Lord, Renew My Mind
Repentance Means Let God Show You How He Loves You
Have you ever thought about repentance as "Let God Show You How He Loves You"? I know I haven't.
Have you found yourself repenting before God for your sins asking Him to forgive you for a wrong you've done?
I always wandered why the two words "repent" and "forgive" are used synonymously. These are two different words.
I want to share with you some mind-renewing thoughts of who the Lord is and the true meaning of 'repentance' in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus.
Forgiveness סליחה (slee'ha) is not Repentance שובה. These are two different things.
Forgiveness and repentance are two different words with different meaning to our life. Once we invited Jesus into our heart we were forgiven of our entire life of sins. All our sins were taken away, and the certificate of debt with charges against us was canceled and nailed to the cross.
God promised in the New Covenant that He will remember our sins no more. He really meant it because God is Love, and He said to us that Love keeps no account of wrong. So God keeps no account of what's wrong with you because He perfected you already by the blood of Jesus (Heb 10:14). So you are perfect in His sight.
So we are already forgiven of all our sins, - so..... let's see repentance in the New Covenant. It is different from the old covenant of the Law.
Repentance in Hebrew is "returnשובה (shu'va). It means returning from going the wrong way. Since the Israelite had a relationship with God under the old covenant of the Law they were separated from God whenever they sinned.
Repent under the old covenant means get back into a right relationship with God. It means to change your behavior, take away your sins, stop sinning and get right with God. However we need to keep in mind that we are not under the old covenant of the Law and our relationship with God today is in Jesus who established a New Covenant which is not like the old. Therefore repentance in the New Covenant means something different.
We no longer have a relationship with God through the old covenant, and we need to know what this new covenant means for us as believers in Jesus. These two covenant ate two completely different systems by which man can have a relationship with God.
The old covenant is a SHADOW of the reality in Christ. A shadow is NOT a mirror because it only shows form, but not an image - there is no substance. We don't want to look at the old covenant as a mirror and DO and WORSHIP God as if it is the way. A shadow has no features and does not reveal the image of God.
Finding the image of God is only in Jesus who is the image of God. When we look at God in the old covenant but we cannot see Christ because He was not revealed yet - we find a harsh God who points to sin and punishes harshly for wrong.
We need to remember that the new covenant was established only AFTER Jesus was crucified, and not BEFORE. Therefore even in the Gospels we still see God through Jesus bringing the Law to the people. The relationship Jesus had with the people was STILL through the old covenant of the Law because sins were NOT taken away yet. God still looked at the sins of the Pharisees and leaders, Jesus still pointed to the Law. He also revealed His true nature and brought grace on the ones who were rejected by the Law.
What am I saying here?
When you read the Gospels please remember that the New Covenant was NOT established yet and therefore Jesus pointed to the Law of Do's and Dont's. We are NOT under the Law of the old covenant.
When I speak about the Law I am not talking only about the ten commandments, but about the entirety of the Law: laws about the poor and needy, laws about the Sabbath, laws about the feasts, the land, strangers, enemies, sickness, leprosy, food, washings, cleansing, how to enter God's presence, how to be reconciled with God when there is sin, etc.
Repentance in the New Covenant in Christ
Repentance begins with our mind. In the Greek it basically means 'to have another thought', 'to think differently'. This is why the Bible speaks about being renewed in our minds.
G3340 μετανοέω metanoeō met-an-o-eh'-o to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider, to change one's mind- repent.
Repentance is a walk of renewal of our mind. It is being transformed as we learn to think, see, perceive, and understand differently.
God has forgiven us for all our sins on the cross when we received Jesus into our heart. However, He still leads us to repentance - meaning He works in us to make sure our mind is renewed.
What renewal of mind do we need?
It's thinking differently in how we perceive. God leads us to repentance and helps us know Him for who He is - not for who we think He is. Growing up in the world we all have a distorted image of God as a Father. Some of us had harsh demanding judgmental fathers, others had no fathers, or fathers who were dysfunctional. No human being can reveal the true image of our heavenly Father. This is why Jesus came to reveal to us who the Father is, and bring us back to a relationship with our Father. We can call Him Abba which in Hebrew means Daddy, or Dad. Yes, Our Dad is very personal with each one of His children.
