OT = Repentance & NT = Restoration

SK, Stagecoach, NV

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Old Testament = Repentance and Change
New Testament = Forgiveness and Restoration

            Old Testament was written to God’s chosen; they already belonged to Him as we do.  There are a lot of stories about how Israel sinned throughout the OT.  Yet it wasn’t until they left Egypt that God gave them the 10 commandments, to know what God expected from them. Here are some scriptures from OT about repenting.

Numbers 23:19  "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
God said repentance is necessary – and He doesn’t lie.  Those who don’t do what they say, need to repent.  Jesus never sinned on earth, so no repentance was needed, but the rest of us sure do - daily.

1 Kings 8:47  “if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to Thee in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’;”  (also 2 Chronicles 6:37)
Those who are in captivity (God’s children who live in the fruit of the flesh – Gal 5:19-21), need to get forgiveness to be set free and restored to God.

Jeremiah 26:3  ‘Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.”
Repentance admits our sin and our wiliness to sin no more.  This also stops satan from being allowed to cause calamity in our lives, because our relationship with God becomes restored and protected.

Ezekiel 14:6-8  "Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.  For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity,…..  … and I shall cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD. ”
Sin separates us from God.  Not much hope in OT, but with Jesus we can be restored.

2 Chronicles 6:21- 39  Solomon asked the Lord to hear the peoples (Jews and foreigners) prayers when they ask for forgiveness.

Luke 15: 21  "And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”
The prodigal child belonged to the father already, (Israel) yet he confessed his sin and he asked for forgiveness, admitting he wasn’t worthy to be forgiven.  Yet the father accepted Him back and rejoiced for his return – just as our heavenly Father does.

I Cor 11:27-32.  We are to judge ourselves and be held accountable to God’s judgment.  Verses 29-32 say, “if we judge rightly we will not be judged”.
Individually we ask for forgiveness or not, for individually we will be judged.

Matthew 6:12.  In the Lord’s Prayer, daily we’re to forgive so we can be forgiven (which we need).  I believe this is not just our debts to man, but also any against God.

Romans 6: 14  “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
We, the captives of satan, have been set free (redeemed) and are no longer under his dominion (control), but we still live in a dirty body that is now under grace.  “Grace” is a Greek word here that means undeserved favor.  We don’t deserve to be forgiven, but as His child, He will forgive us anything when we’re under the blood of the Lamb.

1 John 1: 7- 10  “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we (Christians) say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

1 John 2:1-2  “My little children (saved), I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world" (non-saved).
1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd John, were written to Christians – more like a pastor talking to his people.  Also, these were written before John went to Patmos where he then wrote Revelation.  In first John, sin is the topic for the Christian not to fall into and that if we sin, we must ask for forgiveness and thru Christ we will be forgiven.  I believe Chapter 2 confirms that John is talking to Christians but wants those unsaved who hear or read this passage to know God’s forgiveness is available to them too.

            Brothers and Sisters, I must admit, this question had me going for awhile because your precept is correct, in that the NT has soooo much written for the salvation of our souls and how we’re to grow and act.  But as usual, these 2 scriptures hold true….

Isaiah 28:10-12.  “For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."  Truly, with stammering lip and with alien tongue he will speak to this people, to whom he has said, "This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear.”

2 Peter 1-3.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

Blessings & Love 

SF – The Lord’s Servant