The Way of Repentance

What many fail to realize is that the Great Rebellion from our side is about power, but from God’s side it’s about freedom. Ironically, God’s placement of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil within our reach guaranteed we could turn from him any time we wished. God gave humans the freedom (and power) to choose him or the tree.

I suspect God made a similar offer to Lucifer eons ago—probably used the same tree. “Lucifer, you can be with me forever and have anything in the universe, but stay away from that tree on Earth.” Lucifer couldn’t resist, rebelled, and also drew us in, “You think you have everything, but God won’t let you eat the fruit from that tree. Are you his slave that you obey everything he says?”

I think God would have liked for us all to have ignored the tree, but maybe the tree was like a cross. Pain, misery, death, and loneliness teach us the peace, joy, life, and love God grants to those who seek him. Maybe he knew we couldn’t appreciate him until we spent some time on the outside. “I want a two-way relationship with humans, so I’ll let them rebel—when they see the other side, they might look again to me.”

Jesus is the “fix” for the Great Rebellion. He is the way back to Eden for anyone who wants to return to the cool walks in the evening with God at one’s side. Jesus is the way to a personal relationship with a personal God. Jesus demonstrates the way and attitude necessary as one approaches God.

Perhaps this is a good place to mention a lot of nice things happen on the way to the God. The Rebellion likes to trivialize and redirect our attention to by-products of a relationship with God. Thus, on this rebel planet, who is surprised that Christianity has grown self-centric?

Here are some of the ways the Rebellion has taken the by-products of a godly life and spun them into the objectives of human life:

• eternity in heaven
• salvation from hell and evil
• power in spirit and influence
• healing/physical well-being
• blessings/prosperity
• inside guidance
• happiness, joy, peace, and love
• pride in being right and good
• supernatural abilities

The truth in Christ is these may be found on the way or in God’s presence, but they tend to be paradoxical. Heaven requires one be last. Salvation comes through trials. Power is practiced in meekness. Healing is something to be given to others. Prosperity is valuing the little things. Inside tips are for the betterment of the faith community. Happiness, joy, peace, and love are often bestowed in tribulation and persecution. Pride comes before a fall. Finally, supernatural abilities tend to be most often manifest during martyrdom.

Christ was one with the Father and his life might be seen by many as a first rate tragedy of misunderstanding, hatred, and betrayal ending in a terrible death. The steps up to God’s throne were not an easy climb because he carried the sins of the world on his shoulders. Assuming one has the desire to submit to the will of God, approaching the throne is fraught with challenges. Our sins clutter up the steps.

King David, in Psalms 51, as he attempted to draw close to God, finds he is blocked by his sin. David writes, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” As we draw close to God we find our sins stand on the steps—between us and fellowship with God.

Fortunately, Jesus bore the burden of our sins and shared with us the way to take care of sin that separates us from God. He knew sin blocked us from having a relationship with the Father. He even went so far as to submit to the human side of the process with the help of his cousin, John the Baptist, at the Jordan River. After the ascension Peter reiterates the proper way to deal with sin.

The way?

Repentance.