Mark 1:14-15
Rebecca Lightfoot
Mark1:14-15 says,”After John was put in prison,Jesus went n2 Galilee,proclaiming the good news of God.’The time has come’,he said.’The Kingdom of God is near.Repent & believe the good news!’”Jesus is placing a stake in the ground with a strong & concise statement that gives us God’s Way 2 save us from sin & give us Eternity w Him in Heaven!THE Way to Heaven!The Kingdom of God is synonymous w the Kingdom of Heaven!Jesus is telling us that God’s Mercy&Grace has offered Heaven to us!In his next sentence Jesus tells us how we make God’s GIFT ours-how we become citizens of Heaven,AND how we can know if we have truly received this GIFT!Jesus tells us to “repent&believe”!The Greek word Jesus uses for repent is “Metanoia”,which means a transformative renewing of heart;renewing of mind;a metamorphosis of heart/mind/life!Jesus is telling us that a change of heart/mind/life will be what happens in our lives if we truly believe/turn to accept God’s Gift made possible by what he says next.Jesus asks us to believe that he is THE Good News-THE fulfillment of God’s Good News for us!THE Way of God’s offering Salvation through the life;suffering;death;resurrection;&ascension of Christ!Jesus is the ONLY Way!And if we sincerely believe this & the SIGNIFICANCE of this,then our lives will be “metamorphosised” by our turning away from our old ways and to the new ways of the life more abundant that Christ came to give us(John10:10)N Acts20:21 Paul says it this way,”I have declared to both Jews & the Greeks that they must turn to God n repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”This is the PARAMOUNT decision of our lives!Will we believe The Gospel of Christ,or not!?Once the “decision” is made it cannot be like a New Years resolution that fades from our lives!This decision “must”(as Paul says)be followed up with the “metamorphosising” of our hearts/minds/lives in ways that honor The Gift of being made righteous&holy through Christ.If I am not seeing this change in my life,& if those around me r not seeing this change toward honoring Christ...then I must ask myself questions about the true state of my life & seek The Lord’s help n making “course corrections” n my life.I praise You,Lord Jesus for what You have enabled me to have through Your Birth/Life/Sufferings/Death/Resurrection&Ascension,& the plain/concise instructions You give me! May Your Word&Your Spirit always be working Your processes in my life...ever keeping me in line with honoring Your Gift to me!