Matters of Faith: A Single Message

By: Rev. J. Loren Russell

‭‭Matthew 4:17‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”

Luke 24:47
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”

Through angels, our ancestors and prophets, the Lord’s message has been reiterated repeatedly with consistency and a genuine continuity since the incident in the Garden of Eden. Using visions, dreams, direct speech, supernatural occurrences, even celestial appearances, the Lord sent His message to the world that people should repent. Along with repentance goes turning from our wicked ways so that we can be saved. It is a single message with eternal rewards or everlasting consequences.

God has a great concern and love for the souls of all humanity, yet those same people have an affinity to drift away (Hebrews 2:1). So, the very first thing that Jesus preached was repentance. To repent is turn from self or sin-centeredness to God or Christ-centeredness. Repentance is a response to grace. John 3:16-17 (NET) speaks to God’s grace, our repentance, and the results of our conversion experience; “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.”

There has always been a single message; repentance, and a single purpose; salvation. The message first came through angles, ancestors, and prophets. Now, from the very beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus affirmed part one of that single message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance without salvation has no eternal value. We are told in Matthew 20:28 that salvation came because Jesus was going to “give His life a ransom for many.”

There is nothing like having the architect of everything come to dwell with and to give His life as a ransom for the lives and souls of many and to affirm His message of repentance and salvation. After He was crucified and resurrected, He commissioned His disciples to carry the message through the preached word near and far (Luke 24;27). Matthew 28:19-20 spells out for us that commission and the writer of Hebrews confirms that Jesus’ assignment was complete when he wrote, “When he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). It was and is a single message.

Be Blessed +++

Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial &. Strategic Consulting, and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio, Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. Listen by phone” at 626-226-1448. Be sure to Friend “Matters of Faith” on Facebook and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The Book at Book Blues.

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