TRUE REPENTANCE WHO NEEDS TO DO IT?
What does it mean? In Biblical Hebrew, the idea of repentance is represented by two verbs: שוב shuv (to return) and נחם nacham (to feel sorrow). In the New Testament, the word translated as 'repentance' is the Greek word μετάνοια (metanoia), "after/behind one's mind", which is a compound word of the preposition 'meta' (after, with), and the verb 'noeo' (to perceive, to think, the result of perceiving or observing). In this compound word the preposition combines the two meanings of time and change, which may be denoted by 'after' and 'different'; so that the whole compound means: 'to think differently after'. Metanoia
- is therefore primarily an after-thought, different from the former thought; a change of mind and change of conduct, "change of mind and heart", or, "change of consciousness".
Who needs to do it? Many sincerely religious people think that they are right or have been told that they have understanding and that others only need to repent, but will not examine their own heart and mind to see if they need to repent from error. In order to repent, one first must examine self, this is what that means and upon examining the truth, they find out that they have been incorrect in the application. So ALL who are not hitting the mark/ target /bull's eye of the truth need to seek the truth and be open to listen to correction. Repentance is to turn from error, not just people that are doing crimes necessarily, but ALL who misunderstand the truth. This could mean religious people misinterpreting meanings of words or binding concepts incorrectly too.
It is important to have wisdom and understanding of what the truth means. We need to have teachers who will not twist the meaning of words to fit their lack of understanding. It is not relative and you cannot rationalize your way out by covering up for your lack of understanding.
When a person forgives you for your ignorance by teaching you the truth, take it to the word and ask the Spirit to give you understanding of the truth. The truth will always be clear and "when you know the truth, the truth will make you free."
Why should we confront one who has sinned against us or we have sinned against them? Confess your sins one to another so that you may be healed. "My people perish for a lack of knowledge." Forgiveness of sins, that's why. We need to tell them how they are to treat us with proper boundaries. Especially, when they do not know how to treat others as they would like to be treated.
Recently, in a meeting with a local, friendly leader, he could rarely remember a passage to quote while he was speaking and so described it with directional positions as if the page was open for seeing yet, he wanted me to prove everything I was teaching with chapter and verse immediately. Then, if I could not come up with it on his time period of a few seconds, it was as if the discussion was aborted. Invalidation. That is a spirit of abortion and that shows a religious spirit / jezebel in that leader.
Why do many avoid being confronted for their errors? faults? deficits? sins? Because, "they don't want to learn", that is the same as rebellious, prideful and it is "evil". Why do they run and hide? Is it because they do not like to be corrected? Pride mostly, yes. Pastors/false leaders on the run. Avoidance. They like to practice set apart from the sheeples yet give the appearance that they are caring for the sheep.
The current hegemony of the patriarchal "elite" are on top of their pyramidal, stove pipe structured,construct. Non profit 501c3 businesses have preponderantly exerted influence of their positional authority over the sheeples by persuasion and personality. Some, using a bureaucratic personality called a spirit of religion/jezebel to get to their position and keep it.
But Jezebel, no gender assignment, is a spirit that is a violent spirit who has taken captive "priests" and castrated them to produce no seed. No disciples, just converts, but these so called converts need to be dependant upon their task master. Granted that some of the hirelings have a laissez faire/non interventionist attitude when sheep bite or ravaging of wolves happen to the sheeples. But can you imagine a president of a country with the same attitudes?
Who instated the pastors? Does the buck stop with them or do they pass the buck? What about the rest of the body? Who is to establish justice on this earth? Are we crippled and lame that we cannot judge rightly with clear eyes? Where are the Apostles, teachers, prophets, evangelists? What is their role and who has stepped in as an imposter to receive the title but not prove the office? The five fold ministry is for the body not one person.
We must be careful to not misjudge for many judge unrighteously and twist the Apostle's admonition of "Do not judge" as he was warning those who judged based on what they themselves were doing and then storing up wrath because of their sins of judging improperly. The rebellious in power have no fear of God because they are taking the place of God (and they may be unaware of that.)
Rom 2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
Rom 2:6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds":[fn]
Rom 2:7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
Rom 2:8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness-indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
You have to understand who was accusing Paul of fallicious doings. What people were misjudging Him?
Act 24:14 "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
Act 24:15 "I have hope in YaHuWaH, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.
Act 24:16 "This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
Act 24:17 "Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation,
Act 24:18 "in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult.
Act 24:19 "They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me.
Act 24:20 "Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council,
Act 24:21 "unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, 'Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.' "
Some pastors just need to learn how to read without their preconceived notions of what these letters of the Apostle Paul really mean. READ SLOOOOOWLY. They mean exactly what they say. Unfortunately, many have come into the church and twisted the understanding by saying law is bad. Paul followed the Law of the LORD and so did Yahuwshua. That is how we get salvation. By following them.
Rom 2:10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Rom 2:11 For there is no partiality with God. (He is not a respecter of persons meaning that he does not have an unbalanced scale. He will give out to those who work the harvest in obedience and Likewise, He will also mette out PUNISHMENT to those who do not do the work that He asks us to do. He sees all.)
Rom 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
Rom 2:13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of YaHuWaH, BUT THE DOERS OF THE LAW WILL BE JUSTIFED;
Rom 2:14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
Rom 2:15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
Rom 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Yahuwsha, according to my gospel.
Rom 2:17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in YaHuWaH,
Rom 2:18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,
Rom 2:19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
Rom 2:20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.
Rom 2:21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?
Rom 2:22 You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
Rom 2:23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor YaHuWaH through breaking the law?
Rom 2:24 For "the name of YaHuWaH is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written.
Rom 2:25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
Rom 2:26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
Rom 2:27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?
Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
Rom 2:29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from YaHuWaH.