was to be different than before, thus “brethren”. The nature of an intimate relationship with the Risen Lord was to be much different than before, no longer physical, and His disciples needed to learn that. It would take the experiences of watching Jesus ascend to heaven from Mount Olivet (Acts 1:9), meeting in the upper room in anticipation of Pentecost (verses 13-14), and the moving of the Holy Spirit on that special day (Acts 2) to initiate that change.

My Lord and my God

Then, in the same chapter, there was Thomas, doubting Thomas. Jesus had visited with most of His disciples on a day when Thomas was not present. As his friends told Thomas about the Risen Lord with excitement, he admitted to them than this was just too difficult to believe. He would have to have the physical evidence or he could not accept it. When finally confronted directly with the Risen Lord, Jesus told him to get the proof he needed by putting his finger and hand in the wounds and this would be enough for Thomas to answer, “My Lord and my God”! Thomas could now acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God, a statement that he most likely had never made before. Then Jesus addresses us, future believers who have never had this opportunity to see yet could believe Jesus as Lord and God. Like the disciples, we must believe that Jesus is risen in order to recognize Him as Lord!

Burning hearts

And then there were the two disciples traveling on the road to Emmaus who had an experience with the Risen Lord in Luke 24.  As Jesus begins walking with them, the account from Luke tells us in verse 16 that “their eyes were prevented from recognizing him” without any explanation as to why. The same event (we believe) covered by Mark in 16:12 says that he appeared “in a different form” so it appears He looked differently than they were used to. But according to Luke’s account, He was just a normal guy walking on the same road and they started this conversation about the events that had just taken place in Jerusalem. The disciples admitted that they had been hoping that Jesus was to be the one who “was going to redeem Israel” (verse 21). It was clear from their testimony that they did not yet believe that Jesus was the One who would redeem Israel. Since they had not yet fully grasped the events and that this was Jesus, He began to explain to them “the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (verse 27).

And their response to His commentary was, “were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road” (verse 32). It wasn’t until they broke bread with Jesus that they finally recognize Him (verse 31). If we are to see Jesus as the Risen Lord, we must understand that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. As Jeremiah specifies in Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” The Word of God, if understood accurately, becomes food for the believer. Jesus’s words in Matthew 4:4, “MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD” are applicable. The Word of God is our spiritual food!

Recognizing the miraculous

Finally, we have the disciples fishing in the Sea of Galilee in John 21, something they had done many times before and Jesus appears on the beach. Knowing that they had not yet caught any fish, Jesus encouraged them to put their nets in a different place and “you will find a catch”. I’m sure this event was reminiscent to them of an earlier time found in Luke 5:4-7 where Jesus had instructed Peter to put down his nets in deep water for a great catch and it happened just as Jesus said. In John 14:11, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” Our ability to fully understand that Jesus is the Risen Lord is tied to our experiences as Jesus has made Himself real in our lives through miraculous conclusions. He is the God of the impossible (Matthew 19:26) and He wants us to recognize Him this way.

Living for the Risen Lord

How we recognize the Risen Lord is addressed by Paul in 2Corinthians 5:14-17, that we recognize no one according to the flesh, not even Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote these words from personal experience, that he, as Saul of Tarsus and a contemporary of Jesus’s public ministry, did not recognize Jesus as Messiah until he had a personal experience with the Risen Lord in Acts 9:3-6. It took Saul of Tarsus’ confrontation with the Jesus of Nazareth for him to finally recognize the Risen Lord and become almost immediately commissioned as the apostle Paul. In the same way, Paul encourages believers to, “know Him in this way no longer”.  The key to it is found in verse 15, “that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”, the Risen Lord. In verse 17, “new things have come”.

