“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! Deuteronomy 6:4 (NKJV) 

My last post was 12-27-15 “Emmaus, the road to unbelief.” This is a follow-up to that post. The day following that post questions arose in my spirit. Please consider what follows.

In two cases we see Jesus attempting to “go farther” in situations with His disciples.

From the Emmaus story, “And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going further.” Luke 24:28 (NASB)

The second says, “Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.” Mark 6:48 (NKJV) 

Why would Jesus pass them by or act like He was going further down the road?

In the case of Emmaus, I believe He was testing them. “Are they listening?” or will they let me go on down the road? They are headed in the wrong direction already.

In my experience, Jesus is always willing to go farther with us, but were they still in unbelief, and would they dismiss Him to go His way? If we do that aren’t we the ones left behind? Isn’t this how the Holy Spirit works, how God ultimately tests us? “Are they listening?” Our road to Emmaus experience may be in hearing a sermon. Are our hearts burning within us? Do we have an uneasy feeling in our gut?

God has been speaking to man since Adam. Are we “slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken?” Luke 24:25 (NASB)

“Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32 (NASB)

They did not delay in changing directions but immediately left for Jerusalem and found the eleven. (Luke 24:33 NASB) They repented literally!

As they were sharing their experience with the eleven, Jesus meets them there! Among other things Jesus says,  “…”Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:46-47 (NASB)

Am I changing the topic here? “Jesus speaking says, …and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Yes, repentance for forgiveness of sins, in His name. His name means salvation. We are forgiven as we truly repent under the covering of the Bridegroom’s name and by His compunction.

John the Baptist proclaimed the same thing in Mark 1:4. John’s message is an advance addition of the good news of a new covenant Jesus would put in place by setting aside the first covenant.

We should know that repentance “metanoia” means (subject) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision) :- repentance. from <G3340> (metanoeo); Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.

The Spirit brings compunction, an uneasy feeling prompted by guilt and remorse. He also brings and expects a reversal in our thinking, a reformation of our being. The prompting is there. The power is there.

This is why repentance is required for forgiveness of sins. The Spirit brings the prompting including the power for our reformation. Resistance, for instance, can be our refusal or our rationalizing why we do not forgive someone. IF we are not subject to His prompting, if we resist it, if we continue to resist that feeling in our gut, that grace from God, then we remain unforgiven until we do respond and repent.

“Wait a minute Michael. We are forgiven when we ask Jesus into our hearts!” Yes we are. What about after that initial experience? What about as we traverse the challenges of life? So we have not sinned since then? “Are we listening?”

We must maintain the righteousness freely granted us. Our turning to Jesus is repentance in itself! A life of repentance is acceptable as long as we are not repenting of the same thing over and over. Sooner or later the repentance must stick for us to be eternally forgiven of that particular sin. Until then we are returning (to our sin) like a dog to its vomit. Heaven will not stink of vomit.

Let us beg Jesus for a Spirit of repentance, especially when we know we must be successfully operating in the Law of the Spirit of Life, to escape the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

When those uneasy feelings come, REJOICE and respond!

“If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

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