And hope does not put us to shame,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5 (ESV)
Series: The Gift of Faith
Have you ever wondered how the tossing of a coin to determine who goes first began? The earliest recorded use of the coin toss, or as it was historically called “heads of ship,” dates back to Ancient Rome.
Although every coin has two sides, today we visit a bible verse in which repentance and belief, also known as faith, are two sides of the same coin. In Mark 1:15 (ESV), Jesus said:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Unlike the coin toss, when one side determines who goes first, we have a coin linking repentance and faith together. In order to repent, we must have faith in God, who offers forgiveness. Christianity hinges on the message of forgiveness. It is for the unworthy, the lost, the sinful. Forgiveness is available for everyone choosing to believe.
When we repent of our wrong-doing and believe in Jesus as our Savior, we receive forgiveness and new life in Him. 1 John 1:19 (ESV) says:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Our belief (faith) that Jesus died for our sins so we can have eternal life rests on our belief that He is sufficient for our sin. John 3:16 (ESV) says:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Friends, the way we turn away from sin—repent—is to turn toward Christ. His Holy Spirit within us shows us our need for change and helps us stop going in the direction sin is taking us. God’s grace and mercy lead us to repentance and the desire to be forgiven.
You may be familiar with the story of the Old Testament prophet Jonah. He was disobedient to God’s instructions, therefore, in sin. Eventually, his disobedience led to him being swallowed by a big fish. Jonah took three days before he repented and asked for forgiveness from God.
After he repented, the fish spit Jonah out. He then obeyed the instructions from God and went to Nineveh to preach to the people. When Jonah shared God’s message, they immediately repented.
I can’t judge Jonah too harshly as I have, on occasion, taken much longer than three days to repent and ask forgiveness from my Lord. Thankfully, I’ve never spent that time in the belly of a giant fish!
Is it a lack of faith? Or is it wanting to do what I want to do? Am I putting my will first and God’s will second? When we sin, the joy we have found in God fades, doubts enter our minds, and sin takes over our thoughts. We must live in awareness of this and seek to live in repentance to our merciful Lord who is faithful to forgive.
One day, glory to God, believers will go to heaven, and sin will be no more. Until that day, may our lives reflect true repentance to God and faith in Him who restores and redeems us.
Let us pray:
In the name of the Father, through the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit, I am thankful to You, God, for the gift of repentance. You enable us, through Your Spirit, to turn away from sin and turn towards You! Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we are truly forgiven and we will be with You for all eternity! Thank you, Jesus, for my salvation. Without faith, it is impossible to please You. Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) says: “And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” I believe in You! Amen!
We do not have to choose by a coin toss who is first in our lives. Let’s keep Jesus first! Let’s use both sides of that two-sided coin—to repent and believe! May we turn away from sin and turn towards God, believing He forgives us through Christ!
Holding Fast to Hope,
Patricia
Scripture References: Romans 5:5; Mark 1:15; 1 John 1:19; John 3:16; Jonah 1-4; Hebrews 11:6
