Nothing But Repentance ~ Pastor William Kumuyi | DCLM Daily Manna 12/2/2015

TOPIC: Nothing But Repentance

Date: Thursday, February 12, 2015 

TEXT: MATTHEW 3:1-5

Key Verse: “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1,2).

John the Baptist was a fiery preacher of repentance and righteous living. The gospels also record that when our Lord started His ministry, He preached that people should repent of their sins and become citizens of the kingdom of God which was near (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 4:8; John 1:43).

Repentance on the part of every sinner is crucial to obtaining the forgiveness of God. It is the basic message every child of God must preach to friends, relations and neighbours. Repentance, the condition for salvation, is a radical break with sin which separates man from his Creator.

On sighting the Pharisees and Sadducees who trooped to him at Jordan where he was conducting water baptism exercise for converts, John pointedly told them that the requirement for entry into the Kingdom was repentance from all sin. He did not feel intimidated or shy to soft-pedal on the truth he was commissioned to preach.

The two groups that came to John hold different opinions contrary to Scriptures. The Pharisees believed salvation would come only from obeying the law of Moses, and not by the grace of God through Jesus. The Sadducees were theological liberals who did not believe in resurrection, miracles, angels or end-time judgment. Both persecuted our Lord and contemned His doctrine. But John was undeterred; he warned them of “the wrath to come.” He told them they would be “cast into the fire” if they didn’t repent.

The attitude of John the Baptist challenges us as believers to be courageous in preaching the truth of the gospel, even in the face of opposition from erroneous teachers of our generation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 5 - 7

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The Kingdom is the centre-piece of the good news.