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REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOOD NEWS

SCRIPTURE READINGS
JONAH 3:1-5
1 CORINTHIANS 7:29-31
MARK 1:14-20

SUNDAY REFLECTION
The theme for our reflection is to repent and believe in the Good News. To repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. To believe in the Good News to accept the fact that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16). Again to believe in the Good News means to come to the realisation that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners —of whom I am the worst. “(1 Timothy 1:15). We shall look at why we must repent and believe in the Good News?
1. To repent and believe in the Good News saves us from the wrath of God.
2. To repent and believe in the Good News prepares us for the Kingdom of God.

Firstly, when we repent and believe in the Good News, we escape the wrath of God. When the people of Nineveh repented and listened to the Good News of repentance, the Lord forgave them their sins and did not destroy them. “Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth(Repentance)…When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.” (Jonah 3:4-5,10). Similarly, if we also repent and believe in the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall receive mercy and forgiveness and His anger will no longer consume us. We are assured in 1 John 1:9 that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Again, to prove our repentance and belief in the Good News, Paul admonishes us that “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:9-11) Beloved in the Lord, we are in the dispensation of grace therefore let us repent and believe in the Good News to avoid the wrath of God. “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:1-4) Let us not abuse the grace available to us today, tomorrow is never promised! If there is a better time to repent and believe in the Good News then it is now for Paul reminds us that From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; ³⁰ those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; ³¹ those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) In other words, we must take advantage of the grace available to us, repent and believe in the Good News because this world is ephemeral or temporary. Beloved in the Lord, the Good News of the Lord is still being preached and it will preached until He returns the second and final time. It is for this reason, Jesus is still knocking at our doors saying “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me… Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:20,22) The choice is ours to make today, may we repent and believe in the Good News and be saved from the impending wrath of God.

Secondly, those who have repented and believed in the Good News have hope of eternal life or the Kingdom of God. This is the assurance Jesus gave us when said “The time has come,”…“The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). Again, Jesus is calling those who have repented and believed in the Good News to go into the world and preach the Good News. Jesus is calling us ““Come, follow me,” “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Mark 1:17) Dear friend, we are not to only repent and believe in the Good News, our repentance and faith must lead us to become faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus who will go out into the world to fish for the lost and dying through the preaching of the Good News. It is for this reason, that Jesus commissioned us when He said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). The church is a fellowship of people who have repented and believed in the Good News. Again the church is also the fishing boat of Jesus where His fisherfolks of believers or Christians are expected to go into the world to cast the net of the Good News to save people who are in the sea of sin but are willing to repent and be saved. Preaching the Good News for the salvation of the world is the core business of the Church. Are we really performing this core duty or mandate? We pray for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to spread the Good News to the ends of the world before the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In summary, we have deliberated on the theme “Repent and believe in the Good News” We have examined why we must repent and believe in the Good News. We have discovered that repenting and believing in the Good News saves us from the wrath of God. Again, to repent and believe in the Good News prepares us for the Kingdom of God. May the Holy Spirit strengthen our faith and empower us to preach the Good News for the salvation of those who are still in the sea of sin. Amen.