True Conversion

The world, in general, does not listen to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, the gospel of Jesus Christ is what He taught, and He taught the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The world does not follow that. The world does not listen to that. And indeed, Paul, for instance, in 2 Corinthians, he talks about, I fear, lest you be deceived like Adam and Eve were by the subtlety of Satan, and you move to another gospel, and to another spirit, and to another Jesus. And indeed, that's what the world has done. So we've got another Jesus, a Jesus that is kind of a clever man, cleverer than His Father, because He says, well, do what I say, but you don't have to keep the Father's commandments. That's what the world reaches, I say. You don't have to keep the Lord God. But that's not the true Jesus. He kept God's Lord, and He tells us to keep the Lord. Some say, well, you just have to be a nice person. And yes, we have to be good people. We have to be a lighthouse. We heard in the sermon it, and we have to be an example. We have to be good people. But there is more to the gospel of Jesus Christ than just being good people. We have to believe in the gospel that Jesus Christ gave us. And so, my question today is, what is true conversion? What is true repentance? Is true repentance merely a change of beliefs? That you move from one belief that you had, and now you have a different belief. Is true repentance just going to a different church organization? Is that what true repentance is all about? Is it a change of church? Or is it just, I'm going to be a better person? Is that true repentance? That I am just going to be a better person? Sure, we have to be better people, but is that true repentance? Can I just be a person that's trying harder, and is that true repentance? Is that true conversion?

So, my question today, brethren, is what is true conversion? Many people want to be good people. Many people want to try harder. I mean, even governments encourage people, quote-unquote, to try harder socially, even through the tax system. Some governments are very socially orientated through the tax system. There are many self-help books. And man in general, mankind in general, often by themselves, people are saying, well, you know, they're trying the best, and it is commendable that people are trying the best and doing the best. But the point is, is that true conversion?

You see, people think that that is true conversion. That is true repentance. And they say, well, they're such good people, quote-unquote, and that's what people say. They're such good people. Surely, they're going to go to heaven. Well, that's a misunderstanding of two things. Number one, what's our purpose in life? But two, it's a misunderstanding of what is true conversion. The serpent in the Garden of Eden convinced Eve and then Adam that they could be good people without God. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 3.

And we're going to start reading in verse 5. And you know the story. I don't have to read the whole story. And he says, the serpent is talking, okay, let's start reading from verse 4. Then the serpent said to the woman, you will not surely die. Here was, Satan is calling God a liar because God just said, you're going to die if you take off that tree.

And the serpent said, no, you won't die. But look at what it says in verse 5. He says, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be open and you will be like God. You see, only God is good. So you'll be good. You'll be a good person just like God. Knowing good and evil. And so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, it was a thing that was pleasant to the eyes. And a tree desirable to make one wise. In other words, a better person.

A better person. A tree that was desirable to be a better person. You see, so the serpent convinced them that they could be good, they could be better people without God. They thought they could do it by themselves. And mankind thinks they can do it by themselves.

You see, what happened is God offered them the strength to be able to be truly good people through the tree of life. And they rejected it. They rejected it because they decided to live a different way than God's way. The serpent said to Adam and Eve, you don't need that. And therefore, they went into their way and they sinned.

You know, through the time of the New Testament, Paul was dealing with people that wanted to be good. You know, people throughout the ages, they've always wanted to be seen that I'm a good person. You can see in elections that people go to elections, they want to come across as they are good. That's why you've got to vote for them. It's human nature. People want to be seen as good. And Paul, in the New Testament, was dealing with people that wanted to be good.

And today we're going to read a few verses in a few sections of the book of Romans, where it shows that people in that area wanted to be good. People wanted to be righteous before God. But in so doing, they rejected Jesus Christ, which is the only means that could make people righteous. Only Jesus Christ can make people righteous. In Paul's age, the church at that time, there was a mixture of Gentiles and Jews. And the Jews, for instance, they felt they needed to do something with their own efforts, through their own efforts, to be more righteous. And that's why Paul goes at them and says, hey, you can't do it with your own efforts, whatever your efforts are, whether they are following this rule or that rule or the other rule.

Whatever rule, there's nothing you and I can do to be righteous before God. Now, that does not say that we must not try to be good and do the best. But what it says is the way of righteousness is not through our own individual efforts. You see, mankind has a false understanding of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. So let's look at Romans 1, verse 15. And it says, so as much as it is in me, Paul, I'm ready to preach the gospel.

I really want to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. It's like I was saying, we really want to preach the gospel to you, you that are in Shabbable. And then Paul says, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I'm not ashamed of the message that Jesus Christ gave. For that message is the power of God to salvation.

You see, it's not the good deeds that I may do or not do that are going to give me salvation or eternal life. But it is the message that Jesus Christ brought us because that is the power of God to salvation. To everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

So wherever nation or national group or whatever entity you come from, it doesn't matter. The gospel of Christ is for everyone, regardless of where you come from. And continue then in verse 17, for in it, the righteousness of God, the righteousness of God, not my righteousness, not our righteousness, but the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.

And today we're going to look a little bit more about Christ's faith that is revealed to us the righteousness of God. And how do we need to have that faith as well? As it is written, the just shall live by faith.

You see, only God is good. Only God is righteous. Man on the other side, whatever man does to justify himself, he's no good. And he continues in verse 18, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. In other words, God's truth has been revealed, was revealed to Adam and Eve, and they suppressed it in unrighteousness. It's been revealed to the world through the message of Christ and the Gospel that Christ is giving. But the world is suppressing it in unrighteousness by saying you don't have to keep God's laws, you just have to believe and give your heart to the Lord.

And therefore, they're suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. And then he goes in continuous, and he says that all the attributes of God can be clearly seen by the things that God has created. He says in verse 20, for since the creation of the world, these invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, even His divinity, so that they're without excuse. You know, you just have to look. You look at the stars, you look at photographs of galaxies. It's just amazing. You look at little animals, and you look at how bees pollinate flowers. You look at all these things, and you just say, it's a miracle. And you look at your own body, how it's so well balanced. You get one thing in your body that doesn't work well, and man, you, and I, we all just are completely sick then. The body is so balanced. In other words, all the creation is made in such a way that shows the power of God and His divinity so that people are without excuse. And then He goes on to say, the whole of mankind has gone astray. The whole of mankind, that's what He says in the first chapter of Romans. He said, you know, the whole mankind has gone astray. He said, man has got no excuse. And look how He finishes chapter 1 in verse 32. And He says, well, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. He's saying, mankind wants to do away with God's law so that you can sin. I mean, if the law is not telling you if they're wrong, you can sin. And therefore, you can be good and do whatever you want.

And He says, not only do the same, but they approve of those who practice them. Brethren, that is so true if you just watch the news today. Where people are doing things that are abominable to God, and if you speak out against it, you are mocked. You are mocked by society and says, where are you? You are just unforgiving and you don't know what life is, and you are just unkind and unmerciful. What was Paul talking about, yeah, in verse 32? And he says, not only do the same, but also approve those who practice them. What was he talking about? Well, you just have to go back a few verses to see what he was talking about. What people are doing the same and approving those who practice those things. What things is he talking about? Go back to verse 26. And it says, for this reason God gave them to vile human passions. For even the woman exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Even women have changed, instead of going with a jewel or dine, God given marriage to a man, they now go in with another woman. Look at how he says in verse 27, likewise, also the man leaving the natural use of the woman, burnt in their last for one another, man with man, committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of the error which was due. That's what Paul is talking about. That he says, he's saying the righteous judgment of God, those who practice these things are deserving of death. Not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. That's what Paul is talking about. And that's the world you and I are living in today. Oh, if we speak against those things, they say we are intolerable. We are judgmental. We are not in touch with reality. And they say therefore that we are judging. But they are the ones that are judging us. They are the ones that are judging us. Look at how Paul continues in chapter 2. And he says in chapter 2, Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are, who judge. You see, they are judging us. You are inexcusable. For whatever you judge and other you condemn yourself for you judge, you will judge, practice the same things. They are saying for us not to judge, but they are judging. So they are accusing us of things and they are committing sin. For we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And you do think this, O man, you will judge those practicing such things and doing the same that you will escape the judgment of God. The wrath of God, the severity of God, is going to come into this world soon. Brethren, sooner than you and I think. We don't set dates. The Church of God has made a mistake in years by God of setting dates. And different leaders have been ridiculed for that. And there are some, many apostles out there, that are putting out dates and saying, Oh, well, first and that and the other, whatever. They always come out with another book, another opportunity to make money. And yes, some of those things are true. And some of those things are not true.

