Repent and Return to God

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 2

 

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers,^[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.^[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,^[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

(ESV)

 

This week could be challenging and contentious for the United States and why I encourage God’s people to pray for peace and civility.  My concerns stem from the inauguration of the 46^th President of the United States and the belief by many that his election was illegitimate.  Instead of taking up arms in revolt, I encourage God’s people to put on the armor of God and pray without ceasing (Ephesians 6:10-18).  God’s people must have faith in God who will reveal the truth in His time and be the peacemakers who will be called the sons, and daughters, of God (Matthew 5:9).  God’s people must not conform to the world (Romans 12:2), which reacts in violence, and instead, fight the battle on their knees using the spiritual weapons God has provided. 

 

In Jeremiah 2, Jeremiah speaks the word of the Lord to Israel, calling out their forsaking of God and turning to other gods.  God gives Jeremiah two messages that tell God’s people to,

 

1)      Remember (Jeremiah 2:1-3) – Israel once had a devotion to God like a bride has for her groom.  This devotion led to Israel following God in the wilderness with anyone trying to harm them incurring the wrath of God.  This illustrates the importance of history for it provides a reference point showing how we have either grown or regressed.  For Israel and Judah, it was a process of regression. 

2)      Reflect (Jeremiah 2:4-37) – Israel’s regression from their devotion to God at the beginning has consequences, their conquest, and exile from the land God has given them (Deuteronomy 8:11-20).  However, Israel and Judah have ignored this warning and now face exile due to their rebellion against God.  The word of God given to Jeremiah illustrates God’s grace and is a final warning to God’s people to repent and turn back to God. 

 

Our modern world is not much different from Israel and Judah during the time of Jeremiah.  In the United States, we have the abortion of millions of unborn babies with those favoring abortion claiming it is the right of the mother to abort the baby, ignoring the rights of the unborn child.  Most recently we have the justification of violence that destroys people’s property and kills innocent victims because it supports a racist political agenda.  While the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution does give people the right to peacefully protest, it does not condone the violent riots in the U.S. Capital on January 6.  I call upon the people of the United States, and the world to heed the words of the Lord given to Jeremiah and,

 

1)      Remember the Godly foundation of the United States as expressed in the declaration of independence.  (1)

2)      Repent of our abandonment of God and dependence on government to provide the answers to our problems causing the nation to turn its back on God.  We must remember that a nation whose God is the Lord is a blessed nation (Psalm 33:12). 

 

Just as God was gracious and merciful at Israel’s and Judah’s abandonment of God, there comes a time when God can no longer condone sin, leaving it unpunished.  While we now live under a new covenant of grace, we must not use God’s grace to justify a life of sin for Scripture tells us not to conform to sin but to experience transformation through the renewing of our minds through God’s Word (Romans 12:2).  Scripture also warns us that continuing to live in sin, claiming we have no sin due to God’s grace is a lie (1 John 1:8-10).  Instead, God’s people are to live lives of repentance remembering that God is faithful and just in forgiving our sins.  Instead of reacting with violence, I want to encourage God’s people to join me in prayer,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I repent and confess my sins to you and ask for Your forgiveness.  I also repent and confess the sins of our nation and pray for revival in the land, in Jesus' name, amen.  

 

Remain diligent in prayer this week, knowing that God is in control and that his plans for us are not for our destruction but our good (Jeremiah 29:11).  May God bless everyone reading this post. 

 

1. National Archives. The Declaration of Independence. archives.gov. [Online] The National Archives. [Cited: November 21, 2020.] https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration.