#1058. True listening leads to repentance (17/5/24)

This week, in our devotionals, we are focussing on Luke 11:29-32. Today, we reflect on how listening to Jesus leads to a lifestyle of repentance.

Luke 11:29–32

‘The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.’ (Luke 11:31-32)

Luke 11:31–32

Lesson: Those who listen to Christ will repent on a daily basis as they hear Him and realign themselves to His will.

You can listen to this devotional at:

https://youtu.be/HDhV-sKQYws

How do we know if we are truly listening to Jesus? It’s not enough to go to church and hear sermons. It’s not enough to study our Bibles. God warns us that faith without response is not true faith and that even demons have faith:

‘But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.’ (James 2:18-19)

James 2:18–19

We know that we have a good heart and are listening to Jesus if we listen to Him and respond, often through repentance. This is why we are to pray, daily, ‘Forgive us our sins’ (Luke 11:4).

Luke 11:4

What is repentance?

Repentance (metanoéō) is to change our thinking leading to a change of lifestyle or attitude. It’s not feeling sorry for our mistakes and even crying over them. It’s not confessing our sin and praying about it. It’s not talking about our failures like many do in this culture of cultivating sympathy through our failures. Repentance is about change.

‘Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of your God, and as our knowledge grows at these three points so our practice of repentance has to be enlarged.’ (J.I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God)

In our reading, Jesus refers to Jonah. In the life of Jonah we see that although he knew God, he ran away from Him and his call to go and preach to Nineveh. However, through God’s mercy and discipline, he is brought to a place of repentance, which is summarised as obedience:

‘Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.’ (Jonah 3:1-3)

Jonah 3:1–3

Jonah’s personal revival and repentance leads to repentance and revival in Nineveh. In response to Jonah’s preaching we read about their dramatic change of mind and life:

‘Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.  Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”  When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.’ (Jonah 3:8-10)

Jonah 3:8–10

If we want to see a move of God (revival) in our community and nation, it must start with God reviving us, and this starts with conviction of sin and repentance. Spurgeon wrote:

‘A true revival is to be looked for in the church of God…revival begins with the church and spills over into the world…it always begins by getting Christians right first…this can be very painful.’

Response

As we listen to Christ in our personal devotions and as we meet with the church, we are to be growing in holiness of life and attitude. I hope we can see from today’s text, how important repentance is to Jesus. Like ‘The Queen of the South’ are we making every effort to come and listen to Jesus? Like the people of Nineveh, are we also repenting when Jesus speaks? May what we read in Psalm 119, be true of each of us:

‘I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.’ (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭59‬)

Those who listen to Christ will repent on a daily basis as they hear Him and realign themselves to His will.