You know, there's now a new book you've probably heard about, the Four Blood Moons and things like that. It's not some things that are true. It's any things that are not true. And this is the thing, you know, it's just an opportunity to make money. And people are setting dates. We don't set dates, really, but we know God's judgment is coming upon us soon. Sooner than what you and I think. Very soon.

Now, the severity of God is, for what reason? It's to bring our attention. It's like when a little child goes wrong and there's a little correction on that child. Why is the correction? To kind of open his ears and to bring a little attention. Sometimes you open the ears through other parts of the body, but anyway. It's just, it's in love to actually bring attention. And that's what God is doing because that severity does not bring repentance.

And that's what he says in verse 4. Do you despise the riches of his goodness, of God's goodness, of his forbearance and long suffering? You see, God has been long suffering with mankind, with humanity in many ways.

But he says, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. It is God's goodness that leads us to repentance. So, getting back to the point that I started. What is true conversion? True conversion is one that whether it's being true repentance. So, what is true repentance? Is it just saying, I'm going to be a nice person? But it says, God's goodness brings us to repentance.

And we also read a little earlier on, that it said, it's true faith, from faith to faith. So, we want to understand what was the faith of Christ, that has such goodness towards us, that will bring us to really repentance.

We want to understand what is the faith of Christ.

That brings us such goodness towards us, so that you and I may have everlasting repentance. Because it's through Christ that then we'll be made righteous, not our deeds.

Let's continue reading in Romans. And we were reading in verses 2 and 3, basically, Paul was talking to these people, saying, a bunch of hypocrites, because they do the same thing, you say, don't judge, but by judging, by breaking God's laws, they bind to a bunch of hypocrites. And they said, it's only God's goodness that's going to bring true repentance. And then he turns to the Jews, and he says, you too! You too have a problem, because the Gentiles have a problem, and the Jews also have a problem. You are no better from that point of view. If you look in verse 23 and 24 of Romans 2, it says, you who make your boast in the law, yeah, you say, wow, we've got to keep the law, and correct, we've got to keep the law. But then he says, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? Are you dishonoring God, because you say, you've got to keep the law, but you yourself are breaking it. For the name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles, because of you. God's name is blasphemed because you're not being a good example. Like we heard in the sermon, we've got to be a good example. You see, they were no better. And then a little later, in chapter 3, in verse 9 through 12, he basically says, both Gentiles and Jews, they both are no good, quote-unquote. We are no good. All our goodness is like a piece of wax. He says, what then? Are we better than they? Are we, true Christians, better than others? Are any of us better? Are we Christians better than the ones that are not Christians? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that are all unseen. Christians and non-Christians are all unseen. Bullying it in modern today's language. As it is written, there is no unrighteous, no, not one. There is none that will understand. There is none who seeks after God. They've all turned aside. They have all together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one. There's no one good. And whatever our goodness, whatever our good deeds, our good works, by themselves, even though they may be commendable, they're no good. Unless we are doing it within the way God wants us to do things. Look out. We're going to come back to Romans, but I just want to show you in Acts 20. Acts 20. When Paul was saying goodbye to the Ephesians, Acts 20, what he said to the elders in Ephesus, Acts 20, verse 20 and 21, he said, talking about how I kept nothing that was helpful. You know, as I've done everything I could to help you. But I proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks. It was to everybody. It was to Christians and non-Christians. Let's put it in modern language, which says, repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Both go hand in hand, brethren. Both go hand in hand. It's not just faith or it's not just obeying God, but it is repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus. Why do we have to have faith toward our Lord Jesus? Because He's the one that showed faith to us, for us, by what He did. That's why it's from faith to faith.