The motive that causes a believer to choose to live for Jesus is defined for us by Paul in Galatians 2:20. Jesus’s personal love for the believer, as demonstrated by His death on our behalf (Romans 5:8), is the foundation of this relationship. This type of love is self-sacrificing yet a controlling love (2Corinthians 5:14) and it takes a real faith in this personal love of Jesus to bring one to this dynamic relationship where His priorities become the believer’s priorities. Any dramatic change in the depth of a relationship with Jesus can only happen in the light of a newfound appreciation of His personal love. In Romans 14:7-9, “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Set your mind on God’s interests

Peter’s amazing response to Jesus when asked, “and who do you say that I am?” is noteworthy when Peter said, “you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” and Jesus acknowledged that flesh and blood did not reveal it to Peter, but the Father. Yet within a short period of time, Peter rebukes Jesus when He told the disciples He would need to suffer and die at the hands of the scribes and Pharisees, yet be raised on the third day (Matthew 16:21). In verse 23, we get the real reason behind Peter’s rebuke when Jesus points out to him that, “you are not setting your mind on God’s interest, but man’s”. The Greek word is phroneo and it has the meaning of being mindful of or devoted to according to Spiros Zodhiates. This passage demonstrates that man decides what interest upon which he is setting his mind. In one moment, Peter speaks the testimony of the Father and then the next, his own self-interest that Jesus could not leave the disciples behind. These are decisions of the will, the affections, and the conscience.

The Apostle Paul sums it up for us in Romans 8:5-6 (same Greek word) by comparing and contrasting two mindsets, the one on fleshly, earthly, and natural things verses the mind set on spiritual things. The natural, fleshly, earthy mindset ultimately results in death the spiritual mindset produces life and peace. In Philippians 3:18-20, Paul says, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” This fleshly mindset is an enemy of the cross since it never recognizes the greatest work of God on our behalf, Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf which is the evidence of our heavenly citizenship. This new citizenship produces a new mindset with the believe living in great expectation, eagerly awaiting the Savior.

Upward call

Paul acknowledges in his pastoral epistles that the work of the Lord has purchased for us a new position, seated above, in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and that this position raises us up by faith in God’s work: In Colossians 2:12, “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” This position is an ascending position and brings with it an ascending experience in God. Paul says in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” This new mindset keeps the believer pressing on to the upward call of God which is the ultimate prize this life has to offer.

The Risen Lord ordains a path for each of us to follow which Paul defines as “in Him’, or “in Christ”, etc. This path is a place to walk and it establishes us in the faith and produces gratitude. Paul warns us of the war that is constantly trying to arrest our minds from the life and peace of the spiritual mindset. In Colossians 2:8-10, the god of this world uses philosophies and empty deceptions according to the traditions of men to keep men attached to worldly interests so that he never comes to know the fullness of God found in a spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fellowship in suffering

I believe Philippians 3:10 to be Paul’s signature statement about his relationship with God, that it was about knowing Him. This Greek word, ginosko has the sense of coming to know as a process, through experience. Paul was saying that this coming to know Jesus is the process of experiencing the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. Both experiences are essential for the believer to truly know God in all of His fullness. Before Easter Sunday, there was Good Friday; before the resurrection, there was His suffering. To experience the Risen Lord, we must identify with the One who suffered and this process in being conformed to His death. Suffering then becomes an integral part of a spirit-filled believer’s life.

“but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” (1 Peter 4:16-19)

The greatest evidence

The greatest evidence that a disciple has experienced the Risen Lord is his willingness to suffer. When we look at the first century disciples after Pentecost, we see men who were willing to suffer for their faith. Fox’s Book of Martyrs is a sobering picture of what happened to men and women of faith who were willing to obey to the point of death. Below are some excerpts from the first chapter of this great chronicle:

Stephen – Acts 7 gives us a description of Stephen’s execution by stoning and it began a period when about two thousand Christians, with Nicanor, one of the seven deacons, suffered martyrdom during the “persecution that arose about Stephen.”

James the Great – one of the Son’s of Zebedee and the elder brother of the Apostle John.  The account given us by an eminent primitive writer, Clemens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James was led to the place of martyrdom, his accuser was brought to repent of his conduct by the apostle’s extraordinary courage and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon, professing himself a Christian.

Philip – was born at Bethsaida, in Galilee and was first called by the name of “disciple.” He labored diligently in Upper Asia, and suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis, in Phrygia. He was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified, A.D. 54.

