Have You Repented Lately?

Christians in Eastern Europe and Russia are sometimes referred to as “repenters.” What is the significance of this? Certainly, it is theologically correct. It is an act of repentance when a non-Christian turns from his false objects of trust to Christ. The Hebrew and Greek words for repentance mean to turn from something to pursue something else. It is a change of direction, or as the Greek word indicates, a change of mind (metanoeo). God calls the sinner to a radical reversal of thinking and desires. All Christians are repenters in that sense (Acts 3:19). But what about faith? Isn’t the sinner to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) in order to be saved? It is best to think of conversion to Christ as both repenting and believing. They are not two separate steps. To hear some explain it, one would think that repentance is some kind of work that takes places in coordination with believing. This is needlessly confusing and wrong. Jesus said, “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). All those who are non-Christians are to change the way they think about their self-trust and trust in Christ alone for salvation.

When you “change your mind” and turn from your “dead works” and turn toward God and faith in Christ Jesus, eternal life becomes yours (Acts 20:21). Repentance was preached and practiced by Old Testament saints (Ezek. 14:6, 18:30). John the Baptist preached repentance (Matt. 3:2). Jesus preached repentance (Matt. 4:17). Peter preached repentance on the Day of Pentecost and throughout his apostolic ministry (Acts 2:38; 2 Pet. 3:9). Paul preached repentance throughout his ministry to Jew and Gentile (Acts 26:20; 2 Tim. 2:25). Have you repented of your unbelief? The gospel is, “Christ died for our sins, rose again to prove His claims.” You may be saved from your sins through faith in God’s provision in Christ (1 Cor. 15:3; Rom. 4:25; Eph. 2:8-9). The most horrible thought imaginable is to die without having been born again.

But there is more. Repentance is not only the turning from the old life of unbelief to faith in Christ. It is to become a way of life for the Christian. The believer in Jesus Christ is going to sin and when he does he must repent (Lk. 17:4; Rev. 3:19). Thomas Brooks said that, “Repentance is the vomit of the soul.” Repentance is no easy thing, but it is a necessary thing. Our sins charm us. We think that when we lie about where we have been or what we have done that we have solved a problem. Television “sit coms” promote this kind of thing incessantly. What are we to do when we cheat on a test, lie to the IRS, starve ourselves to look thin, visit a pornographic web site, or choose to live without reading our Bible and prayer? We must repent. What must a husband and wife do when they sin against one another and seek a divorce? They must repent. What does this kind of repentance look like? Read Psalm 51. This was David’s prayer of repentance after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. To get the forgiveness that he needed, David threw himself upon God. He took full responsibility for his sin. Because of his repentance the guilt of sin was removed (51:7-9).

Repentance is a hard work and can only be accomplished by God’s grace. Brooks scores again when he says, “Repentance is a flower that grows not in nature’s garden.” God makes it possible for us to turn from the awfulness of our sin and receive his forgiveness. Do you profess to know Christ as your Savior? If you truly belong to Christ, then the waters of repentance will flow out of your heart. You will want to be nearer and nearer to God. Your sin will haunt you. It will trouble you deeply. Repentance is not merely the vain repetition of words, merely saying you are sorry for what you have done. That is only a comment about how you feel. True repentance is a gut wrenching “throwing-up” of the sin that has been committed against a holy God. When we have repented there will be concern for what sin has done to us and what it has done to others. David was vexed over the effect of his sin on the nation of Israel. How has our bitterness, lust, deceit, laziness, lack of witness for Christ, greed, and the love-affair with ourselves harmed others? Repenters must get this vile stuff out of their spiritual stomachs. It is only then that restoration of appetite for God and growth in Christ can proceed as it should. Have you repented lately?

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

A Father's Hope

After sixty-four years of living, forty-one years of marriage, twenty-years of formal education, thirty-nine years in the pastorate, twenty-years of teaching in a Bible College, and forty-nine years of being a Christian, a few thoughts for my children and grandchildren are necessary. With the apostle Paul I can say, “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). The hope of being with Christ is drawing ever nearer. It is a sweet anticipation. I want this hope to be owned and cherished by all my family. Heaven is no fantasy. Its reality rests upon God who is a truth teller. But until that day when we will enjoy the New Jerusalem together, please hear these longings. This is also a call to you my Berachah church family, especially the fathers, to rededicate ourselves to leave no son or daughter behind in our heaven-bound journey.

