First Principles of Christ

What are the First Principles?

• Repentance From Dead Works

(Works that lead to Eternal Death)

The very first thing on this list of first principles is repentance.

• The first recorded sermon of John the Baptist was “Matthew 3:2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” • The first recorded preaching of Jesus was Matthew 4:17 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

• After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:14, 15).
• When Jesus sent out the 12 apostles, 2 by 2 to preach in the cities, they went out and preached that {men} should repent (Mark 6:12).
• When the Pharisees and their scribes {began} grumbling at His disciples eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners, Jesus answered them, "{It is} not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick."I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:30-32).
• After Jesus rose from the dead and gave his final instructions to the apostles, he told them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24;46-47).
• On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Christ’s death on the cross, Peter preached what some people call the first gospel sermon and when the multitude was cut to the heart they cried out “What are we going to do?”, Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
• In Athens, Paul preached, "God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent" (Acts 17:30).
• Paul told King Agrippa that he "kept declaring" to all those with whom he came into contact "that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance" (Acts 26:20).

One should not think it strange that repentance from acts that lead to death is first in the list of the first principles of Christ.

Repentance, what is it, what does it mean?

Repentance involves changing one’s affections from earthly things to heavenly things. It involves turning to the living God from a god of self. It’s looking unto Christ instead of looking unto another.

Repentance is the right attitude toward God. It’s a return to God. Repentance is the act of changing one’s mind, will, and direction.

A certain man had two sons, Jesus told us, and he said to one, “Go work today in my vineyard.” He answered, “I will not.” But afterward, he repented and went (Matthew 21:28-29). Whatever this young man did Jesus said he repented. Jesus called his actions repentance. The young man reflected on the matter, arrived at the conclusion that he was wrong, and realized that he had sinned against his father. The young man did an about-face, made a decision, and then acted according to his decision to do his father’s will instead of his own will.

Repentance is far more than a feeling of regret or remorse, although such emotions would certainly be present. It is also far more than the mere confession of specific past sins, although, again, such would most likely be involved as an expression of genuine repentance. From a biblical perspective, repentance is nothing less than a complete transformation of life; a reversing of direction away from sinful, selfish living toward sacrificial service to one’s God and Father.

Here are some parallel words for repent:

BE CONVERTED “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).

MAKE JESUS YOUR LORD “If you confess with your mouth Jesus {as} Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9).

BECOME A DISCIPLE “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

DIE TO SIN “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer” (Romans 6:1-2)?

Repentance is required for salvation. If you do not repent of your sins you will be lost! “Unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:3).

Have you ever known someone who was baptized but then did not live for Jesus? Did not get involved in the church? Did not read and study the Bible? Did not follow Jesus? Did not seek first the kingdom of God? Maybe it was because they never repented. We cannot baptize someone who has not repented of their actions that lead to death. Being baptized without repenting would be like a man who tells his fiancé “I want to marry you but I will not promise to love honor, cherish or be faithful. Repentance has to come before baptism.

I asked a friend “Are you a Christian?” and got a strange answer “I was baptized. I’m not going to church, I quit reading the Bible. I pray every once in a while. I‘ve never been arrested. Am I a Christian?” That made me wonder how is it that some people may think about being a Christian. I’m concerned that some may have a real superficial idea about what it means to be a Christian.

I know that just because someone is a Christian, that doesn’t mean they are perfect or immune to temptation. But surely we have to understand better than this. We expect too much if we expect dogs to fly and birds to bark, fish to purr and cats to live under water. Why? Because birds fly, dogs bark, fish swim and cats purr. That’s what they do. That’s what comes naturally. That’s their nature. We expect too much if we expect unconverted persons to behave like Christians. But wait a minute. Aren’t we all Christians? I was baptized, I come to church regularly. I sing the hymns and pray to God every day. I even read the Bible. My name is in the church directory. Don’t tell me I’m not a Christian. Here’s the problem with my friend’s answer – it was a list of things he does or does not do. That was his answer – I do certain things and I don’t do certain things.

What is a Christian, really?

It’s one who has made Jesus his Lord!

We know Acts 2:38 but what about Acts 3:19? "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,” We must be converted to be saved. We need to change the way we sometimes think about baptism. We need to emphasize it more. Never make it out to be a mechanical act, ceremony or ritual where we go through certain motions and having performed certain motions we think we are now Christians. We must be converted. It is a death to life experience. To be a Christian means to be converted, to be a disciple or follower of Jesus, someone who has decided to make Christ his life and reason for living, his Lord, someone who has died to sin in order to live for God. It is not just someone who for fear of dying and going to hell has taken out an insurance policy and tried to cover all bases so that he will be safe. It is someone who has given himself over to the Lord to obey him, love him, imitate him, and follow him.

Acts 2:38 When those 3000 men and women who were "cut to their hearts" by the teaching of the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost asked what was expected of them in response to the message they had heard and believed, Peter answered. “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

We have to be careful to not think that if we can just get them baptized, then not only their sins, but also their sinfulness, will all be taken care of in some mystical manner at the moment they arise from the "watery grave." After all, when we hear the phrase "obey the gospel," do we not normally understand that to mean "be baptized"? Some seemingly believe that the water will transform these sinners so that they might suddenly begin living for Christ thereafter. It's as if we assume changed hearts and lives are a post-immersion phenomenon.

If baptism is not preceded by a deep faith and genuine repentance, we do those whom we immerse a great disservice. Before we ever lead a seeking soul to the baptistery, we should first make absolutely certain we have truly led them to accept Jesus Christ as Lord. True repentance isn’t just a change of thinking or feelings. It is a sincere change of the will that results in a change of life. It is the definitive decision to follow and obey Jesus in everything.

To repent is like signing a blank check made out to Jesus Christ the Lord. He will fill in whatever value whenever He wants to. Will you do whatever Jesus tells you to do? The attitude of the repentant is the same as that of the disciple:

• “Not my will but your will be done.”
• “Speak Lord, your servant listens.”
• “Here am I send me.”
• “I am crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives but Jesus lives in me.”