Matthew – whose occupation was that of a toll-gatherer, was born at Nazareth. He wrote his gospel in Hebrew, which was afterwards translated into Greek by James the Less. The scene of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which latter country he suffered martyrdom, being slain with a halberd in the city of Nadabah, A.D. 60.

James the Less – the half-brother of Jesus. He was elected to the oversight of the churches of Jerusalem; and was the author of the Epistle ascribed to James in the sacred canon. At the age of ninety-four he was beat and stoned by the Jews; and finally had his brains dashed out with a fuller’s club.

Matthias – Of whom less is known than of most of the other disciples, was elected to fill the vacant place of Judas. He was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded.

Andrew – Was the brother of Peter. He preached the gospel to many Asiatic nations; but on his arrival at Edessa he was taken and crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground. Hence the derivation of the term, St. Andrew’s Cross.

St. Mark – was born of Jewish parents of the tribe of Levi. He is supposed to have been converted to Christianity by Peter, whom he served as an amanuensis, and under whose inspection he wrote his Gospel in the Greek language. Mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria, at the great solemnity of Serapis their idol, ending his life under their merciless hands.

Peter – among many other saints, the blessed apostle Peter was condemned to death, and crucified, as some do write, at Rome. Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.

Paul – the apostle, who before was called Saul, after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting the Gospel of Christ, suffered also in this first persecution under Nero. Abdias, declareth that under his execution Nero sent two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him word of his death. They, coming to Paul instructing the people, desired him to pray for them, that they might believe; who told them that shortly after they should believe and be baptized at His sepulcher. This done, the soldiers came and led him out of the city to the place of execution, where he, after his prayers made, gave his neck to the sword.

Jude – the brother of James, was commonly called Thaddeus. He was crucified at Edessa, A.D. 72.

Bartholomew – preached in several countries, and having translated the Gospel of Matthew into the language of India, he propagated it in that country. He was at length cruelly beaten and then crucified by the impatient idolaters.

Thomas – called Didymus, preached the Gospel in Parthia and India, where exciting the rage of the pagan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear.

Luke – the evangelist, was the author of the Gospel which goes under his name. He travelled with Paul through various countries, and is supposed to have been hanged on an olive tree by the idolatrous priests of Greece.

John – the “beloved disciple,” was brother to James the Great. The churches of Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira, were founded by him. From Ephesus he was ordered to be sent to Rome, where it is affirmed he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped by miracle, without injury. Domitian afterwards banished him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Nerva, the successor of Domitian, recalled him. He was the only apostle who escaped a violent death.

Fixing our eyes on Him

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3)

Between His First and Second Comings

Bill Alderson
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Between His First and Second Comings

The Old Testament is filled with prophecy of a coming Messiah, much of it misunderstood by the Jew since the fullness of its understanding is seen through the lens of the New Testament. Maybe the greatest example of this misunderstanding relates to Isaiah 53. Until the Jew sees Jesus as the object of this chapter, he continues living under a veil (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). The typical Jew of 2021 expects Messiah to be a coming king, taking charge of government and establishing His kingdom. Yet many prophesies of Messiah refer to Him as a suffering servant, particularly through Isaiah. Some Jews expect two different Messiahs, one like David (to be fulfilled in the Kingdom age) and another like Joseph, one who will be rejected.

Some verses or passages speak of both comings, including Isaiah 61:1-2, partially quoted by Jesus Himself in Luke 4:18-19. He was telling the Jews of Nazareth that He was fulfilling His first coming in their midst (“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”), but they did not accept Him at His word, and instead, they tried to kill Him. In Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted”. He purposely left off the reference to His second coming in verse 2, “the day of vengeance of our God”. Jesus Christ was telling them that He would be the Lord’s anointed in both appearances, with the full authority of His Father to complete His work as the ordained Messiah and mediator of the new covenant. Scripture does not clearly spell out the conditions of the new covenant in the church age, but there are two passages in particular that can give us some real definition.

