Repentance and Rest
There is a better way…
10 Days begins today, and I’ve been asked to write a fresh invitation to this special season of fasting, mourning, and repentance.
I thought about unpacking the word the Lord gave me in 2004, “Babylon refuses to mourn, but my people will mourn before I return” and how desperately we need national and corporate repentance as unfettered greed, sexual immorality, and injustice (AKA Babylon) accelerate and dominate many.
I thought about reflecting on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
I thought about how the Lord’s return is the only way to stop our corporate descent into madness, slavery, and destruction. From nuclear weapons, to A.I., to lab created diseases, the number of ways to kill everyone keeps increasing, as does the sense we all have that no one knows how to deal with it. As Jesus said, “in those days, there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation until now…unless those days had been cut short, no human being would be saved.”
I thought to speak both to the hope and need we have of revival and awakening.
All these things were in my mind.
But, instead of that, I kept hearing the Lord say a simple phrase.
“Repentance and Rest. Repentance and Rest.”
It’s a reference to Isaiah 30:15.
“In repentance and rest you will be saved; In quietness and trust is your strength.”
Interestingly, the next line is “but you were not willing.” Apparently, “Repentance and Rest” was not a popular strategy in Isaiah’s day, either.
And yet, the invitation is extended to each of us. And we can say yes. Repentance and Rest is still God’s plan to save the world.
Repentance and Rest
The first word of the gospel is “Repent.”
“Repent and believe the gospel.”
“Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Both Jesus and John the Baptist preached a gospel of repentance.
One meaning of repent is very basic: “stop sinning”. To repent means to stop doing what’s wrong and start doing what’s right.
John the Baptist gave concrete examples of what repentance looks like:
“Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who as none. Whoever has food is to do likewise.” To tax collectors, he says, “Collect no more than you are authorized to.” To soldiers, he says, “Do not extort money by threats or false accusations and be content with your wages.” To Herod he said, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Luke 3:10-14, 19
So, repentance means charity—sharing with those who are in need. It also means ceasing from unjust gain and lying and being content with what we have. If practicing sexual immorality, we need to stop.
At a deeper level, repentance speaks of a change in our minds. This is what Paul calls the “renewing of our minds”. We turn from our earthly, fleshy mindset and start seeing things as God sees things (Romans 8). The Spirit reveals to us that we are Sons of God! But this change of mind must result in action as well. We must produce the “fruits of repentance,” things like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control.”
Later, in Luke’s gospel, a tax collector named Zacchaeus comes to repentance. Some of his wealth was built through injustice, by using his authority as a tax collector to extort money from others.
Jesus knew this, of course. Nevertheless, he invited himself over for dinner. And his kindness brought Zacchaeus to repentance. Zacchaeus’s mind changed as he experienced the love of Jesus around the table.
But his repentance had to look like something. As part of his repentance, he gave away half the wealth of his house and promised to restore four-fold to anyone he defrauded.
Apart from the presence of Holy Spirit in us, we all have a guilty conscience before God.
And so, we recoil from the idea of repentance, because it carries with it the idea of our misdeeds coming to light in God’s presence. As Jesus said, “Everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light lest his works be exposed.” John 3:20
Jesus, however, is not recoiling from our sin. He is inviting himself over for dinner.
He says, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and will open the door, I will come in and eat with Him.”
Rest
Rest means to cease from activity, to stop, to be still.
In the Bible the concept is strongly associated with the Sabbath, the Royal Day. Part of our creation mandate is to work with Father God in filling and improving the world he made. But, before our work to renew the world is complete, we are daily, weekly, and seasonally commanded to stop our work, and rest. When we do this, we experience the joy of the finished work before it is finished. It is as though the future Kingdom of God where death, mourning, and pain are no more, invades the present moment when we enter Sabbath Rest.
“Be still and know that I am God.”
“Rest in the LORD, wait patiently for him.”
“Stand still and see the salvation of God.”
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works, as God did from his.”
Spiritually speaking, this Sabbath Rest speaks of experiencing union with Christ by the power of the Spirit, a state where Christ is “all in all”, where we only do what we see our Father doing, and say what we hear our Father saying. The Apostle John calls this “Abiding”. As Soren Kierkegaard said, this is the state of a self that “rests transparently in the power that established it.”
To rest in the Lord is to have faith, to believe in Jesus, and to abide in that place. And, without faith it is impossible to please God.
Rest and Repentance
Sometimes, rest comes first and leads to repentance.
Perhaps a troubled conscience indicates a need for repentance. Or perhaps something is wrong in a close relationship. But, due to our own mental chaos, whether from sin or the devil we don’t know, we cannot see straight. We are tied in knots and can’t see a way out. Or, we know how to get out, but we lack the courage to obey.
Then, we hear Jesus is in town. Curious, we go out to see him.
He walks by us on the road; calls to us. He invites himself over for dinner. We experience the rest of being with the King, the walking Sabbath Day himself. We experience Joy—how can it be that this One accepts me? Does he not realize I am a tax-collector? Does he not see my sin? How many I’ve defrauded? And yet, here he is, eating in my house!
And then, from rest, we produce the actions of repentance. We stop defrauding others. We give away half our wealth. We restore what was taken by injustice four-fold.
But we do all these things after we’ve feasted in joy with the King.
As we experience that joy, that love, a pearl of great price, our heart begins to merge with his, and we begin to long for righteousness as he does. We begin to want to be like him, and to produce fruits in keeping with repentance, even up to half our wealth.
Repentance to Rest
Other times, Repentance comes before Rest.
We confess our sin to a brother or sister, and experience afresh the power of the blood of Jesus to wash away our sin.
We go to someone we have offended and apologize.
We turn away from wicked things, turn to the Lord, and we experience his presence.
Whichever order, Rest to Repentance, or Repentance to Rest, the two are dynamically connected. Either way, as the song says, “Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling…Calling poor sinner, come home.”
Jesus is Inviting Himself for Dinner
Friends, Jesus is knocking at our doors. Will we open to him?
This is a season of feasting, not necessarily of food, but of the presence of God. We’re coming into a season of Rest. Ironically, God will do more during our rest than through all our work, although He loves and honors our work done in his name.
As someone once said, “When I work, I work. But when I pray, God works.”
As we come into a season of Repentance, let’s remember not to shrink back and hide. Jesus already knows who we are. He has seen our greatest failures, he knows us better than we do, and he is still inviting himself over for dinner.
All we have to do is say “yes”, open the door, and eat with him. Repentance and Rest is that simple: Just open the door. Abide in him, walk with him, rest in his love. And experience what real life can be like when we give in to God’s plan of salvation,“In Repentance and Rest you will be saved.”
In the midst of a world gone mad, we can experience the salvation of God through repentance and rest as we declare to all who have ears to hear “there is a better way.”
As our Lord himself said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and you will find rest for your souls…”
This year during 10 Days, let’s open the door and invite Him in.
Partner With Us
We believe God uses the generosity of His people to help advance His Kingdom and make the Gospel known. Your support helps us continue the work God has called us to do—equipping believers, reaching others, and providing resources that encourage people to know and follow Jesus.
If you feel led to partner with us, you can support the ministry through a one-time or recurring gift. Every contribution, no matter the amount, helps us continue this mission and reach more people.
Thank you for praying, giving, and partnering with us in what God is doing.