THE ART OF REPENTANCE

Well...another session of the Ruminator Class is finished. As we continue our study of the First Epistle of John...we have focused on one thing that can keep us from true fellowship with the Father, Jesus, and others...SIN. In I John 2:1...John writes to us and encourages us that we MAY NOT sin. The potential and possibility for saints...is that we MAY sin. IF we DO sin...we have an advocate for us...JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS.

The pattern: (1) get in the light (2) confess (call it like God calls it...sin)
(3) repent (4) apply blood (5) walk forgiven (6) fellowship.

REPENT: (met-an-o-eh-o)= to think differently or afterwards (so as to change); that is reconsider. To have a change of mind, heart, attitude, direction. NOTE: This is not just having remores or being sorry for being caught or reaping wat we sow by the cause and effect principle.
AKA: Re-Paris...like Paris Hilton regretting for being made to pay the penalty without changing.

PENTENTIAL PSALMS (Pslams of Repentance): These are written by the Psalmist who is distressed by his SIN (aka early Blues). The lament (weeping) is the confession of sin...imploring God to forgive. There are 7 Penitential Psalms (Psalm 6, Psalm 32, Psalm 38, Psalm 51, Psalm 102, Psalm 130, Psalm 143) NOTE: When you have the need of repenting... it helps to use these as guideposts to help you along the road to repentence)

In class we looked at Psalm 51. This is a Psalm of David after Nathan confronted the King about his sin. (See II Samuel 11-12) "The Lord also has TAKEN AWAY YOUR SIN;...you shall NOT die." (II Samuel 12:13).

David...as King...had (1) abused his authority (2) transgressed...went beyond known limits (3) lusted with his eyes while Bathsheba took a bath (if she had been taking a shower...would she have been called Showersheba?) (4) committed adultery (5) impregnated her (6) plotted to set up her husband as the father (7) pre-meditated murder of her husband.

The two Penitential Psalms by David concerning this event were Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 (it is thought that Psalm 51 was written first and Psalm 32 was the followup).

THE REPENTANCE PROGRESSION

1. Request for grace/mercy (unmerited favor and not what he deserved)
based on God's lovingkindness and God's greatness...not based on David's goodness and right to be forgiven. (Psalm 51:1)

2. Blot out (stroke rub, erase, smooth as with oil) transgressions (going beyond known limits, revolt, trespasses) (Psalm 51:1)

3. Wash (stamping with feet, fuller process) thoroughly (repeatedly) from iniquities (perversity, evil, fault, mischief) (Psalm 51:2)

NOTE: Fulling referes to the use of heat, moisture and extreme agitation to make a wool fabric shrink and therfore become stronger and warmer. This fabric can be made by FELTING, knitting, weaving, crocheting, knotless netting or any textile construction technique that can use wool fiber or yarn to create it. When the FULLING is being done, the fibers continue to move (we call this migrate) and entangel on each other. Even though the size of the fiber diameter does not change, the air between the fibers is removed as they tangle around each other, so the fabric, shrinks.

NOTE TO THE NOTE: We had guest Ruminators...Kirk and Christine Lokits. Kirk has been to Mongolia where he used the Ruminator Ramblings as teaching tools...with 12 people...to date...in Mongolia getting saved. Christine pointed out that through the FULLING process.. they can weave materials strong enough to become housing (actual huts) for living. WOW...As God washes us thoroughly from iniquities...we are formed and enter into a safety area.

4. Cleanse (to be bright, pure, sound, clear, unadulterated, uncontaminated, innocent, holy, purged...KARTHOS) from SIN (offence, missing the mark so as not to share in the prize) (Psalm 51:2)

5. I know transgression/sin is ever before me (Psalm 51:3) David knew what he had done...and he knew that it was wrong. Many people know they are sinners...but they choose not to deal with it...and just go on sinning or sweep it under the rug.

6. Against Thee (God) and Thee (God) alone I have sinned...and done what is evil in Thy (God's) sight. It may have involved others...but the bottom line is that when we sin..it is AGAINST GOD ALONE. (Ps. 51:4)

7. SO...(cause and effect of transgressions, iniquity, sin)...God is justified and blamless when He speaks and judges (David...and us) (Psalm 51:4)

8. Brought forht in iniquity...conceived in sin. David did not blame anyone else but himself. He spoke of what is known as "original sin".
Read: Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12, Romans 6:23. These speak of our sinful condition and the ROOTS of that sinful condition.