Grace is our instructor

In Titus 2:11-14, Paul speaks of both comings of Messiah beginning in verse 11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men”. When Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago, He brought the grace of God with Him, it was part of His nature. In John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” This grace, manifested in His glory, defines the new covenant age of the church. Salvation is always a work of God and not men and must be a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).

In Titus 2:13, we are encouraged to look forward to “the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus”, His second coming. In the meantime, Paul writes in verse 12: “instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age”. It is the grace of God and not the Law that is the new covenant believer’s instructor or trainer and this instruction points him directly to Calvary’s cross, where he learns that the godly life is the by-product of self-denial and taking up his cross each day (Luke 9:23). In Luke 9:24, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it”. It is the work of His cross that redeems the believer from every lawless deed (Titus 2:14) and allows him to be saved by Christ’s life.

Mount Sinai

When you examine the delivering of the Law of Moses from Mount Sinai by Moses to the Jews, you will notice that in Exodus 32, Moses smashed the two tablets of stone upon viewing the people, led by Aaron, worshiping the golden calf. It was not until Exodus 34 that Moses was called back to Sinai to receive the tablets again, which he did. What these events symbolize are the two comings of Messiah, the first one characterizing that Jesus would be rejected by the Jews, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Between the two comings is considered the church age; between chapters 32 and 34 is chapter 33 and it gives a glimpse into the nature and dynamics of this period as defined by the grace of God.

Thus, the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, ‘If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. “For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?” The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!’ Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft [crevice] of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.” (Exodus 33:11-22)

“My presence shall go with you”

Having acknowledged that the Jews were a stubborn, rebellious people (verse 3), God was threatening to send an angel instead of Himself to lead the people into the promised land against natives occupying the land, but later relinquished and instead He promised Moses that “My presence shall go with you and I will give you rest”. In this conversation, Moses acknowledges that His relationship with the Lord is unique, special, “face to face, just as man speaks to his friend” (see also Numbers 12:8), most likely due to the fact that “Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Just as Jesus humbled Himself to be obedient, even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:8), Moses needed to be humbled to be the mediator of the old covenant.

Moses recognized the grace of God on his behalf as he acknowledged the favor of the Lord and asked Him “let me know Your ways that I may know You” (verse 13). The Apostle Paul understood that the only avenue to truly know God was to recognize that his natural strengths, gifts and accomplishments were of no value “in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Paul was referring to the cross as the means of going beyond the limitations of self in order to find an experiential knowledge of God. Moses had spent forty years in the wilderness until he would be ready to lead the people as he was being led by God and he was now counting on God’s grace to lead them.

God’s glory to be seen

Moses also asked that the Lord would “show me Your glory” and His answer was that all the Lord’s goodness would pass before him, revealing his grace and compassion. Before raising Lazarus in John 11, Jesus said to Martha, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” He was identifying that His miracles were a manifestation of God’s glory, revealing His grace and mercy to multitudes and faith would be the vantage point by which believers would see. Paul wrote about this glory in 2 Corinthians 4:6 when he wrote, For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. The Messiah’s first coming would reveal God’s glory and define the entire church age through His face, His presence. In Jesus’s prayer to His Father in John 17, He would give the glory He had been given to His disciples, “that they may be one, just as we are one” (verse 22).

The Apostle Paul uses the term “in Him” or “in Christ” more than 100 times in his letters to define the new covenant relationship believers have with God through Jesus Christ. It is the place where he is made perfect in his position as a child of God and an identity into which he grows. In Exodus 33:21-22 above, the Lord identifies it as “a place by Me” and “I will put you in the cleft of the rock”. The cleft speaks of a crevice in a rock, large enough for people to hide in or take shelter in and the rock is a clear reference to Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). “In Christ” is our place of shelter, sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13). “In Christ”, on the other side of the cross, affords the believer not only protection, but also a perfect position where true intimacy with God through Christ is realized.

