Walking With Christ

21 days until Christmas. Let’s talk about salvation, sin, and repentance.

Over the past few days we’ve seen prophecy turn to promise. Today, we see the crystallization of the purpose for Christ coming to earth. In Luke 1:30-31 we saw how Mary learned that she would be the mother of the messiah. In Matthew, we see Joseph’s perspective through the dream he was given where an angel told him about the origin of the child. When Mary was found to be pregnant the natural assumption was that she had done what causes that. The angel was sent to Joseph to show him the truth.

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.(ESV)

This was the mission that Jesus was born with. This was the whole reason He came. Many of the prophecies from before had hinted at this. Salvation is what His birth to a virgin mother, life, brutal death, burial, and resurrection purchased.

What does salvation mean to us? This question is at the core of everything it means to be a Christian. Salvation from what? Our sins. What is sin? Anything that goes against the divine and perfect plan of God. This is why doing the right thing with the wrong heart or intentions is still a sin.

Let’s get a bit deeper. Walking with someone requires an agreement to move in the same direction at the same speed. It typically takes some form of communication. In many cases, one will set the pace and the others will match that pace. This is a relationship. Walking in the same direction as another does not mean there is a relationship. Two people can walk in the same direction at the same speed but have entirely different purposes. When the two share a purpose for the walk then there is a relationship between them. If one person chooses to take a different path or walk at a different speed then this causes distance between the two. Even if the destination is the same they are no longer walking together.

Think, for a moment, about our walk with God. God does not change. For us to walk with Him, we have to agree to walk with Him. He is always with us but He does not walk with us. We walk with Him. It’s His plan. It’s His purpose. It’s Him who is the destination. Our walk is meant to bring us closer to Him. His plan has always been for us to walk towards Him. If we choose to not walk with Jesus then God cannot be the destination because Jesus is the only way to the Father.

This brings us to the moment of repentance. First, what is repentance? Society today tells us that repentance is admitting wrong and sinful behaviors that we should be ashamed for. The Oxford dictionary has this for the definition of repent, “feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin”. That can’t be right. In Exodus 32:14 (KJV) we see that God repented of the evil He thought to do to the people of Israel when they made the golden calf. God cannot sin. It’s that simple. If God cannot sin then repentance cannot mean to admit to sinning. Ok, maybe it’s the shame aspect? Jesus says in Matthew 4:17 to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”(ESV). If society today is correct about what it means to repent then that verse could have been written to say “be ashamed, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. That doesn’t make sense. Then think about Romans 2:4 where it says that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. When people are ashamed of something we have a tendency of trying to hide it. We aren’t going to broadcast it to the world. How could kindness lead us to talking about something we are ashamed of? It’s the goodness of God not our shame that brings repentance so, repentance should not be associated with shame. If repentance is not related to sin and isn’t really about shame then what is it?

This is one of those places where it helps to go back to the original languages used. The original Greek word was “metanoia” which means a change of mind or direction. Repentance simply means a change of direction. In us, it’s a change of heart that leads to a change of mind. There are two types of repentance. The first is for salvation. When we decide to change directions and follow Jesus then we are saved (His mission from birth). We believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that He is the king of kings and lord of lords, creator of all, who died on the cross and rose again the third day to pay for our sins, then we are saved. Sin is not walking in the will of God. Repentance for salvation is that moment when we change our mind and our direction to follow Jesus rather than walking our own path. Having Jesus in our lives doesn’t mean we won’t trip ever again. Once we are saved then repentance takes on a new meaning. We no longer have to be saved. We simply have to be restored. Repentance after salvation is for restoration. We repent so that we can get back in step with Jesus on our walk with Him. Repentance, in either case, restores the relationship we have with God.

When we repent out of shame or because we are trying to avoid the harmful decisions we’ve made then we will eventually forget how bad it was and fall away. If we repent out of fear of hell or because we want to escape our past and not because we want to have a relationship with Him then our motivations are selfish. We will choose to walk away from God and thus be at risk for giving up our salvation because we have chosen not to walk with Him any more. Once the pain goes away, we tend to forget the lessons learned.

If we look back at Matthew 4:17 with the actual definition of repent then what Jesus actually said was the we need to change our minds on how think about things because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He was telling people that they had the wrong impression about how life is to be done. We need to change how we think and how we live. That’s a completely different message than what is taught by society today. Our shame will not lead to true repentance. Only the goodness of God will plant the seed that desires His living water. The goodness of God shows us that what He has for us is so much better than anything that this world has to offer. That is what will keep us moving forward in the right direction. That is what makes us want to keep walking with God.

Salvation is the reason for the season. It is His desire for us to have a relationship with Him that was the reason Jesus came to earth to live and die then live again as a mortal human being. So, as we count down the days to Christmas, let’s remember that the heart of this season is about change – a change that Jesus came to initiate in the world and in each of our lives. This Advent, I invite you to reflect on your own journey with God. Where are you walking in relation to Him? Are there areas in your life where a change of direction is needed? Let’s embrace the true meaning of repentance – not as a response to shame or fear (Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.), but as a conscious decision to walk closer with God, aligning our hearts and minds with His will. This Christmas, let’s renew our commitment to follow Jesus, not just to escape the past, but to walk towards a future filled with His hope, love, and salvation. And as we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us also celebrate the new birth He offers each one of us through His saving grace. Let’s walk with faith, hope, and love into this season and the coming year with hearts turned towards Him, ready to experience the fullness of life He promises.