Jesus said, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). In Acts 2:38, Peter said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Jesus also said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).

Apparently, it is very important to repent as part of being saved. But, what exactly what is repentance? It has been defined several ways, but the best definition I have encountered is that repentance is simply a change of mind about ourselves and about Jesus the Christ.

We must come to realize that we are not good. No one on Earth is. Everyone is a sinner. The Prophet Jeremiah made this clear when he stated, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). We must reach the point of acknowledging both to ourselves and to God that we know we are not good and that we desperately need a Savior.

Secondly, we must sincerely, and with all our heart, believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (Messiah) of God, the very Son of God; and, as part of the Trinity, God Himself. Then, we must call on Him to save us, acknowledge our sinfulness, be sorry for it, and ask Christ to save us. He surely will do it that very instant. In Romans 10:13, God promises, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Some people have objected that God has already chosen (elected) who will be saved. This is true because God said it in His Word. So, they see no reason, as Christians, to witness for the Lord in hopes of influencing others to be saved by trusting Christ. The answer I give to this is that our witnessing is often part of God’s plan and method of saving people.

For some reason, God chooses to use us, His children who are still on earth, to preach His Word to the skeptics and unbelievers. He is longsuffering (patient) with people to give them time to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, for without the prodding of God’s Spirit, no one would come to God. Man never seeks God; God must initiate the response, or no one would ever be saved for Heaven as God’s children and part of His Kingdom.

We are told to watch and gladly anticipate the return of Christ. And all Christians do. However, it troubles me a great deal that so many are still “wandering out in sin.” Hank Williams, probably the greatest writer and singer of country music, wrote the following words in his “I Saw the Light:”

                “I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin
I wouldn’t let my dear Savior in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Praise the Lord, I saw the light”

     Praise the Lord, indeed, for all who see the Light of Christ in this dark and evil world!