"Threfore, just as through one man (Adam/Eve) SIN entered into the world (entrance point)...and death through sin (result of sin) and SO (ultimate cause and effect) death spread to ALL men...because ALL sinned." (Romans 5:12)

9. God's desire is TRUTH...found in the innermots being (little s...spirit of man)...and wisdom to be made KNOWN in the hidden part (little s)
(Proverbs 51:6)

10. David begins to list what he desired from God in Psalm 51:7-12,14-15). It sounds like David is warming up his voice for one of his Psalms as he says...me, me, me, me. The list includes: (a) Purify me to be clean (b) Wash me to be whiter than snow (c) Make me hear joy and gladness
(d) Let his broken bones (figurative bones) rejoice (e) Hid Your face from my sins (f) Blot out ALL my iniquities (g) Create in me a clan heart, O God (h) Renew a steadfast spirit within me (i) Do not cast me away from Thy presence (j) Do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me (k) Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation (l) Sustain me with a willing spirit (little s)
(k) Deliver me from blood-gultiness (l) Open my lips and mouth that I may declare Thy praise

11. If God would do these things for David...he would "teach transgressors Thy ways...and sinners will be converted to Thee." David would know that practical, nitty-gritty act of Forgiveness...and could reach other transgressors. (Psalm 51:13)

12. David knew that God did not want feigned faith. He did not want the mere motion of worship...with outward show. David knew that God wanted worship to start from the inside and then become manifested in the outward. He knew (a) God did not delight in sacrifice (b) God was not pleased with burnt offerings. David knew that God would not despise sacrifices of (a) broken spirit (b) broken heart (c) contrite heart.
(Psalm 51: 16,17)

13. God is a builder of walls. God repairs us...for the purpose of worship. God is not against sacrifices and worship...he delights in (a) righteous sacrifices (b) burnt offering (c) whole burnt offering. (Psalm 51:18,19)

Of course...back to the First Epistle of John...Jesus is the ultimate blood sacrifice that pleases God...is the propitiation (satisfaction) to God for our sins...not animals.

"For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Hebrews 10:4)

Well...until next class...
Rodney

THE SIN FACTOR

We have been talking about being in the Light as He is in the light...and what we are to do once we get into this light. We have seen that once we get in the light and we are exposed...that we come into agreement with God and what He says about what is exposed (aka confession)... and then apply the blood of Jesus that will expediate forgiveness and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness...effectively bringing us from the point of Romans 3:23 to II Corinthians 5:21....that sets us out on this righteous walk mentioned in Romans 1:17.

In today's class we looked at the 8 places in the First Epistle of John that mentions the word sin. Sin is defined as: (ham-ar-tan'-o)= to miss the mark and so as not to share in the prize); it's meanings includes, to err (especially morally), to sin, faults, offence, trespass).

Dealing with sin is imparative for (1) coming into the Father's presence and (2) Fellowship with the Son, the Father, Others, and You.

I John 1:7: The blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin

NOTE: You cannot circumvent the blood of Jesus. It is what is known as the PROPTIATION...the satisfaction to God. It is what God has determined that will be the means of restoring our relationship with Him.

I John 1:8: If we deny that we (Christians) have sinned, we are deceived and the truth is not in us.

NOTE: Denial is the coverup...confession in the light is the revealer. Truth breaks deception...so that we can confess and leave denial.

I John 2:1 The expectancy is to NOT sin...but if we DO sin...then we
have and ADVOCATE with the Father. The Advocate is Jesus Christ.

NOTE: A lot of the New Testament is written as letters of corrections to saints who sin. The expectation is to NOT sin...but there is a clause for when we DO sin. We have an advocate, a lawyers, someone called along side to help us in the form of Jesus. He does not advocate how good we are before the Father...but points out that we are covered by the blood.

I John 3:4 The practice of sin is the practice of lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

NOTE: Lawlessness is not having a standard to be guided by. When we practice (do it over and over until we get it right) sin...we are practicing this thing called lawlessness.

I John 3:5 Jesus appeared to TAKE AWAY sin. In Him (Jesus) there is NO sin.

NOTE: When Jesus is in the LIGHT (that same light that we are to walk in)...we cannot find any sin....because there is NO sin. Jesus came to TAKE AWAY...the sin that is revealed when we are in the light.

I John 3:8 If you PRACTICE sin...you are OF THE DEVIL. The devil
has sinned from the beginning. Jesus appeared for the purpose of DESTROYING the works of the devil.