Miriam, you came to us almost thirty-nine years ago. Our hearts sang with delight as we wrapped you in that yellow blanket and drove away from the hospital in our 1956 blue Chevrolet. You were strong of will. We soon found that out. You grew up in church. You probably don’t remember it, but you would stand on the back pew in that little country church in Indiana and mimicked my song-leading arm motions. Now, as a grown woman with three children of your own, you share the weight with Stacy, your husband, of preparing them for the rest of their lives and eternity. Never forget, that after all is said and done, the most important contribution you can make in the lives of Brennan, Melanie, and Meredith, is an example of authentic Christianity. Stacy, as their father, do all that you can to give them the strong anchorage of knowing what they believe and how to live out their faith in Christ. You work hard in providing for your family and have shown much kindness to your in-laws. We are thankful. Brennan, don’t settle for a life of merely having savored material things. Be strong for Christ. Don’t be ashamed of him. Melanie, you have already given me much encouragement. You took the initiative to start a Bible devotion time in your school. I guess it was hard for third-graders to turn down the invitation of a fifth-grader. Your grandmother and I pray that you will always love God’s Word. It is much better than chocolate ice cream. Meredith, at age five you seem to be ready for high school. But we know better. You have strong opinions and are more than willing to express them. You will need wisdom in life. We all do, and only God can give it. Ask God to teach you how to live life His way.

Eric, when you get a hit in a ball game, I ask you, “Who’s your daddy?” With all kidding aside, the best thing is that you know your heavenly Father. Your spiritual journey was different from your sister’s. That day in October of 1983 changed all our lives. The seizures, the medication, and the automobile wreck certainly made your mother and father realize their helplessness and what it means to trust God. You have fought through some very difficult times, found God to be your strength, and married a soul-mate in Christ. I have watched you father your three sons with admiration for your patience, gentleness, and instruction. May the joy of knowing Christ always be evident in your life. Cheryl, you are an answer to prayer. Your love for Christ, your sweet singing voice, and your desire to rear Connor, Lawson, and Langdon in the ways of God are a precious gift. Connor, seek God with all your heart and do not let anyone or anything keep you from this. Lead those who follow you in the footsteps of Christ. Lawson, treasure God’s Word in your heart, so that you might not sin against Him. Learn from God how to turn your competitiveness into enduring spiritual strength and unflinching loyalty to Christ. Langdon, I pray that your sensitive spirit will be one that is ever tender toward God’s commands and the needs of others.

A living hope saturated with passion for God’s glory-- that is the longing of the heart of this father and grandfather for his children and grandchildren. But there are great obstacles in the way. Our culture is not a friend of God’s truth. Our sinful hearts can imagine vain things. The evil one is skilled in deceit. Is there any hope? There is the hope that underlies all the promises of God. Israel was given the hope of the coming of the Messiah. He came and fulfilled that hope bearing the sins of His people (Acts 26:6, 7; 28:20). Christ was raised from the dead. And there is the hope of His return (Tit. 2:13). Something good is waiting for all those who have believed in Christ. This is a call to all fathers to live out our hope in Christ and give those for whom we are responsible an irrepressible memory of what God-seeking, truth-drenched Christianity is like.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices

Thomas Brooks, a puritan pastor in the seventeenth century, has written a book that describes spiritual warfare with the greatest of understanding. It is entitled, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices.” It is a classic and should be read by every Christian. Too many Christians have a woefully inadequate view of Satan’s strategy. The way some contemporary Christian writers have spoken of “spiritual warfare” you would think that only in recent years have we really come to know how to do hand-to-hand combat with the devil. The proposed plan of battle of some of these self-styled warriors against Satan and his demons leaves one wondering about the biblical base for their conclusions. Such ideas as demonized Christians, territorial spirits, demons inherited from ancestors, and binding, loosing, and taking authority over the powers of darkness do not represent apostolic instruction.

The apostle Peter warns us that Satan is on the hunt to do harm to Christians (1 Pet. 5:8). He is a hungry lion “seeking someone to devour.” That someone is the Christian who is intoxicated with unbiblical thoughts and is spiritually drowsy. The apostle Paul declared that “we are not ignorant of his (Satan’s) schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11). This brings us back to Brooks’ book. In it he lays out thirty devices of the Evil One. It gives us a look into the devil’s play book. The Tempter is exposed for who is He, a trick shot artist. He knows how to “present the bait and hide the hook” and how to paint “sin with virtue’s colors.” It is by these kinds of devices that Satan works on Christians.

Another device of the devil is “by extenuating and lessening of sin.” His idea is, little sins are not as bad as big sins. So we ought to bear with “a little pride,” “a little worldliness,” and “a little drunkenness.” Like Lot who wanted to settle in a “little” Sodom (Zoar) and still live, so we can commit a “little sin,” and our soul shall live (Gen. 19:20). The puritan pastor gives some biblical remedies for such flawed thinking which put the lie to the thinking that so-called little sins won’t hurt you enough to kill you. This is the stuff of true spiritual warfare. His first remedy is the reminder that perceived little sins have done the greatest damage. Eve’s bite out of the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6) yielded no few consequences. Handling the Ark of the Covenant carelessly cost Uzzah his life (2 Sam. 6:7). We must know that “the least sin is contrary to the law of God, the nature of God, the being of God, and the glory of God.” Another remedy is to see so-called little sins as giving birth to greater sins. Adultery, murder, and grief sprang from David’s wandering eye (2 Sam. 11:2). Much moral mischief has been spawned by a remote control in the hand of a man in a motel room.

