Repentance
In Acts 2:38, Peter tells the crowd to repent. Acts 26:20, “that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” In the old language, repent was a marching order to reverse direction. Our reverse in direction is from sin to “he who is not sin,” Jesus Christ. The Christian life begins with receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior and believing he raised from the dead for each of us. We discussed the “justification” that happens at that moment. Our human spirit becomes declared “not guilty” by our Abba Father’s grace, and we have promised nothing to him. But that is just the beginning of our life with our Abba Father.
Typically, when someone plans a trip, they look at the destination and plan what they need to get there. Our journey is to our Abba Father. It is lifelong and therefore needs lifelong planning. The first step is a change in direction. Conventional teaching defines repentance as “changing one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude regarding sin and righteousness.”
Repentance is our first step in the right direction, our “about face” from sin to our Abba Father. Peter tells us that accepting Christ requires us to change direction away from sin. ELB life is a wavering journey regarding sin. Most people do not see typical human behavior like losing our temper, holding grudges, being annoying, greedy, or self-centered, etc., as sins because they cannot quote the law. They are sins because they are not loving, the final law Jesus gave us.
Preaching, study, and the Holy Spirit teach people how to change their minds, thoughts, behaviors, and actions toward our Abba Father and each other, but that is not repentance. Repentance is the significant change we are supposed to make when accepting Christ. When the march commander tells the troops to repent, they reverse and march on. Sanctification is the name for the ongoing change in people’s hearts in our lifelong journey. Repentance is the complete change in direction away from sin.
Redemption
Redemption is a concept that we need to think about more; if we did, ELB would be less of an influence. Conventional preaching focuses on the salvation that comes when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and that is something we do. Yes, it is a gift we cannot earn, but we must receive it out loud with our lips; Romans 10:15, it does not just happen by itself.
We then follow being saved by becoming more like Jesus, sinning less, and fighting the enemy. That is called the sanctification process, where we put in the work. When we receive Christ, we are justified or washed clean by our Abba Father, but then we have the lifelong work to do in sanctification.
Scripture also tells us that faith comes from our Abba Father, and faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but the spotlight is still on us and our actions with it. I love the concept of redemption because no other word captures what our Abba Father did for us, like the word redemption.
Redemption means regaining possession of something by paying for it. We had something, we lost it, and we got it back. Our Abba father created us in paradise; he expelled us and paid for us to return.
I now emphasize the word redemption for salvation in my walk and work with our Abba Father. When I say I am saved, it means I received Christ. When I say I am redeemed, it means my Abba Father paid the price for me to be a member of his Family. Redemption paints the entire picture in one word and puts us in our Abba Father’s world as holy along with him, no longer anchored in ELB.
When I approach a non-believer, I do not ask them if they would like to be saved; I ask them if they would like to be redeemed and adopted into our Abba Father’s Family. Redemption completely changes the narrative of our relationship with our Abba Father; it is not just the binary true-false decision the word “believe” connotes.
As a jail and prison pastor, I spend a great deal of time with people who have messed up their lives severely, and many more have messed up their lives without breaking man’s codified laws or not getting caught. The gift of redemption begins restoration like nothing else.
Also, consider when someone has hurt us very badly. There is a message about forgiveness and finding our agape love for that person (S7M7), but it is still hard to find peace with that person. But when we remember that we are redeemed by our Abba Father when we do not deserve it, and he forgives our trespasses, that releases us and brings us the peace we are looking for. The parable of the unrepentant slave in Matthew 18:21-35 illustrates that. Please pray on it.
Justification
Hopefully, you all understand by now that being saved means receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior. But what happens after that is a big blur for too many believers, especially new ones. “Just” means to behave morally correct. Our Abba Father was “just” in giving us the law to describe sin. Sinful man is not only “not just” in our Abba father’s eyes; he is separated from our Abba Father, who cannot be in the presence of sin. Since it is his world and his plan, only he can fix it. And the good news is, he did!
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross cured our lack of “justness” that we experience when born again. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, at that moment, our Abba Father judges our new spirit life and declares it “not guilty,” sin free. Our spirit becomes “justified” in his eyes but being “made righteous” is a better translation. Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.” There is another word used, “holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16, “but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.”
Justification is more than being made righteous or holy in our Abba Father’s eyes. Romans 5:1, “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” People tend to see the “not guilty” or the “pardon” more than the peace with our Abba Father that should come with being born again. “Not guilty” doesn’t change us, but being born again should change us completely. Please pray on that.
When we receive Christ, the “not guilty” declaration that comes with it should give us peace of mind, and we should be basking in inner peace as believers. I see many inmates receive Christ and be overwhelmed at the moment. They stay motivated to change their lives with our Abba Father. Too many believers don’t see the change because they are not looking for it and struggle needlessly.
Romans 5:2, “through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” The Greek in this verse presents “wherein we stand” as a safe harbor or refuge, and the glory of our Abba Father is closer to the word “triumph.” With justification, we gain access to our Abba Father in our lives and have hope! Hope to partake in his glory.
Romans 5:3-4, “And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope.” That passage is profound. With the access that justification gives us to the full glory of our Abba Father, we not only endure tough times but rejoice in the tough times as well, finding satisfaction with our ability to endure. Please pray on that.
The power of the fleshed-out view of justification or being made righteous opens a new view of our relationship with our Abba Father. As we can see, justification means infinitely more than “being made righteous or holy.” It is still up to us in our faith to use the gift in our lives.
Sanctification
Sanctification is the lifelong process that follows our justification when born again and the missing ingredient in ELB. Scholars identify three phases of sanctification to keep us focused throughout our life. Scholars often leave me uninspired, but in this case, they help.
Born again means our Abba father declares our spirit righteous, holy and justified. Hebrews 10:14, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” That is “past sanctification” because it has already happened. We also call it “positional sanctification” because it comes from our position in Christ. Acts 26:18 describes Paul’s mission, “. . . to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.” The words “sanctified by faith” are past tense.
Philippians 2:12, “So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear (of the fiery pit) and trembling.” 1 Peter 1:15-16, “but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.” That is “present sanctification” because it is what we do in and for our earthly life while living. It is “progressive” because we make progress in our lives, constantly working to be more sanctified. We may backslide and catch up again with confession and forgiveness, all in the present.
1 John 3:2-3, “Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” That describes “future sanctification” that occurs when Jesus returns. We receive our new, perfect, heaven-worthy body that is free of sin. That is “perfect sanctification” because we become perfect in our sin-free new creation.
Confession
Confession is a mandatory requirement in present/progressive sanctification. Look at 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I want to add one thing to confession and forgiveness that is my own take to grow our faith and relationships. Do not ever ask our Abba Father for forgiveness in confession. That connotes doubt that he might not. I see too often the doubt that needs removed when people ask for forgiveness. Clearly disclose your sins in your confession conversation with our Abba Father and then say, “thank you, Abba Father, for sacrificing your Son to wash me clean in your eyes. I am not worthy, yet you love and are patient with me. Thank you, Abba Father for loving so much.” That is what Jesus died for. I also use the analogy that Jesus paid for our sin by putting the money in the bank, and confession is our check. Confession is one of two things that will make the hair on your arms stand up when talking to our Abba Father. (The other is praising him.)
