News always provokes a response
News isn’t neutral; it’s intended to provoke a response. Bad news makes us stop and take stock of our situation. We might ask, “How did this happen?” or “What can be done to turn things around?” Good news has the opposite effect. When we hear good news, we get excited. We wonder how we can get in on what’s happening and share it with others.
Jesus came bringing good news
From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus made it clear that He was bringing good news, and He called people to respond to that news in two particular ways. Mark 1.15 NIV records Jesus’ words: “’The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’”
Repentance means changing direction
It’s good news that God’s Kingdom has come near. And Jesus expects people to respond with repentance. To repent is to change your mind and direction. A repentant person is aware of their sin and feels sorry about it (Psalm 38.18).
A repentant person goes beyond feeling sorry, however. True repentance involves a deliberate decision to change direction. In this case, it means that you stop going your own way and start going God’s way. You surrender to Jesus’ authority and recognize Him as the new leader of your life. 1 John 2.6 NIV says, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” Repentance is a prerequisite for becoming a disciple of Jesus.
Belief means trusting Jesus completely
The second response that Jesus seeks is belief. The kind of belief that Jesus talks about isn’t a vague sense of optimism about the future; it’s a settled confidence that Jesus is who He claimed to be and that He has done what He claimed He would do. That kind of belief has an effect on the way a person lives. More importantly, that kind of belief brings salvation (Acts 16.31).
Believing in Jesus involves a decision to place your faith and hope in Him alone. You acknowledge that you have sinned but Jesus is the Son of God who died in your place to take away your sins. You affirm that He was buried and rose again. You stop hoping that your own attempts to be good will be good enough because you now recognize that salvation is a gift of grace that Jesus freely offers.
A call to respond today
Romans 10.9 ESV says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” How will you respond?
This blog features an excerpt from one of our Student Series books, Walk With God.
