"Unless You Repent"

 

“Unless You Repent”

 

“Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?”  Jesus asked.  “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, UNLESS you REPENT of your sins and TURN to GOD.  And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them?  Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?  No, and I tell you again that UNLESS you REPENT, you will perish too.”     Luke 13:2-5

 

Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.  And His reply was the verses of Scripture we are looking at today.  He wanted the people to KNOW that HEARTACHE and DESTRUCTION can happen to ANYONE, because we are all human.  And He cited two instances about the DESTRUCTION.  He wanted them to KNOW that whether they were KILLED or NOT KILLED, that was NOT a measure of their UNRIGHTEOUSNESS or RIGHTEOUSNESS.

 

DEATH is part of LIFE, we are born and we die, and UNLESS YOU REPENT, you will PERISH.  ONLY REPENTANCE, which is TURNING AWAY FROM your sins, and TURNING TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, will bring ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, but if you DO NOT REPENT you will PERISH, meaning that you will spend ALL of your ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, after you are there. 

 

This LIFE is a PREPARATION time for the TRUE BELIEVER to prepare to ENTER the KINGDOM of God, and to bear the FRUIT of our LABORS, which is our REASONABLE SERVICE to our LORD and KING.  In verses six through nine Jesus tells a Parable of a FRUITLESS FIG TREE, and this Parable is an illustration, that JUDGMENT comes on those who do NOT REPENT and when REPENTANCE takes place, there MUST BE FRUIT present in the LIFE of the TRUE BELIEVER.  A VISIBLE change MUST be SEEN in the LIFE of those who CLAIM to TRUST in the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, and have NOT CONFESSED your sins to Him with a WILLINGNESS to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style (repentance), and have, in your HEART NOT to do this, then you WILL face the JUDGMENT. UNLESS you REPENT, you too will PERISH.  In order to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and to GAIN an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY from your sins, and TURN to GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and become a FRUIT-BEARER, with HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!