You know, we could say, I'll be a good person if I just overcome this habit. I regret I've done this. I'm disappointed. I need to overcome this. And yes, brethren, we have to. We need to. We all have regrets and disappointments. But that is not repentance towards God. You know, remember how Saul the king, he sinned and he said, Yeah, I'm sorry. I've done this. But that was not repentance towards God. But then David, when he did something wrong and the prophet told him, It's you, he said, I have sinned towards God. There's a difference. There's a difference there. You see, we've got to have repentance towards God and faith towards Jesus. Repentance towards the Father and faith towards Jesus. So let's go back to Romans, where we were, and chapter 3 verse 21.

And it says, But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. The righteousness of God is Christ, and Christ was revealed apart from the law, but it was witnessed by the law. The law pointed to Christ. The very sacrifices pointed to Christ's sacrifice. And the prophets witnessed Christ as well.

You see, what Paul is saying is, the righteousness of God is revealed apart from your efforts to do good whatever efforts may be.

You see, it's not because you and I have tried to be good, because you and I cannot save ourselves. We cannot redeem ourselves. It's got to be under God's terms. And God's terms are described in verse 24. His terms and conditions of the contract are described in verse 24. It says, Be justified freely by His grace through the redemption that it is in Christ Jesus, who God set forth as a propitiation by His blood through faith to demonstrate His righteousness. Because of His forbearance, God has passed over as forgiven the sins that were previously committed. It's freely. It's justified freely. It's God's terms.

What does that mean? It means that the Father and Jesus Christ decided that Christ would die for you and I. They decided that Christ would die. And that is the grace. That is the gracious act of God. Why did they do that? They did that so that when you fully understand what they did, when you understand the depth and the grandiosity, if there is such a word, the just enormous size of what they did, when you understand that, you will be so grateful that you'll never go back. That once you repent, you'll never go back to who it seems to be. And you'll understand it even more when you're a spirit being. And when you're a spirit being, you'll understand it so much better that you will then, even more than now, you'll be grateful for what God did for you. And you'll never want to go back.

God did this to move you to such a degree of commitment that you'll never sin again. That is true repentance towards God. That is true conversion. God gave His eternal life to you and I.

Jesus Christ gave His eternal life for you and I. Now, you'll only fully understand that when you are then at that level of having eternal life and know what He gave up. You'll even appreciate it more. But it is important that we start trying to understand that, that God gave His life and suffered for us, so that you and I could be forgiven and could pay for our sins freely. There's nothing that I can do. But what I do need to do is I need to repent towards Him and have absolutely trust in Him, so then I don't go back to that way and I'll live a new life. Based, based on a true conversion, based on a true repentance.

That's why it's so important for you and I to understand who Jesus is and what He did.

People in the world don't really understand this fully. When we understand the depth of what Jesus did for us, then this will have its proper effect on you and I to lead us to true repentance.

And this will put the whole humanity in the same, let's call it, shoes, because everybody is sinned. Everybody is in the same shoes. Now brethren, if you and I do not understand this fully, we are making a sham out of the possibile. If you and I don't understand fully that Christ died for us and the meaning of it, the possibile has very little true meaning because the possibile is a remembrance of what He did for us. It opens up the way for the holy days which follow, which is basically the plan of salvation for us.

You and I can be sorry for what we've done. We can be regretful. We all have regrets. But what we need is true repentance towards God. We need to recognize that we've let God down. We've disappointed God.

And that is only paid by Jesus Christ by the sacrifice of His eternal life. He had to give up His eternal life. He had to give up eternity. Now quite often we just think, well, Christ, He has a human being and He gave up life, physical life, and He died. Yes, He died. But He gave up eternal life. And Jesus knew that He was going to do that. He was going to give it up. And He did it in faith. In other words, He asked, trust that the Father will bring you back to life, to eternal life. And that is the faith of Jesus. And that's what saves us. We're saved by the faith of Jesus. Look at John 17 verse 5. John 17 verse 5. Jesus knew. And that's why He prayed on that Passover night when He changed the symbols of the bread and the wine. And after that, before He closed that ceremony, He prayed. And in verse 5 He says, And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Christ prayed to the Father, give Me back that glory that I had which I renounced, which I gave up. That power I have which I do not have now because I'm now a human being without that power. That's why He said, of Myself I can do nothing. Why can't I do anything? Because He was the one that created the earth, the moon, the stars, everything, as we'll see in a moment. But why, when He was in His physical life, He said, of Myself I can do nothing. Because He had given up all that power to become a human being.

