THE GOSPEL = REPENT = TURN FROM SIN TO FOLLOW CHRIST

The Gospel is really that straightforward. Don’t get it wrong by turning from sin but not following Christ, or by trying to follow Christ without turning from sin.

HOW TO TURN FROM SIN

Keep away from doing any acts of wickedness and corruption, both those you have done before and those that will tempt you later on. Many of such sins are listed in the Bible.

Disobedience to God and hatred of other persons are among the earliest sins indicated against Adam and Cain in the book of Genesis. In what is called the 10 Commandments, worshiping creation and doing several things that hurt others to our advantage are to be avoided (Exodus 20:1-20). When the Israelites sinned in the Promised Land, God warned them to turn away from wickedness, oppression of the poor and idolatry or be exiled.

Centuries later, when people asked John the Baptist how they should repent, he answered that they should share their possessions with the needy, be content with their wages, and stop extortion or abuse of power (Luke 3). Jesus Himself names unforgiveness and withholding care for others as sins for which God will withhold forgiveness and send people into eternal punishment respectively (Matthew 6:14; 25: 41-46).

Further, Paul the Apostle lists fornication, adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, stealing, greed, drunkenness, slander and swindling among the sins for which people will be denied the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9,10). Finally, John the Apostle also names the practice of magic, fornication, murder, idolatry and lying as practices that keep people out of the New Jerusalem Revelation 22: 15). 

Anybody who accepts that he or she has sinned therefore can and must turn away from sin. The Bible has several examples of people who were able to refuse to do what they knew to be sinful:  Joseph fled fornication (Genesis 39:12). The Recabites, in obedience to their forefather, were able to abstain from wine (Jer. 35:1-16). Daniel and his colleagues resisted idolatry at the peril of their lives (Daniel 3: 16-18, 6: 6-10). If you value your soul, turn away from sin.

HOW TO FOLLOW JESUS

Obey His word, follow His example alone and allow Him to live through you by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is because He is the sinless Son of God who died to pay the penalty for our sins, and our safety from falling back into the sins is only in living for Him. He is the One the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, of Israel clearly wrote about as the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

By His death for us, Jesus has bought us, so we belong to Him, and must live as such, or forget about finding salvation in Him! It is that mandatory (See also 1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 6: 19,20; 7:23). He insists that if we live otherwise, it means we have chosen the heavier burden of living in sin. In addition to keeping ourselves from sin, therefore, we must also put ourselves at His disposal, otherwise we are none of His. (See Matthew 11:30, 37-39).

In Acts 18 and 19, Luke writes of how one Apollo taught only about the turning away from sin aspect of the preaching of John the Baptist. Paul later taught the disciples Apollo had taught to move on to following Jesus by seeking also the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as John had said concerning Jesus.

“John answered them all, ‘I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come ... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’” Luke 3:16

“... a Jew named Apollos ...came to Ephesus ...taught about Jesus ... knew only the baptism of John.” (Acts 18: 24,25)

“Paul ... arrived at Ephesus ... said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’” (Acts 19:1-4)

Typically, many religions teach turning away from certain acts which they consider evil. Many of such turning away are followed by also submitting to either some gods, rituals, principles or idleness. Jesus condemns idleness after repentance when he warns that when even a demon is cast out of a person and the person is left unoccupied, he will be later occupied by worse demons (Luke 11:24-26). Paul also warns, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians. 2:8)

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