NOTE: If you practice sin...and you are of the devil (little d)...and Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil...you will be caught up in the destruction. That's why we need to deal with the sin...so that we will not be included in the devil destruction process. The solution is to quit practicing sin.

I John 3:9 No one born of God PRACTICES sin. The reason is the seed
God seed abides in you. You CANNOT sin...because you are born of God.

NOTE: Practice is the habitual nature of sinning. If you are born again by the seed of God...you cannot (practice habitually) sin. This means that you cannot do it...and not deal with it. You must "sin not" but when you "do sin"...(1) confess it (2) get blood washed (3) get on with practicing righteousness.

I John 5:16 There is a sin not leading to death. All unrighteousness is sin.

NOTE: There are sins that we do...that don't have the physical consequence of death. The spiritual consequence of separation from God is always there...but we can sin...if we want to. James 4:17 says "Therefore , to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin." I Corinthians 5:12 states, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." You can do what you want...but it may not be benefical for you to do it. You can eat a dozen donuts...or you can eat one donut. One will not hurt you...a dozen may not kill you instantly...but you will suffer the consequence in some form or fashion. If you know to not eat a dozen donuts....and you eat a dozen donuts anyway...to you it is sin. It's not unto death...but it is still a sin.

Next time we will talk about how to deal with the sin. Check out Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 for some insights.

Until next time
Practice some righteousness

Rodney

THE MESSAGE DEFINED

Greetings all of you KNOWERS...whatcha KNOW?

We have finished the third session in our study of the First Epistle of John...and I hope that you are being encouraged, edified and moved to a deeper relationship with the Father.

This session we dealt with THE MESSAGE. That's right...THE MESSAGE was pre-Eugene Peterson. I John 1:5-7 was covered as we looked at the MESSAGE...and the implication of that MESSAGE on our KNOWING.

The MESSAGE is from a Greek word...ep-ang-el-ee-ah that means announcement, assent, pledge, promise. This particular announcement, assent, pledge, promise...was what they had heard from Him and were announcing to us.

THE MESSAGE

GOD

IS LIGHT----------------------------------------------->IN HIM (God)

(shine/manifest/luminous)

(Hebrews 1:3)

THERE IS

NO

DARKNESS

(shadiness, obscurity, dimness)

If God is light....and in Him there is no darkness...then this must mean that:

OUTSIDE HIM----------------->THERE IS---------------.DARKNESS.

Hebrews 1:3......speaks of the RADIANCE of Jesus. A ray....eminates from a source. The SUN is our source of light and heat...but we could not stand in the presence of the sun...we would burn up...so we experience the true nature...the exact representation of the sun...via the RAYS...the RADIANCE. So it is with the FATHER (our source for everything)... and the RAYS...RADIANCE of Jesus. John 14 makes it very plain that if you have seen the SON...you've seen the FATHER. "And He (Jesus) is the radiance (rays) of His (the Father) glory and the exact representation of His (the Father's) nature (His character, His will, His wishes, His desires), and upholds all things by the WORD OF HIS POWER." (Hebrews 1:3)

It would behoove us to get in the Light...and out of the darkness. This is how we get in the light...."For he delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."

Once we get in the light....what we do will determine our connection with the Father, the Son, and others...it will determine our FELLOWSHIP FACTOR (F.F.).

Once we are in the light....and who and what we are is revealed...we have to make a verbal statement about the condtion. We see that we are sinnners....we are filthy...we are lost. We now speak. What we speak will either be a lie...or the truth. Jesus prayed..."Lord sanctify them by truth...Thy WORD is truth."

Confession is from the Greek word....homolegeo=same...word. When we are in the light...we either will say the SAME WORD that God says about our condition...or our CONFESSION will be what satan whispers to us. We will either come into agreement with the truth or a lie.

Romans 3:10 states, "As it is written, there is none righteous no not one."

That is one aspect of our confession. We get in the light...and we don't deny who we are outside of Him. We are sinners...in need of a Saviour.

But once the BLOOD OF JESUS is applied by our CONFESSION...we are then cleansed from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS...and transcend into II Corinthians 5:21....where we are NOW..."the righteousness of God in Christ."

Phase two of our confession...confess...come into agreement...say the same word that God says about our new cleansed being...new creation in Christ...righteousness of God in Christ...the righteous living by faith.

That's the MESSAGE that will put you into a position of KNOWING. 39 times God wrote that He wants us to KNOW.

See ya next session.

Rodney