— Acts 3:19
The Battle Between Flesh and Spirit
Your human reasoning and natural thoughts are hostile to God. You cannot understand spiritual things with your carnal mind, and you resist God's truth because it condemns you.
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." — Romans 8:7
Your natural mind is at war with God and cannot submit to His law.
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." — 1 Corinthians 2:14
You cannot understand God's truth in your natural state.
Your human wisdom is foolishness to God. Stop leaning on your own understanding and submit to God's Word!
Biblical Repentance from Both Testaments
The Hebrew word "shuv" means to turn back, return, or change direction. It involves turning away from sin and turning back to God.
The Hebrew word "nacham" means to be sorry, to grieve, or to have compassion. True repentance involves genuine sorrow for sin.
The Greek word "metanoia" means a change of mind, a transformation of thinking. It's a complete reversal of attitude toward sin and God.
There is a difference between godly sorrow that leads to repentance and worldly sorrow that leads to death.
Acknowledging Your Guilt Before God
After his sin with Bathsheba, David made a complete confession of his sin before God:
Daniel confessed not only his own sins but the sins of his people:
The prodigal son's repentance included a specific confession:
The Only Way God Established for Forgiveness
From the very beginning, God established that sin requires death, and forgiveness requires the shedding of blood. This is not man's idea - this is God's eternal law.
"For the wages of sin is death" — Romans 6:23a
Sin demands death as payment. This is God's justice.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." — Leviticus 17:11
Blood represents life given for atonement.
God commanded daily sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the people. These sacrifices pointed to the need for atonement.
Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would make atonement for all the sins of Israel.
One goat was sacrificed, the other sent away bearing the sins of the people
The high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat for atonement
The Passover lamb had to be without blemish, and its blood protected the Israelites from death.
God's Final Word in the Old Testament
Through the prophet Malachi, God promised to send a messenger who would prepare the way, and then the Lord Himself would suddenly come to His temple.
"My messenger" who would prepare the way - this speaks of one who would come first to make ready the people.
"The Lord" and "the Messenger of the covenant" - this speaks of God Himself coming to His people.
Malachi warns that when the Lord comes, He will be like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap - He will purify and cleanse, but who can stand before His holiness?
This promise points to a coming One who would deal with sin once and for all.
After Malachi's prophecy, God was silent for 400 years. No prophet spoke. The people waited for the fulfillment of this promise.
The Old Testament ends with this promise hanging in the air: God will send His messenger, and then the Lord Himself will come!
✓ Your carnal mind is enmity against God
✓ True repentance means change of mind
✓ Confession of sin is required
✓ Without blood, there is no forgiveness
✓ God established the law of atonement
✓ God promised to send His messenger
Now you are ready to learn about the fulfillment of God's promise. The next step will reveal how God kept His word through the New Testament!