He wants to be so close to us and reveal His love and goodness towards His children - but we need to be able to receive such love. His love is so deep I could not understand why He would want to love me at all. When I fail in my behavior I know today that my Dad is not upset with me or angry because He revealed that truth to me. I used to be afraid of God because I knew the God from the old covenant. He lead me to repentance as He renewed my mind about Him and showed me much of His love and grace.
Isa 54:8-10 NASB (8) "In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness (Grace in Hebrew) I will have compassion on you," Says the LORD your Redeemer. (9) "For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you. (10) "For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness (Grace) will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace (that's the New Covenant in Christ) will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you.
It was so comforting for me to find out that there is no anger or any rebuke in the New Covenant. I used to believe that God still rebukes us when we mess up.
After all, didn't Jesus rebuke Peter in his mess?
Remember when Peter would not allow the Lord to go to Jerusalem and be killed? Jesus rebuked him calling Peter Satan:
Mar 8:32-33 NASB And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. (33) But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and *said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."
So, how could God say He would not rebuke us or be angry with us, and then He rebuked Peter?
I asked the Lord the same question. He showed me that He had rebuked Peter because the New Covenant of Grace has not been established yet. Jesus had not died for their sins yet. Israel only had a temporary covering of their sins and a relationship with God through the old covenant of the Law. It was a relationship under the ministry of condemnation and death:
2Co 3:7-11 NLT (7) The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. (8) Shouldn't we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? (9) If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! (10) In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. (11) So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
Under the old covenant of the Law God still pointed to sin and remembered their sins. Even the next generations paid the price for their parents sins. Only after Jesus death the New Covenant was established. Before Jesus death He walked with His disciples and the people still under the Law. Meaning, the relationship people had with Him was still through the old covenant. This is why Jesus rebuked Peter.
If we have a relationship with God through the old covenant (which many still do) He will rebuke us, point to our sins, and expect us to take away our sins – change our behavior. However, the more our mind is renewed and we walk with God in the New Covenant (new marriage relationship with Him) we will know His love for us.
God can be harsh, but He is gentle because Love is gentle.
God can point to sin, but in His nature He keeps no account of wrong.
God's voice can be demanding and angry, but in His nature He is kind, patient and does not demand His own way (see the Love scripture on who God is)
David found out that truth for himself when he said about the Lord:
2Sa 22:26-27 NIV "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, (27) to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. (the Hebrew says 'snaky' 'cunning' 'crooked')
This is why when God showed up to show how proud he is of His beloved Son, as He spoke from Heaven some heard a voice, but others heard a thunder. (Thunder in the Bible represents God's anger).
Joh 12:28-30 NASB (28) "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." (29) So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." (30) Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.
Some heard God's voice speaking about His Son, but those who know God as harsh could not hear His loving voice. They heard a thunderous voice.
We want to learn to hear God's voice and know Him for who He says He is – not who we think He is. Our perception of God is wrong if we think God is angry, rebuking, punishing, judging, accusing for sin, inflicting pain, bringing diseases.
Jesus never walked on Earth calling the people to come so He could give them leprosy or sickness. As God on earth He came to heal all who were afflicted by the devil.
The way to discern God's voice is always by one measurement – LOVE. God is love and in Him there is no darkness at all. He has a completely new relationship with us in Christ Jesus. He is our Father.
Jer 3:19 NASB "… 'How I would set you among My sons And give you a pleasant land, The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!' And I said, 'You shall call Me, 'My Father', And not turn away from following Me.'
The Israelite turned away from following Him because they lived with Him through the harsh old covenant. The Law veiled their hearts and they could not see God as Love. They were punished severely for their sins. Christ has not come yet to establish the New marriage covenant with God. It's a covenant of Grace, also called a covenant of peace.
How He longed to reveal His love for them through the prophets. He preached to Good news to them (Hebrews 4) but many did not receive such love. He wanted them to know Him as their Father.
Hosea 11:3-4 NASB Yet it is I who taught Ephraim (put your name) to walk, I took them in My arms; But they did not know that I healed them. 4 I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; And I bent down and fed them…. they refused to return to Me.
