20/08/13

He came not for the righteous but sinners to repentance

Mark 2:17 - When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

This scripture which we received today is very famous. People say 'Jesus came not for the righteous but for the sinners', but when you look at the scripture accurately it does not say Jesus came for the sinners but for sinners to repentance.

Without repentance none can come to Jesus or to God. The first step for a person to come to God is to realize that he or she is a sinner and by no means can that person undo ones sins without the help of Jesus Christ.

If we look at the people of this world we will find each and every person is spiritually sick not one person in this world is perfect. That means each and every person requires Christ, but we also see not all the people come to Christ.

When Jesus spoke these lines it was because the Pharisees questioned His sitting with people they considered sinners and robbers of men (tax collectors). The Pharisees themselves were not free of sin but they considered themselves righteous and that God had taken care of their sins because they did the works of God.

In today's world any person having a little sense would know that they are sinners, yet we find very few come to Christ. It is the gods of the people or their lack of understanding of God that makes them think they are righteous and it is this that prevents them from really coming to Christ. People in this category do not mean only non-Christians but even many so called Christians stand in this lot.

Many call themselves Christians because they believe something about Jesus Christ. Just believing something about Jesus Christ does not make any person a Christian. Knowing ones self to be a sinner and then repenting for one's sinful nature; this is the first step towards becoming a Christian after this comes the next and most important part receiving the Holy Spirit, being baptised in the Holy Spirit and being led by the Holy Spirit. Only those who do this complete process are called true Christians.

People make a big mistake of repenting for the sins they commit. One cannot do anything by repenting for the sins one commits for it is only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ one's sins are washed away and without true repentance one cannot come to Christ. True repentance requires one to repent for committing sins and not for the sins they committed.

When John the Baptist and Jesus started their ministry they started with preaching repentance. They asked people to have the fruit of repentance which means to repent not for the sins but for committing the sins, the bearing of wrong fruits. When we repent for committing sins we will have a desire to change and stop committing sins that is where we get to receive the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That is when we get born again and start our journey of becoming Christians. Only those who repent for their sinful nature really become Christians and have Jesus Christ in their lives.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, many are misled to believe in ways to justify their sins by false gods and false beliefs. Lord, there are also those who realize they are sinners and repent for their sins, these are the ones who come on visiting visa to You, after a few days they are back to where they started. It is only those who repent for their sinful nature are the one who realize without You they cannot change. These are the ones who receive the Holy Spirit and are born again in You. Lord, we pray more and more stand among the later and not the former, that more and more become true Christians and have You in their lives...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Mark 2:16-17
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 3:1-2, 6-8
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Matthew 4:13-17
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.


The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
(All rights are with God)