(and) saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
After Malachi there was no prophet until John the Baptist came. He appeared first in the wilderness of Judea. This was not an uninhabited desert, but a part of the country not thickly peopled, nor much enclosed. No place is so remote as to shut us out from the visits of Divine grace.
The doctrine he preached was repentance; Repent ye. The word here used, implies a total alteration in the mind, a change in the judgment, disposition, and affections, another and a better bias of the soul. Consider your ways, change your minds: you have thought amiss; think again, and think aright. True penitents have other thoughts of God and Christ, sin and holiness, of this world and the other, than they had. The change of the mind produces a change of the way. That is gospel repentance, which flows from a sight of Christ, from a sense of his love, and from hopes of pardon and forgiveness through him.
It is a great encouragement to us to repent; repent, for your sins shall be pardoned upon your repentance. Return to God in a way of duty, and he will, through Christ, return unto you in the way of mercy.
It is still as necessary to repent and humble ourselves, to prepare the way of the Lord, as it then was. There is a great deal to be done, to make way for Christ into a soul, and nothing is more needful than the discovery of sin, and a conviction that we cannot be saved by our own righteousness. The way of sin and Satan is a crooked way; but to prepare a way for Christ, the paths must be made straight, Heb 12:13.
Those whose business it is to call others to mourn for sin, and to mortify it, ought themselves to live a serious life, a life of self-denial, and contempt of the world. By giving others this example, John made way for Christ.
Many came to John's baptism, but few kept to the profession they made. There may be many forward hearers, where there are few true believers. Curiosity, and love for novelty and variety, may bring many to attend on good preaching, and to be affected for a while, who never are subject to the power of it.
Those who received John's doctrine, testified their repentance by confessing their sins. Those only are ready to receive Jesus Christ as their righteousness, who are brought with sorrow and shame to own their guilt.
The benefits of the kingdom of heaven, now at hand, were thereupon sealed to them by baptism. John washed them with water, in token that God would cleanse them from all their iniquities, thereby intimating, that by nature and practice all were polluted, and could not be admitted among the people of God, unless washed from their sins in the fountain Christ was to open, Zec 13:1.
It is just with God to take the gospel and the means of grace, from those that slight them and thrust them away. Christ will not stay long where he is not welcome. Those who are without Christ, are in the dark. They were sitting in this condition, a contented posture; they chose it rather than light; they were willingly ignorant.
When the gospel comes, light comes; when it comes to any place, when it comes to any soul, it makes day there. Light discovers and directs; so does the gospel. The doctrine of repentance is right gospel doctrine. Not only the austere John Baptist, but the gracious Jesus, preached repentance. There is still the same reason to do so. The kingdom of heaven was not reckoned to be fully come, till the pouring out of the Holy Spirit after Christ's ascension.
Jesus began to preach in Galilee, after that John was put in prison. If some be laid aside, others shall be raised up, to carry on the same work.
Observe the great truths Christ preached. By repentance we give glory to our Creator whom we have offended; by faith we give glory to our Redeemer who came to save us from our sins. Christ has joined these two together, and let no man think to put them asunder.
Christ puts honour upon those who, though mean in this world, are diligent in their business and kind to one another. Industry and unity are good and pleasant, and the Lord Jesus commands a blessing on them. Those whom Christ calls, must leave all to follow him; and by his grace he makes them willing to do so.
Not that we must needs go out of the world, but we must sit loose to the world; forsake every thing that is against our duty to Christ, and that cannot be kept without hurt to our souls. Jesus strictly kept the sabbath day, by applying himself unto, and abounding in the sabbath work, in order to which the sabbath rest was appointed. There is much in the doctrine of Christ that is astonishing; and the more we hear it, the more cause we see to admire it.
CHRIST COMMISSIONED the Disciples/Apostles, and TAUGHT them more than what is recorded in the four canonical Gospels, though, these teachings are revealed throughout the Acts of The Apostles, the Epistle's, and all the way through to The BOOK of REVELATIONS! ALL within THE NEW TESTAMENT IS useful, IS inspired BY THE LORD, and IS what HE taught them to live in, reveal, and share WITH those who FOLLOW HIM! REPENTANCE is conduct IN conformity TO HIS WILL, and IS premised, motivated, and forwarded on LOVE of HIM, and others! Thus, CHRIST says, "If you LOVE me, you will keep my COMMANDMENTS!". The BOOKS following The GOSPELS, TEACH us HOW to LOVE more, and more, and more perfectly, THAT repentance IS the TRUTH of our professing CHRIST as our LORD. All in all, LOVE compels us to HONOUR HIM, body, mind, heart, and spirit, for we KNOW HE IS RIGHT, JUST, and GOOD, and IS LIFE eternal, which allows THE SPIRIT to work it's SUPERNATURAL miracles in us... BLESS THE LORD, PRAISE HIM, WORSHIP HIM, and REJOICE IN HIS GENIUS PLAN!!!
NEVER forget, life in this realm is fleeting, and unpredictable, therefore it speaks that THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND, and reiterates that NOW is always a suitable time to do what CHRIST has bid us to...
WE ARE 'THE CHURCH' OF THE MOST HIGH LORD! Doesn't that inspire enough???
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