In this new covenant in Christ Jesus we have His promise to no longer remember our sins, wrongs, wickedness, failures, and how messed up man is. His Son Jesus got it right for us. He made us right with God (righteous) and this position of righteousness is not temporary, but everlasting righteousness. Amazing! Thank You, Lord for such great love.
Jer 31:31-34 NASB "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers … out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. (33) "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (34) "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, (Why will they all know Him?) "for (because) I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
It's who He wants to be for us. We cannot see Him through the eyes of the old covenant of the Law - because the Law is called the 'law of sin' and 'the law of works'. The Law points to your sins, failures, mistakes, and mess, lack and weaknesses. It also points to your works – your failed performance, deeds, behavior and will always show you how much you do not keep up with the standard of the Law. It condemns you. The Law demands perfection that no man could ever fulfill. This is why Jesus came to save humanity and take us out from the Law of the old covenant. He fulfilled the Law for you and I and set us free from being slaves to the Law.
Mat 5:17 NASB "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
I know today that when I mess up in abundance His grace comes in ever more abundance.
When the Lord started revealing to me how much He loves me I could not understand why would He keep loving me especially when I fail. I had a distorted image of God as a harsh Father who still counts all my sins and will punish me for my wrongs. I didn't know that Jesus was punished so I would not get punished. I needed a renewal of my mind in the way I perceived God. Mt perception and understanding of God was through the Old Covenant where He is very harsh, judgmental, keeps an account of wrong, and punished for wrong. This is how I saw Him because I didn't understand what a relationship with God through the New Covenant really meant.
We also need to be renewed (lead to repentance) in the way we perceive ourselves. We need to know who God says we are and how He sees us in Christ - not who we think we are. The Lord wants to renew our thinking in who we think we are and show us how much He loves us. It's a love relationship with Him.
We look at our own failing flesh and we think it's who we are. We look at who we used to be before God made us a new creation (caterpillars) and we see all our sins, failures, inadequacies, weaknesses and mess. What if I tell you that God made you a totally NEW CREATION in Christ and He no longer sees the caterpillar you used to be? Isn't it great news?
The thing is............ I didn't really know how God sees me in Christ today. You need to know who He has made you and how He sees you in Christ. You need to know He made you a butterfly and set you free from the earthly identity you are familiar with. He set us free to BE and live in Him because He no longer recognizes us in the flesh, but in Christ.
2Co 5:16-19 NASB (16) Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; (because this is how God recognizes us also) even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. (17) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (18) Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ … (19) namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, ….
We want to be set free from areas of struggle in our life. But how?
Jesus never said "Do this and that, give a lot, pray forever and you will be set free". On the contrary, He said to us "You will know the truth, and the truth (not yourself) will set you free".
Isn't it different from what we've been taught? I always thought I needed to change my behavior, perform better, be better, do this and that, and by MY OWN behavioral modification I will be set free. He lead me to repentance even in this area of my life.
Thank God for working in my life, and revealing to me His wonderful truth to set me free. I'm growing in faith and I love it. Just let the Lord renew your mind; reveal truth to you in the way you think, understand, believe, and perceive Him or yourself - and His truth (Jesus) will set you free.
If you are stuck it means you need to simply ask the Lord to unveil His truth to you; to show you how He sees you in His eyes; to reveal His kindness and gentleness to you; to blow your mind in how much He loves you - it will transform you forever.
It's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance - meaning God Himself, and not of our own effort - leads us to a renewed mind so we will be set free.
Rom 2:4 MKJV Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
Therefore, God is love. Know Him for who He says He is and not through the old covenant of the Law of accusation. (I replaced the word 'love' with the word 'I AM':
1Co 13:4-8 NIV I AM patient, I AM kind. I do not envy, do not boast, and not proud. (5) I AM not rude, not self-seeking, and I AM not easily angered, I keep no record of wrongs. (6) I do not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. (7) I always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere. (8) I never fail.
Jer 31:3 NASB "…. I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness (Grace).
Much love and be renewed in your mind and be rooted in His love for you.
Elana Polinger
