John the Baptist preached repentance. Ordinary people were fascinated by John and his teaching. His listeners were not religious and many of them were far from God. John told them if they repented they would also do the deeds that reflected their repentance (Luke 3:8). So the people asked what they should do. John gave them very clear answers.
Luke 3:11-14
11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” NASU
They were to repent of the sins of selfishness and failure to care for their fellow man, deceit, robbery, extortion, bearing false witness, and greed. Did you know failure to care for the poor was a sin? Each group had their own sins and those sins probably felt normal and acceptable until they were confronted by John the Baptist.
King David, a man devoted to God, committed adultery and murder. David did not repent until at least nine months later when he was confronted by Nathan the prophet. A preacher, Colin S. Smith wrote, “The natural sequel to sin is not repentance, but hiding from God, and that experience for a believer always proves miserable.”[i] Do you agree; the natural next step after sin is not repentance, but cover up? That statement is probably often true; we hide from God and ourselves.
After being confronted by Nathan, David wrote Psalm 51, a contrite prayer asking for God’s forgiveness. In verse six, David wrote, “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.” NASU
God knows the ugly truth about us, and he wants us to see it too. Repentance, not hiding, is what allows us to be accepted by God. Repentance is the first step toward healing and restoration.
Jesus began his ministry preaching, “Repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). This sums up our problem and God’s solution. We all have pursued wicked thoughts and deeds that deserve punishment, but the way out, the good news, is that forgiveness is found in Jesus Christ.
What sins have you overlooked? God calls all of us to be honest with ourselves and to repent.
[1] Colin S. Smith, “The Life of David, Part 3: His Troubles”, Colin S. Smith, January 14, 2018, https://unlockingthebible.org/sermon/repentance-life-david/