K094. Why would Jesus want us to repent?

It is because He wants to put God's laws in our hearts and minds. If God's laws are in our hearts and minds, we are saved:
Heb 10:16-17 KJV  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;  (17)  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Many still argue, "But, if we can't even keep one law, why would He still want us to keep any of His laws?" I will tell them, If you are the sinners or false prophets and you cannot keep any law, that does not mean that God has no more law for His people. However, if we are His people and we cannot keep His laws, that does not mean that we have no more law in our minds. We may still sin or break the laws, but our hearts to love and keep His laws and commandments will not change. And this is the main difference between those who have the laws in their minds and those who do not.
2Pe 2:21 KJV  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
Many argue that Jesus is the Holy Commandment. So, if we have Jesus in our minds, we have God's commandments in our hearts. However, I will tell them, Please think deeper, Why would the Bible show us that He is the Commandment? What does it mean when we have God's commandment in our hearts? Is it just to keep it there and do nothing? No. Jesus has repeatedly told us that if we love Him, we keep His words, doctrine, and commandments, and DO them, WALK in them, and LIVE in them:
Rev 22:14 KJV  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
1Jn 3:21-22 KJV  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.  (22)  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
2Jn 1:6-7 KJV  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.  (7)  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Rom 8:2-4 KJV  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  (3)  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  (4)  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

To repent is to sin no more or to have no more desire (or love) to sin
Jesus has told us to repent or sin no more. If sin is defined as lawlessness, transgression, or disobedience against God or God's laws, then repentance is to turn from those things, or turn from our rebellion and obey God, sin no more, and keep His commandments.
1Jn 3:4 LITV  Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
1Jn 3:4 KJV  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
In another words, repentance is not just to change our minds and full stop; but it is to make up our minds to sin no more and keep His commandments. It is to turn back to obeying God's commandments. It is to turn from trangression against His laws.
1Jn 5:2-3 KJV  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.  (3)  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Joh 14:15 KJV  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
If we love the Lord, we would keep all His commandments. We would not bargain with Him to keep less law or no law..

To repent is to turn away from the old thinking or the old law in the our flesh
There are many definition about God's sacrifice, but no one would argue or disagree that God's sacrifice is a sacrifice which we can never do. However, today there are many definitions which argue and disagree that repentance is something which we must do. Some agree partially by saying that they would just do by changing their minds or opinions about God or God's love. However, the repentance that Jesus preached is clearly about changing of minds to keep God's commandments. Repentance to keep God's commandments may be considered as changing of minds too; but it is more than changing of minds. It means, Before we repented, we ignored, doubted, hated, or even rebelled against God's commandments, but now we keep God's commandments. If we change our minds to keep the laws and commandments of God, it means that we would now think of keeping the whole law of God, even though we are aware of our struggles like Paul's when the law of rebellion (in our flesh) fights against the law of God (in our mind):
Rom 7:18-24 KJV  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: .. .. (22)  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  (23)  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  (24)  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
There are two laws in every true believer: the law of God in their hearts (minds) and another law in the flesh. Hence, a true believer will find that it is always a struggle to have the two laws living within him. It is a common and natural when the two laws will fight against each other. However, the moment we find that we have no more fighting, it means:
1. The two laws has decided to live in harmony with each other
2. There is only one law remaining in us - either the law of God in our mind or the law of sin in our flesh

I don't have to explain the first reason. It is obviously ridiculous. The second reason is quite possible, but it would only mean that we have totally rejected the law of God from our mind. Hence, when we find that we have no more struggle, it means that we have backslided !
Many argue, "How about the possibility that we have no more struggle because we have only the law of God in our mind because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. A true believer would never need to struggle?"
I will tell them, If we say that, we are deceiving ourselves. Please read Paul's words again. He said that he still struggled, after he had believed in Jesus or believed in His finished work. If he still struggled, who are we to say that we can live with the law of God in our mind without any struggle?


To repent is to keep the whole doctrine and law of Christ
God is the God of law and order to the world. He is also the God of the whole law to the believers too. Today His whole law is no longer limited to one rule, one law, or Decalogue (the Ten Words or the Ten Commandments).  It is now all the laws which God have shown us through Jesus Christ in one WORD which includes all God's laws and  commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves (Gal 5:14:); and of course, love our God too. I hope, if God permit, we should not just stop there (Heb 6:1-3). But I believe that we can do well if we still study and know all the foundational principles and doctrine of Christ.

Paul had given us the clarity about the law in Gal 5:14:
Gal 5:13-18 KJV  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  (14)  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  .. (16)  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  (17)  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, ..  so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  (18)  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

But I believe that the following Bible verses will show even more clarity when we know the principles and doctrine of Christ:
Heb 6:1-3 KJV  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,  (2)  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.  (3)  And this will we do, if God permit.

A quick look at the Bible text above seems to show that the foundation principles are part of the dead works or dead principles. In the past, many of us including myself were influenced to think that the 'foundation of repentance from dead works' is a basic and dead principle. But I don't think so anymore. Paul did not mean that we should depart from the doctrine of Christ because it is part of the dead work, dead principle, or old law; he meant that we can leave only if we know it well. We have to read it in context with the previous chapter Heb 5:11-14 which should be read continuously with Heb 6:1-3.
Hence, according to Paul, 'repentance from dead work' is not dead at all; it is the doctrine of Christ which includes Galatians 5:14 and the law of the Spirit in Rom 8:2. The law of the Spirit simply means all the teaching and doctrine of Christ. It simply means the whole law of God which is in our mind in Rom 7:22-23, and hence, there would always be a conflict with another law which is the law of sin, law of rebellion, or law of iniquity and lawlessness in our flesh, even after we have been born again.

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