Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish

(Luke 13:1-5) There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

 

There were two kinds of events of this type when Jesus was in this world. First, a man named Pilate killed a Galilean man and mixed his blood with a sacrifice. People asked Jesus about Pilate's wickedness and about those who had died unjustly by Pilate. But Jesus asked back about the dead Galilean, ``Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things?'' And “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. I said. Rather, Jesus spoke to those who asked.

He also told of the case of the destruction of the tower of Siloam in Jerusalem and the death of 18 people. “think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?” Jesus asked them. It means that there is no more sin than a living person who died first in an accident. It means that those who have lived longer without accidents can actually accumulate God's judgment. Even though they died, it makes sense that the sin of those who die early can do less. It means that being alive is not only an opportunity for grace. To point out repentance, Jesus said, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 』 This is the criterion of sin in Jesus' eyes not repenting.

The consummation of repentance is not self-love. The words that I love the Lord and I love too are not valid words. A lot of church people sometimes use the wrong logic of saying, "He who does not love himself does not love God nor does he love his neighbor." Those who love the Lord must deny themselves, saying, "Deny yourself and take up your cross."

In our daily life, we say, “Eat and drink, or do it for the Lord”, but in reality we can see many cases where it is not. Everything you eat and drink is looking for good food for your health and enjoyment. Eating and drinking for the Lord itself becomes worship. When that happens, the Lord is for that person's body. Repentance is to hate oneself and not for oneself, because the "self-hating" self is an old man. The self formed from flesh and blood is the old man. So we must hate the old man.

In Matthew 16:24, ``Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ' How can a person who loves him carry his cross? Those who repent cannot love themselves. Those who love themselves are those who love the world. So, it can be said that those who love themselves are those who do not repent. In 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 』Because the repentant loves the Lord, he does not love the world and hates himself. This is self-denial.

Those who repent and those who do not repent are as clearly distinguished as light and darkness. In 2 Corinthians 2:10, ``To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 』Here we have to think of the word "always". Repentance is not a one-off procedural matter, but shows a state of continuity of spiritual state. The spiritual state of repentance is not something I can judge, but only God.

Repentance is self-denial and self-death, but these words have continuity. The term “repentance” is used to reflect on the sinner's transgressions of the world, but its fundamental meaning is not the procedural word “reflection at that time”, but the “state” in which the self continues to die. . So, we must recall the words of the apostle Paul, who confessed, ``I die every day.'' The ``repentant'' continues to maintain that state. Saints must remain spiritually alert so that they do not lose repentance. For that purpose, there are those who think, "You must repent every day." Instead of repenting of the sins that are repeated every day, we must keep the state of “self-death” every day. In Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 』

Those who believe that they must repent daily are still in the law. Because whenever they sin they think that they must be forgiven through the blood of Jesus, as if they were offering a sacrifice of the law. So, they believe in Jesus and become those who keep the law. This is to become a preacher of another gospel. In Galatians 1:9, ``As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 』

Repentance is the death of the old man. For those who have died, God covers the sins of the world (past, present, future) as in Romans 6:7. But we must think about whether we are really repentant to God, and we must accept what it means to deny ourselves. And the one who accepts must continue to maintain it. That is the spirit mind. In our lives, we sometimes fall into transgressions (the sins of the world) due to the weakness of our bodies, but then we must go back to the time of repentance. In other words, the state of repentance must be restored again, reaffirming that ``I am the one who cannot but die under judgment.'' It is a reaffirmation of unity with Jesus Christ, who died on the cross. And it is hoping for God's mercy. This is the only way to live.