So-called little sins must be seen as displeasing the Christian’s greatest Friend by yielding to His greatest enemy. A little sin violates the conscience and becomes a stepping stone to even less concern for doing God’s will. Illegal drugs and lives enslaved to alcohol have often begun with a little joint or a little drink. This kind of danger leads to another remedy. When little sins get their foot in the door, the whole body will follow. This is what Paul told the Corinthian church as it looked the other way while some of its members engaged in immorality. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6). One of the hazards associated with “little sin” thinking is that great sins may prompt immediate repentance while repentance may be ignored with little sins. For example, a young person who gets entangled in DUI charges may be scared into life altering repentance. But when it comes to a lie that is used to avoid the truth about the real reason for a broken curfew, repentance is nowhere to be found.

Strong measures must be taken against little sins. Daniel and his three friends were willing to be eaten by lions and burned to a crisp rather than do something politically correct, but morally wrong. Brooks says, “We must choose rather to suffer the worst torments that men and devils can invent and inflict, than to commit the least sin whereby God should be dishonored, our consciences wounded, religion reproached, and our own souls endangered.” Little sins bring great conviction to the biblically informed, Spirit-sensitized conscience. A final remedy is found in the truth that, “there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction.” In other words, little sins carry a big price tag, namely, the death of Jesus Christ. The wages of sin is death whether that sin is great or small. We must not forget “that God the Father would not spare his bosom Son, no, not for the least sin, but would make him drink the dregs of his wrath.”

Our Bible study on Wednesday evening through the summer will track further with “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices.” If you want to know how to wage warfare against the enemy of your soul, come and join us. Spiritual warfare is fought successfully by those who are not ignorant of Satan’s schemes.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Weed It and Reap!

Just over two months ago I began my first real vegetable gardening experience. I tilled up a small piece of my back yard, mixed in some compost that I had been working on for a couple of years, and planted six rows of seed. What a wonderful experience it has been to see those little seedlings emerge and now to be able to eat and enjoy the fruits of my labor. It has also proven to be an excellent teaching opportunity in our family. The kids have been “helping” me along the way—planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting. It has been a great occasion to instill in them the truth that though we work the garden, it is “God who provides the growth” (1 Cor. 3:7).

One of my few other experiences in gardening was during my high school days. My mom and I decided to plant a vegetable garden behind our house so we prepared the area and planted the seed. However, we neglected one of the most important aspects of gardening—pulling weeds. Before we knew it, the wild plants were out of control. Sure, there were vegetables growing in the garden, but they were weak, sickly, and essentially useless. The weeds were choking them and robbing them of all they needed to thrive.

Weeding is one of the least pleasurable but most profitable aspects of gardening. You can water, mulch, fertilize and spray for insects, but if you neglect to deal with the wild flowers and grasses that invade that garden soil, you will end up growing the healthiest weeds and sorriest vegetables in Georgia. However, if a person takes great care to keep the weeds out of his garden, the reward is great. Those planted crops get full advantage of the sunlight, soil nutrients, and water so they can grow deep, strong roots that generate an abundance of tasty produce.

The Christian life can be compared to a garden. One can work hard to amend the soil of his heart with Scripture, prayer, and Christian fellowship so that the seeds of the Spirit’s graces are given the right soil in which to flourish and grow in. But woe to the man who lets the weeds of sin go unpicked. A Christian cannot pride himself in his knowledge of the Bible or consistent church attendance while ignoring the parasitic wild flowers of sin that are sprouting in his heart. Eventually those seemingly tame weeds will grow deep roots and multiply, spreading throughout his heart. His life will eventually be overrun by lusts so that the fruit of the Spirit produced in his life is minimal and relatively tasteless.

John Owen uses this garden analogy in his book on the, “Mortification of Sin in Believers.” He writes, “The (unmortified) heart is like the sluggard's field—so overgrown with weeds that you can scarce see the good corn. Such a man may search for faith, love, and zeal, and scarce be able to find any; and if he does discover that these graces are there yet alive and sincere, yet they are so weak, so clogged with lusts, that they are of very little use; they remain, indeed, but are ready to die. But now let the heart be cleansed by mortification, the weeds of lust constantly and daily rooted up (as they spring daily, nature being their proper soil), let room be made for grace to thrive and flourish—how will every grace act its part, and be ready for every use and purpose!”

How are we to tend the gardens of our hearts? To pluck the weeds of sin out as soon as they appear. We must maintain an aggressive dissatisfaction with sin that in no way and at no time grows complacent with residing evil in our hearts. Romans 8:13 gives us insight into this heart-weeding work. “If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” May each member of this local body take seriously the responsibility we have to dig up and eliminate the big and small weeds of sin in our hearts so that we will be able to bear healthy fruit and multiply.

Justin Culbertson
Berachah Bible Church