For you and I. He said, glorify Me with the glory I had with You before the world was. So He knew He had it, and He knew He was going to die, and He knew He had been faithful, and therefore He had absolute faith in the Father. That the Father would resurrect Him. That is trust. That is very trust, absolute trust. Give up everything, becoming a human being, and then die. Die. That means He gave up eternal life, and then was given back eternal life. That's why He says, He was the Alpha and the Omega. The one that there was, and there will ever be. Yes, He was. He stopped, seized it for a moment, for free dives and free runs. But that's what He did. And He knew that was going to happen. Because He prophesied that, and He even knew that as a human being. You and I need to read that in John 5, verse 26. In John 5, verse 36.

He said, For as the Father has life in Himself, so has He granted the Son to have life in Him. You see, when Jesus was living on earth, He no more had life in Himself, because He had given that up from being in the form of God to being in the form of man. So no more did He have life in Himself. He was just a human being like you and I. And now He was the Son. Previously He was the Logos, the Word. But now He was the Son. And that's why He says, The Father has granted the Son to have life in Himself. He prophesied that He would be resurrected, and He would again have that eternal life in Himself. He knew that. That was His absolute faith and trust in the Father.

Now, it is very important that you and I understand who Jesus Christ was and is. We've got a very good study guide. There is a copy out there, Jesus Christ, the true story, that goes through many scriptures about that in great detail, which you need to understand.

Because you need to understand what He did for you and I, what He did for us.

And we also need to understand what we are. Not just what we did. You see, we've done things wrong, but we are like filthy rats. So it's not just repenting of what we've done, but it's repenting of what we are, and therefore, what we are doing to Him and what we've done to Him. And once we fully understand that, once we really grasp that, and we make that commitment at the baptism, in other words, we make that promise never to go back at baptism. There's no way back. But then we really understand that commitment. And when we understand that commitment and what He did for us, our commitment to Him becomes deeper, and we don't want to hurt Him. And now we want to stay loyal to Him. We never want to go back to that road again, ever! Not tomorrow, not in five-year's time, not in a million-year's time when you're resurrected and you're Spirit-being for a million years, and you're always doing for those million years and millennia, you'll never want to go back, but you'll always honor the Father and Jesus Christ, because you'll have that great respect for them, because He does not want another site in these hands.

That's what Christ did! That's what Philippians 2, verse 5 through 11 says. Turn with me. This is such an amazing Scripture, and many don't understand it. But Philippians 2, verse 5 through 11.

You see, it's from faith to faith. It's the faith of Jesus that what He did, and we're going to see, Yah, the faith of Jesus. But we have to have the same faith, the same mind of absolute trust. That's why it says, Yah, in verse 5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Let this mindset, let this attitude, let this heart be in you, this way of being. Why? Look at it in verse 6. Who? That's Christ. Being in the form of God. Christ was God in the form of God. He was the one that created everything. You can read in John 1, verse 1, He was God. All the way from John 1, verse 1 to verse 3, He was God. He was with God. And all things were made through Him, through Jesus Christ. He made planet Earth, He made the moon, He made the galaxies, He made the angels. All things that were made were made through Him. He had life eternal. He was the Creator. He's the one we killed. It says here, verse 6, who being in the form of God, did not consider robbery to be equal with God.

Now, I'm George. And I've got an ID card and social security number, etc., that says, George. Now, if you go out in the world and say that you are George, and you come out of a social security number that's mine, that is identity theft.

