REPENTANCE AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS
A. Introduction: Why is repentance able to open instantly to us the door to the riches of the kingdom of God?
When He first started preaching during His earthly ministry, Jesus our Lord declared that repentance is the key to the riches of God’s kingdom.
It seems so simple, but it is true.
Repentance alone will bring to us an open heaven everyday, with a continuous flow of the blessings and riches and glory of God’s kingdom into our lives.
Jesus has said that it is so, and therefore it must be so (Matthew 4:17).
MATTHEW 4:17The reason why repentance alone is enough to open up the riches of God is that Jesus has shed His blood on the cross for all men on this earth.
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
It is the blood of Jesus that has obtained for us the forgiveness of sins and all the riches of the New Covenant.
It is the blood of Jesus that has set us free from the curses of the Law of God.
And all these blessings are ours when we repent and confess our sins to God.
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, and has shed His blood for us, He accomplished for all men what the Father has sent Him to do.
He finished the work of redemption of men from their sins and curses (John 19:30).
Through His blood, He has restored back to man the presence, the power and the glory of God.
JOHN 19:30, NKJB. Objectives of this lesson
30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
The objectives of this lesson are as follows:
- To teach a believer that he has forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus.
- To teach a believer that all his curses have been removed through the blood of Jesus.
- To teach a believer that all the riches of God’s kingdom belong to him through the blood of Jesus
It is our sins that separate us from God’s presence, His kingdom, His power and His glory.
It is our sins that have put us under the curses of the Law of God.
It is our sins that have caused many believers to die from incurable diseases.
It is our sins that have caused many to die premature, accidental deaths and leave behind widows and young, fatherless children.
It is our sins that have opened a door for the devil to kill, steal and destroy in our lives and in our families.
But praise be to God, Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, becoming the sacrifice for our sins.
He was punished by God for our sins, so that God now has the legal right to forgive our sins when we repent (1 John 1:7-9).
It is the shed blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sins when we confess our sins to God from our heart.
1 JOHN 1:7-9D. Redemption from every curse of the Law through the blood of Jesus
7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from ALL sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will purify us from ALL unrighteousness.
When Christ died on the cross, He suffered for our sins by suffering for all the curses of the Law of God that came to us because of our sins.
Since Christ has suffered for our curses, every man and woman on this earth has been redeemed from the curses of the Law of God.
GALATIANS 3:13-14, NKJNo one on this earth needs to ever suffer again even for one more minute from the horrible curses of the Law.
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’),
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
All he has to do is to repent by confessing his sins to God.
It is that simple, because Christ has already paid the price.
The very moment a person repents, the curses of the Law over his life are broken and he is set free.
No matter how severe or bitter his bondage has been, the blood of Jesus is able to set him totally free.
And where there is no longer any sin or curse of the Law, the devil has no more legal right to kill, steal and destroy in his life any longer.
Hallelujah!!!
E. Instant restoration of every blessing of God’s kingdom through the blood of Jesus
When Christ died on the cross, through the shedding of His blood, He made a new agreement between God and man, called the New Covenant.
In this New Covenant, God promises to give to everyone who believes in Jesus as Saviour and Lord all the riches of His kingdom.
Jesus as the perfect man has fulfilled all the requirements of the Law of God to obtain the fullness of God’s blessings for Himself and for all men.
As He died on the cross, His blood was shed to bring forth the New Covenant between God and man, whereby through Him, all men can partake freely of God’s riches.
MATTHEW 26:27-28, NKJToday, all the riches of God’s kingdom belong to every child of God, at no cost to us, totally free of charge.
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
28 “For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
EPHESIANS
1:33 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
They have come to us through the work of Jesus on the cross.
We cannot earn these riches by good works or human effort.
Christ has paid the price for these blessings with His blood.
Our Father God will therefore give to us whatever blessing we ask of Him in Jesus’ name since these blessings belong to us in Christ (John 16:23).
His blessings are released the very moment we ask (Mark 11:24).
However, our sins will stop God from releasing His blessings into our lives.
On the other hand, when we repent, every hindrance to the full and instant outpouring of God’s blessings into our lives is removed.
That is why repentance is the first key to obtaining the riches of the kingdom of God.
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TESTIMONY
Demonized Boy Of 17 Set Free
More than 5 years ago, my associate pastor and his wife went to a house to counsel a family as they were having family squabbles.
After hearing the Good News, the couple did not receive Christ, but their two boys did!
We baptized the children, age 16 and 15 years, and went to their house for house-cleansing of the boy’s room, with the parents’ permission.
We instructed the boys to get rid of all CD’s, VCDs and books involving demonic powers and witchcraft, and they did so at that time.
The two boys joined our Youth Fellowship for a season and later shifted to another church in Air Itam, as they lived far from our church.
About a year later, just after Sunday Morning Worship, the mother turned up with the 2 boys, with one of them screaming away in the back of the small Kancil and the younger brother keeping watch.
The older boy had been demonized for 2 weeks already and their church’s ministry of deliverance on him had not been successful.
I told them to come with their father to the evening service that we had in Balik Pulau, as I have learnt by now never to rush into any deliverance ministry without dealing with the root cause (the sin problem).
The parents turned up later with the two boys, and the father looked after the demonized son in a separate room while we worshipped.
After the service, I talked to both the parents, with the boy screaming away nearby on a couch, scratching away with his fingers, which were all darkened.
His parents said that he had wanted to jump from their 10th floor flat in Paya Terubong in his state of oppression.
I told the parents that the boy will not be set free until they renounced their idolatry and witchcraft and asked them if they were willing to do so. They said yes.
So I told them that we will go right away to their flat, a half-hour drive away.
The Youth Fellowship advisor also came along to help, together with the Youth Fellowship Leader, who prepared himself by confessing all his sins as we drove to the flat.
In the flat, I led the parents in a prayer of repentance concerning all forms of idolatry and witchcraft.
We then started going through the halls and the rooms and collected about 12 large rubbish bags of photographs, charms, plates, cups, books, CDs, etc., things that were all associated with idolatry and witchcraft.
By the time we finished collecting the items at about 11PM, the demonized boy was totally set free and smiling away, without any of us having to pray for him at all in the flat.
The parents turned to the Lord and were baptized the next day, as it was a public holiday.
Truly God is good.
The following Sunday, the mother testified in the church about the son's deliverance.
I also warned our church youths that if they did not heed my warnings and get demonized through watching Harry Potter movies and started to scream and yell, I will let them enjoy their screaming for a season before I will minister to them.
Hallelujah!!! Our God is a great God!!!
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