Conclusion

Although the church age was not clearly seen by the Old Testament saints, it was always intended by God and revealed within the Scripture writings to those who would desire to truly know the Father, only possible through the Son, the Messiah. Knowing God in this way cannot happen through a religious expression, but will only take place through an intimacy, a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ (“the king has brought me into his chamber” – Song 1:4). In 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory [ever-increasing glory], just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Beholding the Messiah’s glory in the details of life produces a transformation in ever-increasing measure so that the believer can more clearly reflect His glory.

Understanding the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24 (Part 1)

Matthew Schoenherr
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Understanding the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24 (Part 1)

Jesus is enraged. Standing in the Temple, He has just launched at the Jewish religious leaders, calling them out as blind hypocrites, white-washed tombs and a brood of vipers (Matthew 23). In Ezekiel 11:22-23, we saw the glory of the Father leave the Temple through the East Gate and settle upon the Mount of Olives before departing. Israel’s Babylonian exile soon followed. Now we see the Son of man leave the Temple through the East Gate and settle upon Mt. Olivet as He warns His followers and declares judgment over unbelieving Israel again. Matthew 24 explained.

Welcome to one of the most amazing (and hotly-debated) prophecies in the entire Bible—Jesus’ Olivet Discourse.

  • Get firmly grounded on one of the most misunderstood prophecies in biblical history
  • This prophecy gives an approximate timeline for judgment over Israel
  • Proclaims the end of the Jewish age and the start of the “times of the Gentiles”
  • Warns of impending tribulation culminating with the abomination of desolation

Prophecy Course. Bible prophecy made clear. Get the full transcript for this talk at https://prophecycourse.org/session/08/olivet-p1/

Update: Want to see the rest of this teaching?

Part 1.5: The Day of the Lord
Part 2: The Olivet Discourse (Continued)

Prophecy Course Bible study

What is Repentance?

Bill Alderson
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What is Repentance?

In Matthew 3:1-2, we are told that the ministry of John the Baptist is best characterized in his statement, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Once he was put into prison, Jesus picked up John’s mantle, signifying the beginning of His public ministry as Matthew gives the following testimony:

Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES— “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:12-17)

The Greek word for repent is metanoeoe and it is the combination of two words, meta denoting a change of place or condition and noeoe which means to exercise the mind, to think, or comprehend. It basically refers to regret or sorrow accompanied by a true change of heart. Regret can mean sorrow because you got caught, but repentance moves forward to a restored relationship. Some theologians identify this distinction as between “attrition”, remorse caused by fear of punishment or a loss of blessing, and “contrition”, genuine repentance. Contrition includes deep remorse for having offended God. King David spoke of this in Psalm 51:10 and 17: Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me… The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.

Genuine Repentance

The quote Jesus made in Matthew 4 is from Isaiah 9:1-2 and identifies THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, referencing the very land of not only Jesus’s childhood but also about 2/3 of His public ministry. The light that would shine from Jesus’s ministry would represent a total change of mind and direction from the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Paul illustrates what genuine repentance looks like in his second letter to the Corinthians:

For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:8-11)

Billy Graham and other evangelical leaders many years ago started using the sinner’s prayer as an avenue to deliver the Gospel to the world and lead unbelievers into a saving grace. It begins with an acknowledgment to God of the sinful condition each person faces and the need for forgiveness. The potential believer then commits to turning from personal sins to invite Jesus into his heart and life.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen. ~ Billy Graham

Salvation by Grace, Through Faith

Other evangelical programs like the Four Spiritual Laws promoted by Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ or the Romans Road to Salvation emphasize a recognition that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This premise is the foundation for the need for repentance. However, is repentance a requirement for salvation? Several passages dealing with salvation do not mention repentance as a must, including Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace, you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. The environment for salvation is grace, that it is God’s work alone, and it must be by faith and given as a free gift. The Philippian jailor (Acts 16:30-31) asked what he needed to do to be saved and Paul’s answer was to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. In John 4:10, Jesus introduced salvation, eternal life to a Samaritan woman with two requirements, to know (eido – perceive) the gift of God (i.e., salvation) and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink.” Repentance is not included. To receive eternal life, she needed only to recognize the Giver and that He had a free gift to give.