It's saying, yeah, Jesus did not commit identity theft. He says, they're not considered robbery to be equal with God. There was no identity theft on this part. He was God. He was equal with God. But made Himself, but made Himself of Himself of His own free will, He and the Father talked about it. And they said, how are we going to...we want to make more beings like us, more children, sons and daughters, how are we going to do about it? And how, what sort of plan are we going to have that will guarantee that those sons and daughters will never turn back and go wrong? And they came out as the master plan that would be quote-unquote, fail-proof. And that's what it is. When you and I are sons and daughters, that is guaranteed, sons and daughters of God in the Kingdom of God, we will never want to go back, because we understand what He's done for us. And we'll never be so grateful, even in a million years after that. He made Himself of no reputation. Himself, of His own free will, He gave it up of His own free will, taking the form of man. He was in the form of God, as we saw in verse 6. And He gave that up, and He made Himself of no reputation. People didn't even know when He was walking around that He was the Creator. And they questioned Him and criticized Him and said, Who do you think you are? And they were talking today of Creator!

He made Himself of no reputation. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death. Even the death of the cross. He died. He did not only give up eternal life, but He gave up the physical life and He died. And He was dead. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. Is God to bow before Him? Of those in heaven and of those on earth, even of those in heaven, their knees have to bow before Christ. And of those on earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Once you and I understand this, then our repentance towards God has surely got a deeper meaning. It has to have. It has to have. It has to have. Look at Matthew 26, verse 31. Matthew 26, verse 31. Jesus is talking to the disciples, and He says, All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. Why? To teach us a lesson. But after I've been raised, I'll go before you to Galilee. Then Peter said to him, even if all are made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble. Peter said, I am better than what you think I am. I'm a good person. I'm not going to deny you.

I'm better than the rest. Typically, politicians today, isn't it? I'm better than everybody else until they're caught. It's a human thing. You want to be better, so you can judge others. So you can judge others. And Jesus Christ said to him, I can't count on you, Peter. I can't count on you. That's what he said in verse 34. Jesus said to him, surely I'll say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will be mine in three times. Peter, I can't count on you. Forget it. You're not any better than all the other guys. Get back to recognize who you are. Repent towards God of what you are, because Peter, you have not yet.

And then in verse 35, Peter said to him, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And so said all the others. And then all said, yeah, me too! I'm better than everybody else.

Everybody wants to be right. Everybody wants to be good. How could they do that? Have you ever heard a comment like that? How could he or she do that? I would never do that. Maybe there's a little bit of self-righteousness in them.

Maybe we have not really seen who we are. Maybe we have not really repented towards God. That is true conversion, repenting towards God. Now look at the rest of the story in Luke, chapter 22. Luke, chapter 22, verse 54. Luke 22, verse 54.

Having arrested him, they led him Christ and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at the distance. Well, I'll say at least Peter kind of followed for a while. Now, when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat amongst them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, This man was also a fiend. Ah, you one of them! But Peter said, Woman, I don't know him. Peter lied and denied Christ. Strike one. And after a little while, another soul human said, You also are a fiend. So then another one said, Hey, hey, yes, indeed, you are one of them. Peter said, Man, I am not. He lied a second time. Strike two. So it was like baseball. And then, after about an hour, at past, another confidently, the firm sang, Surely this fellow was also a fiend, for he is a Galilean. But Peter said, Man, I do not know what you sang. Man, I don't know what you sang. Third lie. Third time he denied Christ. And immediately, while he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

And Jesus, the Lord, turned and looked at Peter. Because Jesus had told him, Before it crows, you're going to deny me three times.

And Peter remembered the word of the Lord. He had said to him, Before the rooster crows, you'll deny me three times. So Peter went out and we went bitterly.

Now he repented towards God. Because it wasn't just a remorse. He saw what he was, for what really he was. Brethren, you and I need to repent bitterly, strongly. We need to understand that we've let God down.

God, we did so much for you and I. You and I have killed the Creator, our Creator. And when we fully understand that, and that he gave up his life freely for us, of his own will, without being pushed, because he loved us so much, as we heard, as we know, John 3 16. When we understand this meaning profoundly, that all possible seasons take so much deeper meaning. Meaning that you don't want to trample on. You don't want to trample on. And you understand that salvation is only possible through Jesus Christ, and no other name, and not through because you've been a good person. Yes, we need, when we repent, we need to be obeying God and to become believers, people. But that does not redeem us. We are only redeemed by Christ's sacrifice. Look at Romans. Continue back in Romans, where we're reading a moment ago. Let's go back to Romans. Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5.