The Reformation Study Bible, R.C. Sproul General Editor, on page 2059 has an article dealing with and entitled Repentance. In it, the writer’s take is that repentance is the result of regeneration and not the cause:

Repentance is not the cause of new birth or regeneration; it is the fruit of regeneration. Though repentance begins with regeneration, it is an attitude and action that must be repeated throughout the Christian life. As we continue to sin, we are called upon to repent as we are convicted of our sin by the Holy Spirit.

Repentance Implied

Many evangelical Christians might say that although not outwardly stated, repentance is implied as necessary for anyone to become a Christian. When Saul of Tarsus received Christ and His commission to be the Apostle to the Gentiles in Acts 9:4-6, there was no mention of repentance. Paul’s testimony in 1 Timothy1:16 is, for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost [sinner], Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. He was saying that his salvation required his recognition as being a sinner and that he needed mercy, an implication of repentance. His salvation as an enemy of Jesus Christ became an example to many of the transforming power of being born from above. The greatness of salvation is exemplified in the supernatural ability of God to change lives.

Some passages suggest that repentance is a necessity for salvation, including Acts 2:37-38, Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The rich man in Luke 16:27-31 pleaded with Abraham to send someone to his five brothers and warn them, then they would repent. But he said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.” Being a child of Abraham would not be enough to qualify. As the passage below confirms, there must be good fruit and good fruit comes after the roots of the tree (i.e., old covenant) are cut down. True repentance is all about leaving behind the old ways.

Step of Faith Based on Reason

So, he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. Indeed, the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:7-9)

Jesus says in Matthew 9:13, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Repentance begins when a person comes to his senses to understand that his current condition (a sinner) has been a snare (2 Timothy 2:25-26) and is keeping him from realizing the quality-of-life God has prepared for him. This realization means he is now willing to move on from the allegiances and alliances that have defined his condition. A religious man must be willing to turn away from the religious system that keeps him in bondage. This is where faith begins, and it is a step of faith based on reason and not a blind leap, as Francis Schaeffer taught. It is a willingness to trust in some promises made by an unknown or little-known entity that stepping away from the current environment will not result in death. It is based on the hope of a new and meaningful life.

Or do you think lightly of [kataphroneo–take lightly, despise] the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. (Romans 2:4-5)

The above passage tells us that it is the kindness of God that leads one to repentance. Paul is addressing the religious Hebrew who is stubbornly holding on to his own conventions despite the manifestations of God’s grace happening all around him. It represents a journey from taking God’s kindness for granted to accepting and receiving it personally. Paul understood that his call was to solemnly testify to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).

Unloading Burdens

True repentance is the process of unloading burdens. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Selah(Psalm 68:19). Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord tried to warn the people by having the prophet carry baggage on his shoulder like the baggage of an exile (Ezekiel 12:6-7). Unloading the baggage of one’s sin on another is to share his burden. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30).” When one is yoked up to Christ, he finds rest. Observe the following:

There is a Jewish tale about a merchant named Yankel who carried his wares from town to town. One day, as a horse-drawn wagon passed by Yankel, the owner recognized him and offered him a ride. Yankel gratefully accepted the offer, but a few moments later, the wagon owner noticed that Yankel was still carrying his burden on his shoulders. “Yankel,” he said, “why don’t you put your bags down?” “Oh, it’s all right,” Yankel replied. “I don’t want to be any trouble.” “Yankel, you fool!” the owner exclaimed. “My horses are pulling everything in the wagon whether or not you are carrying them. Put down your bags and stop carrying all this unnecessary baggage!”

Repentance After Regeneration

The greatest work of repentance is accomplished after regeneration. It is turning back to God, unloading the burden of sins on the One who wishes to bear it. In Isaiah 30:15, For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance [subah – turning back to God] and rest you will be saved [delivered], in quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing. Repentance is a willingness to turn back to God who has already proven that His love is complete. It happens when the believer gets a taste of the sweetness of his relationship with Jesus Christ and that it is worth his devotion.

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