To verse 5 and 6. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who will sleep unto us upon repentance, as we now repent and be baptized, and then you'll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For when we were still without strength, in due time, Christ died for us, even Godly. When we were without strength, He died for all of us.

Brethren, we had no strength. We are dead. He died for us. It's all done through Jesus Christ. It's nothing that you and I have done. And that's why when we look at Christ, and we compare Christ with Adam, Adam was only a living being. Just like you and I are, living beings. And that's what Paul says in Corinthians, in other resurrection chapters, chapter 15. You don't have to turn there. He says, the first Adam was a living being. But the second Adam, the last Adam, Christ, is a life-giving being.

He's not just a living being that died like Adam. He's a life-giving being. That's why he says, I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. He is the life-giving being. He is the eternal life-giver. He is the creator, the creator of mankind, and is the creator of sons and daughters of God. He's the Savior. Therefore, you and I need to acknowledge what He has done for us. Because you and I couldn't not turn it by ourselves. We had no strength. So Christ is a gift to us. Jesus Christ is a gift to us. And He, in turn, is giving us eternal life. That is a gift. And the Kingdom of God, reigning with Him in the Kingdom of God forever, which is part of eternal life, is also a gift. You and I can't earn it. It's a gift ready for you and for me. And it is given to us while we are still enemies. In fact, it was given to us before you and I were born. And in fact, it was set in motion before mankind was created. That had been decided already. Imagine that you have decided to create this whole environment and know to make it a plan which is not going to fail, you're going to have to die. It's just... and you're going to give life, your life, and your eternal life. And you've got to do it in absolute trust that the Father will resurrect you. That's faith. From faith to faith. Reverend, this was planned before the foundation of the world. Look in Revelation 13, verse 8. Right at the end of that verse. Revelation 13, verse 8. It says, above those names will not be written in the book of life, of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. In other words, when Christ created the world, He knew that you would have to be the Lamb, and He knew that He had to die.

The Father and Christ had decided on this plan from the beginning.

So if you and I say, well, I'm going to do better, and I'll be a better person, and I'll try harder, I'll work on this, I can change, I have the intellect, I have the youth, and I can do it. That is not true repentance.

True repentance is, realize that we are nothing. And we need God and Christ. Look at Acts 9, Acts 9, verse 3-5.

Acts 9, verse 3-5. This is Paul's conversion. He was fall at that moment. And as he journeyed, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he, Paul, fell on the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

He doesn't say, Paul, or Saul, as he was called then, he doesn't say to him, why hurting the people, why killing Christians? Because indeed, he was killing Christians and hurting people, putting them in jail and things like that. He doesn't say it. He says, why are you persecuting me?

And he said, who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is art for you to keep against the girls. In other words, you can't get out of this one, Paul. Check, mate. Why are you persecuting me? You can't get out of this. When you and I are in front of God, there's no excuses. Check, mate. That's it.

Brethren, a change and a conversion is something that is permanent. And to ensure that permanence, God had to do it this way. And yes, we live in a world of certain difficulties and a lot of pressures, and we approach the time of the end, but there is good news. Because God is in control, and it's all going according to plan.

But that's not what the gospel of this world and the people are taught in the world. So you and I have to be careful not to follow the gospel as the gospel out there in the world. We've got to be careful not to follow a different spirit, which is full of it. In churches out there, there's different spirits, but it's not God's spirit. And we need to make sure that we're following the true Christ, not the false Jesus. And we need to understand that it was Jesus, the Christ, that He was the God of the Old Testament. And so when people say, oh, the God of the Old Testament was hard, it was the same person as Jesus.

Brethren, what the people say is, just come to the Lord and give your heart to the Lord, and He will accept you just as you are.

He does not accept you just as you are. You have to have repentance towards God. And that repentance means that you're going to allow Christ to live in you through His Holy Spirit, and when Christ lives in you through His Holy Spirit, Christ is definitely going to be obeying God's laws.

He does not accept us as we are. You and I have to repent towards God for what we've done and for what we are. Brethren, it is time for us to understand the depth of what Jesus Christ did for us, and when we fully understand that, we then are on the road to true conversion.